BILL ANALYSIS S.B. 1707 By: Ratliff State Affairs 5-8-95 Committee Report (Amended) BACKGROUND Motor vehicle accident reports are available to anyone wishing to view or obtain the report. A common practice of certain for-profit organizations, especially in urban areas, is to obtain the names and addresses of accident victims and sell the lists to groups who then contact the victims for the purpose of solicitation. PURPOSE As proposed, S.B. 1707 sets forth information that a person is required to provide the Texas Department of Transportation or the law enforcement agency making the report of an accident in order to release a copy of the accident report. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends and reenacts Section 47, Article 6701d, V.T.C.S. (Uniform Act Regulating Traffic on Highways), as follows: Sec. 47. ACCIDENT REPORTS. (a) Makes a nonsubstantive change. (b) Requires the Texas Department of Transportation (department) or a law enforcement agency employing a peace officer who made an accident report to release a copy of the report to certain entities, but deletes the provision requiring the report to be released for the 180-day period after the date of an accident. Requires the department or law enforcement agency to release the report on request to a person who provides the department or the agency with certain information, rather than various persons representing or related to the persons in the accident or who may have damage or liability as a result of the accident. Requires, rather than authorizes the department or law enforcement agency to request information to determine whether the person or entity requesting information is eligible to receive such information. Makes conforming changes. (c) Redesignates existing Subsection (d). Deletes existing Subsection (c) providing that after a certain time period, an accident is a public record. (d) Redesignates existing Subsection (e). Deletes a provision requiring all fees collected by the department to be placed in the Operators and Chauffeurs License Fund. Deletes existing Subsection (f). SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 1995. SECTION 3. Emergency clause.