1-1     By:  Jones of Dallas (Senate Sponsor - Whitmire)       H.B. No. 972

 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House May 12, 1997;

 1-3     May 13, 1997, read first time and referred to Committee on Criminal

 1-4     Justice; May 18, 1997, reported favorably by the following vote:

 1-5     Yeas 7, Nays 0; May 18, 1997, sent to printer.)

 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-7                                   AN ACT

 1-8     relating to systems for providing access to driver's license record

 1-9     information held by the Department of Public Safety.

1-10           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

1-11           SECTION 1.  Subchapter C, Chapter 521, Transportation Code,

1-12     is amended by adding Sections 521.055 and 521.056 to read as

1-13     follows:

1-14           Sec. 521.055.  ESTABLISHMENT OF INTERACTIVE SYSTEM.  (a)  The

1-15     department may establish a system, separate from the department's

1-16     mainframe computer, that will allow interactive access to certain

1-17     driver's license record information.

1-18           (b)  The system may provide for the release of the following

1-19     information:

1-20                 (1)  the status check described in Section 521.045; and

1-21                 (2)  the three-year driving record under Section

1-22     521.046.

1-23           (c)  The fee for a status check under Subsection (b)(1) is

1-24     $2.50.  The fee for a three-year driving record under Subsection

1-25     (b)(2) is $4.50.

1-26           (d)  Fifty cents of each fee collected under Subsection (c)

1-27     shall be deposited in a special account in the general revenue fund

1-28     that may be appropriated only to the department for administration

1-29     of this chapter.

1-30           (e)  The department may contract with private vendors as

1-31     necessary to implement this section.

1-32           (f)  The department may adopt rules as necessary to

1-33     administer this section.

1-34           Sec. 521.056.  NATIONAL DRIVER REGISTER.  (a)  The department

1-35     may process file check requests under the National Driver Register

1-36     on behalf of current or prospective employers of individuals

1-37     employed or seeking employment as operators of motor vehicles or

1-38     railway locomotive operators if the individual:

1-39                 (1)  has given written consent to the release of the

1-40     information; and

1-41                 (2)  has a license in this state.

1-42           (b)  The fee for a request under Subsection (a) is $4.

1-43           (c)  The department shall forward a request made under

1-44     Subsection (a) directly to the current or prospective employer.

1-45           (d)  The department shall assist and provide procedures for

1-46     an individual to obtain information from the National Driver

1-47     Register on the individual's own driving record.  The department

1-48     may by rule establish a reasonable fee for this service, in

1-49     conformity with the policies of the National Driver Register.

1-50           (e)  The department may adopt forms and rules as necessary to

1-51     carry out the purposes of this section and comply with the policies

1-52     of the National Driver Register.

1-53           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-54     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-55     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-56     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-57     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

1-58     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

1-59     passage, and it is so enacted.

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