By Oakley                                             H.B. No. 1115

         75R3639 DRH-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the denial of renewal of a driver's license for failure

 1-3     to appear for certain offenses.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 1(5), Article 6687d, Revised Statutes, is

 1-6     amended to read as follows:

 1-7                 (5)  "Traffic law" means:

 1-8                       (A)  a statute or ordinance, a violation of which

 1-9     is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine in an amount that may not

1-10     exceed $1,000, that regulates a driver's conduct, license status,

1-11     or condition while operating a motor vehicle, or the condition or

1-12     registration status of a motor vehicle while it is being operated,

1-13     in a public place or  on a street, road, or highway of this state;

1-14                       (B)  Section 38.10, Penal Code, if the underlying

1-15     offense is punishable as described by Paragraph (A); or

1-16                       (C)  Section 543.009 or 543.107(b),

1-17     Transportation Code.

1-18           SECTION 2.  The change in law made by this Act applies only

1-19     to the denial of a renewal of a driver's license under Article

1-20     6687d, Revised Statutes, for an offense that occurs on or after the

1-21     effective date of this Act.  The denial of a renewal of a driver's

1-22     license under Article 6687d, Revised Statutes, for an offense that

1-23     occurred before the effective date of this Act is covered by the

1-24     law in effect when the offense was committed, and the former law is

 2-1     continued in effect for that purpose.  For purposes of this

 2-2     section, an offense is committed before the effective date of this

 2-3     Act if any element of the offense occurs before that date.

 2-4           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

 2-5           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the

 2-6     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 2-7     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 2-8     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 2-9     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.