HBA-CMT, DMH, LJP H.B. 396 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 396 By: Wise Public Safety 4/6/2001 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Under current law, all applications for a Texas driver's license must state the applicant's full name, and place and date of birth and must be verified by presentation of proof of identity satisfactory to the Department of Public Safety (DPS). DPS sometimes requests that social security cards be presented, because DPS uses social security numbers to track applicants who owe child support. However, some applicants may not be eligible for social security cards. House Bill 396 provides a list of acceptable alternatives or documents that DPS may use in lieu of social security numbers to help applicants obtain a valid drivers license. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that rulemaking authority is expressly delegated to the Department of Public Safety in SECTION 2 (Section 521.142(a), Transportation Code) of this bill. ANALYSIS House Bill 396 amends the Family Code to provide an exception to the requirement that a licensing authority request and an applicant for a license provide the applicant's social security number for the purpose of assisting in the administration of laws relating to child support enforcement. The bill provides that an application for a driver's license may be accompanied by the applicant's social security number, an SSA L-676 letter from the Social Security Administration stating that the applicant is ineligible to obtain a social security number, a temporary identification number issued to the applicant by the Internal Revenue Service, or a notarized affidavit from the applicant stating that the applicant has not been issued any of these documents. The bill also amends the Transportation Code to specify what proof of identification an applicant for an original driver's license must provide to verify that applicant's full name and place and date of birth. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001.