SRC-JEC S.B. 222 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Senate Research Center S.B. 222 77R1581 JD-DBy: Carona Jurisprudence 3/5/2001 As Filed DIGEST AND PURPOSE According to the American Medical Association, from 1985 to 1996, 64 percent of child passenger deaths involving a drinking driver occurred while the child was riding with a drinking driver. As proposed, S.B. 222 increases the penalty for drunk driving to a Class A misdemeanor if a person younger than 16 was in the vehicle driven by the defendant. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 49.09(a), Penal Code, to make an offense of driving while intoxicated a Class A misdemeanor if it is shown on the trial of the offense that at the time of the offense a person younger than 16 was a passenger in the motor vehicle being operated by the defendant. SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2001. Makes application of this Act prospective.