By Uresti H.B. No. 1500
77R2889 DWS-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to driving privileges of certain minors.
1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-4 SECTION 1. Section 521.204, Transportation Code, is amended
1-5 to read as follows:
1-6 Sec. 521.204. RESTRICTIONS ON MINOR. (a) The department may
1-7 issue a Class C driver's license to an applicant under 18 years of
1-8 age only if the applicant:
1-9 (1) is 16 years of age or older;
1-10 (2) has submitted to the department a driver education
1-11 certificate issued under Section 9A, Texas Driver and Traffic
1-12 Safety Education Act (Article 4413(29c), Vernon's Texas Civil
1-13 Statutes), that states that the person has completed and passed a
1-14 driver education course approved by the department under Section
1-15 521.205 or by the Texas Education Agency;
1-16 (3) has obtained a high school diploma or its
1-17 equivalent or is a student:
1-18 (A) enrolled in a public school, home school, or
1-19 private school who attended school for at least 80 days in the fall
1-20 or spring semester preceding the date of the driver's license
1-21 application; or
1-22 (B) who has been enrolled for at least 45 days,
1-23 and is enrolled as of the date of the application, in a program to
1-24 prepare persons to pass the high school equivalency exam; and
2-1 (4) has passed the examination required by Section
2-2 521.161.
2-3 (b) The department may not issue a Class A, B, or C driver's
2-4 license other than a hardship license to an applicant under 18
2-5 years of age unless the applicant:
2-6 (1) has held an instruction permit or hardship license
2-7 for at least six months preceding the date of the application; and
2-8 (2) submits with the application a document that:
2-9 (A) states that the applicant has completed at
2-10 least 50 hours of driving, including at least 10 hours of nighttime
2-11 driving, accompanied as required under Section 521.222(d)(2); and
2-12 (B) is signed by the applicant's parent or
2-13 guardian or by a person authorized to teach a driver education
2-14 course under the Texas Driver and Traffic Safety Education Act
2-15 (Article 4413(29c), Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes).
2-16 SECTION 2. Section 521.222(d), Transportation Code, is
2-17 amended to read as follows:
2-18 (d) An instruction permit entitles the holder to operate a
2-19 type of motor vehicle on a highway while:
2-20 (1) the permit is in the holder's possession; and
2-21 (2) the holder is accompanied by a person occupying
2-22 the seat by the operator who:
2-23 (A) holds a license that qualifies the operator
2-24 to operate that type of vehicle;
2-25 (B) is 21 [18] years of age or older; and
2-26 (C) has at least one year of driving experience.
2-27 SECTION 3. Subchapter I, Chapter 545, Transportation Code, is
3-1 amended by adding Section 545.424 to read as follows:
3-2 Sec. 545.424. OPERATION OF VEHICLE BY PERSON UNDER 18 YEARS
3-3 OF AGE. A person under 18 years of age, during the six-month period
3-4 following issuance of an original Class A, B, or C driver's license
3-5 to the person, may not operate a motor vehicle:
3-6 (1) after 11 p.m. and before 5 a.m. unless the
3-7 operation of the vehicle is necessary for the operator to attend or
3-8 participate in employment or school or because of a medical
3-9 emergency; or
3-10 (2) with more than one passenger in the vehicle under
3-11 18 years of age unless each additional passenger under 18 years of
3-12 age is a member of the operator's immediate family and the
3-13 transportation of each additional passenger under 18 years of age
3-14 is authorized by the operator's parent or guardian.
3-15 SECTION 4. This Act does not affect the validity or effect
3-16 of a driver's license, including an instruction permit, issued
3-17 before the effective date of this Act. That license is governed by
3-18 the law in effect when the license was issued, and that law is
3-19 continued in effect for that purpose.
3-20 SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.