1-1     By:  West                                              S.B. No. 293
 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed January 19, 2001; January 22, 2001,
 1-3     read first time and referred to Committee on Criminal Justice;
 1-4     March 26, 2001, reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 5,
 1-5     Nays 0; March 26, 2001, sent to printer.)
 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-7                                   AN ACT
 1-8     relating to use of electronically readable information on a
 1-9     driver's license.
1-10           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-11           SECTION 1.  Section 521.126, Transportation Code, is amended
1-12     to read as follows:
1-13           Sec. 521.126.  ELECTRONICALLY READABLE INFORMATION.  (a)  The
1-14     department may not include any information on a driver's license,
1-15     commercial driver's license, or identification certificate in an
1-16     electronically readable form other than the information printed on
1-17     the license and a physical description of the licensee.
1-18           (b)  The department shall take necessary steps to ensure that
1-19     the information is used only for law enforcement or governmental
1-20     purposes.
1-21           (c)  The department may permit use of the information by a
1-22     seller or lessor of goods or services if the department ensures
1-23     that:
1-24                 (1)  the information is used only for the purpose of
1-25     preventing a specific criminal offense by the seller or lessor or
1-26     by a customer of the seller or lessor; and
1-27                 (2)  the seller or lessor does not retain the
1-28     information after it is no longer needed to prevent that offense.
1-29           (d)  Unauthorized use of the information is a Class A
1-30     misdemeanor.
1-31           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
1-32     a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
1-33     provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
1-34     Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
1-35     Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
1-36                                  * * * * *