By:  Ogden                                                        S.B. No. 51 


A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to appropriating to the Department of Public Safety of the 
State of Texas certain surcharges collected by the department under 
the driver responsibility program and fees collected by the Texas 
Department of Transportation under the motor vehicle financial 
responsibility verification program, as those programs are created 
by House Bill No. 3588, Acts of the 78th Legislature, Regular 
Session, 2003.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Subsection (b), Section 502.1715, 
Transportation Code, as added by House Bill No. 3588, Acts of the 
78th Legislature, Regular Session, 2003, is amended to read as 
follows:
	(b)  Prior to August 31, 2005, fees collected under this 
subchapter shall be deposited to the credit of the state highway 
fund.  The [Subject to appropriation, the] money shall be used by 
the Department of Public Safety to:
		(1)  support the Department of Public Safety's 
reengineering of the driver's license system to provide for the 
issuance by the Department of Public Safety of a driver's license or 
personal identification certificate, not to include use of 
biometric information; [and]
		(2)  establish and maintain a system to support the 
driver responsibility program under Chapter 708; and
		(3)  conduct the feasibility study authorized by 
Section 601.450.    
	SECTION 2.  The one percent of surcharges collected during 
the state fiscal biennium beginning September 1, 2003, by the 
Department of Public Safety of the State of Texas under Chapter 708, 
Transportation Code, as added by House Bill No. 3588, Acts of the 
78th Legislature, Regular Session, 2003, that is deposited to the 
general revenue fund and dedicated to the administration of the 
driver responsibility program by Subsection (b), Section 780.002, 
Health and Safety Code, as added by that bill, is appropriated to 
the Department of Public Safety for the state fiscal biennium 
beginning September 1, 2003, for the purposes of administering the 
driver responsibility program operated by the department under 
Chapter 708, Transportation Code, as added by that bill.  The number 
of full-time equivalent positions (FTE) indicated in the Department 
of Public Safety's bill pattern is increased by 11 during the 
biennium.
	SECTION 3.  All fees collected during the state fiscal 
biennium beginning September 1, 2003, by the Texas Department of 
Transportation under Section 502.1715, Transportation Code, as 
added by House Bill No. 3588, Acts of the 78th Legislature, Regular 
Session, 2003, are appropriated to the Department of Public Safety 
of the State of Texas for the state fiscal biennium beginning 
September 1, 2003, for the purpose of supporting the Department of 
Public Safety's reengineering of the driver's license system.  The 
number of full-time equivalent positions (FTE) indicated in the 
Department of Public Safety's bill pattern is increased by 28 
during the biennium.
	SECTION 4.  Revenue generated under Section 502.1715, 
Transportation Code, as added by House Bill No. 3588, Acts of the 
78th Legislature, Regular Session, 2003, may be used by the 
Department of Public Safety of the State of Texas to make lease 
payments to the Master Lease Purchase Program to accomplish the 
driver's license reengineering project and the liability insurance 
feasibility study.
	SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives 
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as 
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this 
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this 
Act takes effect November 1, 2003.