H.B. 1032 78(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


H.B. 1032
By: Driver
Law Enforcement
Committee Report (Unamended)



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Under current law, an instruction permit expires on the driver's license
applicant's next birthday after being issued the permit.  However,
applicants are required by law to hold the instruction permit for six
months and some applicants' next birthdays will fall within that six month
period. While these individuals are compelled by current law to return to
the Department of Motor Vehicles to renew their instruction permits by
their birthday, many applicants believe that their instruction permit
expires at the end of the mandatory six month holding period and, based on
this belief, fail to renew the permit and operate with an expired permit
after their birthday.  The current requirement that an applicant renew an
instruction permit by his or her next birthday also discourages extension
of the instruction period.   Should a  parent of a young adult determine
he or she is not ready to proceed to the next license stage, an extended
expiration date can provide the opportunity for more practice without
having to renew the permit.  House Bill 1032 addresses these issues by
extending the instruction permit expiration date from the applicant's next
birthday to one year from the applicant's next birthday.  

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any
additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department,
institution or agency. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 1032 amends Section 521.271(a) of the Transportation Code by
changing Subsection (a)(3) so that an instruction permit would expire on
the second birthday of the license holder, instead of the first birthday,
that occurs after the date of application for the license.   

EFFECTIVE DATE

This Act takes effect September 1, 2003.