SRC-MSY S.B. 946 78(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 946
By: Ogden
Infrastructure Development and Security
3/13/2003
As Filed


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

Under current Texas law, children may receive driver education instruction
from certain family members, rather than attending a certified public or
commercial driver education program.  As proposed, S.B. 946 requires a
student who receives driver education instruction from a family member to
pass a driving test administered by the Texas Department of Public Safety
before being issued a Class C license, and to pay a fee to cover the costs
of administering the test. 

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 521.165, Transportation Code, by adding
Subsection (d), to provide that this section does not allow the director
of public safety (director) to waive a driving test for an applicant who
has completed a driver education course approved by the Department of
Public Safety (DPS) under Section 521.205. 


SECTION 2.  Amends Section 521.205(d), Transportation Code, to provide
that completion of a driver education course approved under this section
has the same effect as completion of a driver education course approved by
the Texas Education Agency, except as otherwise provided by this chapter. 

SECTION 3.  Amends Section 521.421, Transportation Code, by adding
Subsections (i) and (j), as follows: 

(i)  Requires an applicant applying for original issuance of a provisional
license who has completed a driver education course under Section 521.205
to pay a $5 examination fee for the examination required under Section
521.205(b)(2). 

(j)  Requires the fee collected under Subsection (i) to be deposited to
the credit of a special account in the general revenue fund and requires
that the fee only be used by DPS for the administration of this chapter. 

SECTION 4.  Effective date:  September 1, 2003.
Makes application of this Act prospective.