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79R13300 JRJ-F


By:  Hamilton                                                     H.B. No. 3129

Substitute the following for H.B. No. 3129:                                   

By:  Hill                                                     C.S.H.B. No. 3129



A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the creation of a driver safety program for holders of 
provisional driver's licenses.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 521, Transportation Code, 
is amended by adding Section 521.032 to read as follows:
	Sec. 521.032.  PROVISIONAL LICENSE HOLDER DRIVER SAFETY 
PILOT PROGRAM.  (a)  In this section, "program partner" means an 
organization such as the I Saw You Safety & Scholarship Foundation, 
Inc., that is:
		(1)  exempt from federal income taxation under Section 
501(a), Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as an organization described 
by Section 501(c)(3) of that code; and
		(2)  created for the purpose of preventing injuries and 
deaths caused by young drivers.
	(b)  The department shall create a driver safety pilot 
program for provisional license holders in conjunction with a 
program partner to determine whether a monitoring system will 
reduce the number of accidents involving provisional license 
holders.  The pilot program shall:
		(1)  provide for voluntary participation and 
enrollment in the program by a provisional license holder;
		(2)  establish a toll-free telephone system with 
bilingual call centers for a person to report the observed 
operation of a vehicle by a person who is participating or enrolled 
in the pilot program; and
		(3)  commence on or before September 1, 2005.                          
	(c)  The department may solicit, accept, and administer 
gifts and grants from any public or private source for the use and 
benefit of the program.  The department shall apply for grants from 
the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration under 23 U.S.C. 
Sections 403 and 407.  The program partner shall prepare the 
application for any grants for the pilot program at the expense of 
the program partner.  Money received by the department or the 
program partner under this section and Section 521.421(i) shall be 
deposited to the credit of the state highway fund and used by the 
department to benefit the pilot program.
	(d)  The department shall appoint a project manager to 
coordinate the pilot program and to facilitate the collection and 
analysis of accident data.
	(e)  The legislature may appropriate money to the department 
for support of the program in addition to any amounts allocated by 
the General Appropriations Act.
	(f)  This section expires September 1, 2007.                            
	SECTION 2.  Section 521.421, Transportation Code, is amended 
by adding Subsection (i) to read as follows:
	(i)  The department shall collect an additional fee of $1 for 
the issuance or renewal of a license under Subsection (a), (b), or 
(c) to fund the Provisional License Holder Driver Safety Pilot 
Program established under Section 521.032, unless the person 
applying for or renewing a license chooses not to pay the additional 
fee.  This subsection expires September 1, 2007.
	SECTION 3.  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 September 1, 2005.