LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
 
FISCAL NOTE, 80TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION
 
April 5, 2007

TO:
Honorable John Carona, Chair, Senate Committee on Transportation & Homeland Security
 
FROM:
John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board
 
IN RE:
HB84 by Branch (Relating to issuance and renewal of a driver's license of an elderly person.), Committee Report 2nd House, Substituted

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

This bill would amend the Transportation Code as it relates to issuance and renewal of a driver’s license of an elderly person. 
 
Section 1 of the bill states this Act may be cited as “Katie’s Law”.
 
Section 2 of the bill would amend Transportation Code, Section 521.271 which would require a driver’s license to expire on the first birthday after the sixth anniversary of the license holder and a driver license that is renewed expires on the sixth anniversary of the expiration date before the renewal except as provided by Transportation Code, Section 521.2711.
 
Section 3 of the bill adds Transportation Code, Section 521.2711, License Expiration: Person at Least 85 Years of Age, which states a) each original driver license of a person 85 years of age or older expires on the license holder’s second birthday after the date of the license application and b) a driver license of a person 85 years of age or older that is renewed expires on the second anniversary of the expiration date before the renewal.
 
Section 4 of the bill amends Transportation Code, Section 521.274(b), which states the driver’s license of a person who is 79 years of age or older is not permitted to renew their driver license by mail or electronic means.
 
Section 5 of the bill adds Transportation Code, Section 521.421(i), which states that fee for a driver’s license issuance or renewal of a person 85 years of age or older is $8 per license every two years.
 
Section 6 of the bill amends Transportation Code, Section 522.029(a) and adds Transportation Code, Section 522.029(j), which states that the fee for issuance or renewal of a commercial driver’s license or commercial driver learner’s permit is $25.
 
Section 7 of the bill amends Transportation Code, Sections 522.051 (a), (b), (c), and (d) to add an exception to expiration rules for an original commercial driver’s license, commercial driver learner’s permit, and a commercial driver’s license or commercial driver learner’s permit issued to a person holding a Texas Class A, B, C, or M license as determined by Transportation Code, Section 522.054.
 
Section 8 of the bill amends Transportation Code, Sections 522.052 (b), (c), and (g), to add an exception to expiration rules for the renewal of a commercial driver’s license determined by Transportation Code, Section 522.054.
 
Section 9 of the bill amends the Transportation Code, Chapter 552, Subchapter E, by adding Section 522.054, License Expiration: Person at least 85 Years of Age, which states each original commercial driver’s license and commercial driver learner’s permit of a person 85 years of age or older expires on the license holder’s second birthday after the date of the license application and a commercial driver’s license of a person 85 years of age or older that is renewed expires on the second anniversary of the expiration date before renewal.
 
Section 10 of the bill states this proposed change in law applies only to a driver’s license, commercial driver’s license, or commercial driver learner’s permit issued or renewed on or after the effective date of the Act.
 
The bill would take effect on September 1, 2007.
 
The Department of Public Safety (DPS) determined that the cost of implementing the provisions of the bill would not be significant. DPS estimated a need for $79,600 in professional service fees in additional programming changes in fiscal year 2008 in order to implement the required changes in sections 7 through 11 of the bill. It is assumed that these costs can be absorbed within the agency’s current appropriations. In its analysis of the previous version of the bill, DPS assumed losses in revenue due to a decline in fees collected from persons aged 85 to 90. The current version of the bill assumes consistent revenue collections and therefore would not result in a significant fiscal impact to the State.

Local Government Impact

No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.


Source Agencies:
405 Department of Public Safety
LBB Staff:
JOB, KJG, GG, LG