BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 454

By: Gonzalez Toureilles

Public Safety

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The Driver Responsibility Program (DRP) is in place to deter reckless driving and promote compliance with traffic laws. The defensive driving course is designed to promote safe driving practices, and can keep tickets from going on an individual's driving record.

H.B. 454 allows drivers who are paying a surcharge under DRP to complete a defensive driving course for a deduction of two responsibility points. This reduction in the number of points will result in a lower surcharge under DRP or elimination of the surcharge altogether.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

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

ANALYSIS

H.B. 454 amends the Transportation Code to make a person who is paying a surcharge under the driver responsibility program eligible for a deduction of points or elimination of a surcharge if the person has paid a surcharge for at least the preceding 12-month period because of an accumulation of driver's license points under provisions for assignment of points for conviction of certain offenses that constitute a moving violation of the traffic law or a conviction of an offense under provisions for operation of a motor vehicle in violation of motor vehicle liability insurance requirements or in violation of vehicle registration suspension and the person has not received a deduction of points or the elimination of a surcharge in the previous 24 months and successfully completed a driving safety course approved by the Texas Education Agency or a course under the motorcycle operator training and safety program approved by the designated state agency under law in the previous 12 months.

H.B. 454 entitles a person who successfully completes such a course to a deduction of two points on the person's driver's license or to an elimination of a surcharge under the provisions of the driver responsibility program that are discussed above. The bill exempts the person from the requirement to pay a surcharge if the deduction of points causes the person to have fewer than six points accumulated on the person's driver's license.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2009.