BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 598

By: Hughes

Public Safety

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Generally, federal and state law requires that a person's home address be displayed on the person's driver's license. Because of the unique security needs of federal and state judges, federal law allows states to display the address of the courthouse in which the judge serves on the driver's licenses of those judges and their spouses.

H.B. 598 conforms Texas law to federal law and authorizes the Department of Public Safety to establish a procedure for a federal judge, a state judge, or the spouse of a federal or state judge to omit the driver's license holder's residence address on the license and instead display the street address of the courthouse in which the license holder or license holder's spouse serves as a federal or state judge.

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. 598 amends the Transportation Code to require the Department of Public Safety to establish a procedure for a federal judge, a state judge, or the spouse of a federal or state judge to omit the driver's license holder's residence address on the license and to include, in lieu of that address, the street address of the courthouse in which the driver's license holder or license holder's spouse serves as a federal judge or state judge. The bill requires the department to require sufficient documentary evidence to establish the license holder's status as a federal judge, state judge, or the spouse of a federal or state judge. The bill requires an application for an original driver's license, if the applicant is a federal judge, state judge, or spouse of a federal or state judge using the procedure developed under this provision, to state the street address of the courthouse in which the applicant or the applicant's spouse serves as a federal or state judge, and requires the driver's license for such a license holder to include the courthouse street address information. The bill defines "federal judge" and "state judge."

H.B. 598 requires a person who is a federal judge, a state judge, or spouse of a federal or state judge, who has used the procedure to omit the driver's license holder's residence address on the license, and whose status as a federal judge, a state judge, or spouse of a federal or state judge becomes inapplicable to notify the department of the change and to apply for a duplicate license.  The bill requires the duplicate license to include the person's current residence address. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2009.