BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

Senate Research Center                                                                                                      S.B. 1783

81R14642 JTS-D                                                                                                              By: Carona

                                                                                                 Transportation & Homeland Security

                                                                                                                                            3/30/2009

                                                                                                                                              As Filed

 

 

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

Driver's licenses are an important means of identification in Texas.  Though people primarily obtain driver's licenses as a requirement for driving, the license is relied on in many situations as an identifying document.  For example, driver's licenses may be used to board an intra-U.S. flight, to apply for any number of financial services, to prove a person's identity for the purchase of a weapon, and for many other purposes.

 

For these reasons, it is important that the processes for obtaining a driver's license ensures, as much as possible, that the license reflects the holder's true identity.

 

Currently, Section 521.142(a), Transportation Code, requires the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to accept Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) identification cards as satisfactory proof of identity for purposes of a driver's license application.

 

DPS's acceptance of identification cards issued by TDCJ as satisfactory proof of identity reduces the accuracy of the driver's license process because TDCJ identification cards have been found to contain inaccurate personal identification information. By no longer requiring DPS to accept TDCJ identification cards, DPS will be able to accept such identification cards if DPS believes that the cards are sufficiently accurate to support a driver's license application.

 

As proposed,  S.B. 1783 deletes existing text requiring that DPS accept TDCJ identification cards as satisfactory proof of identity for purposes of a driver's license application. 

 

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 521.142(a), Transportation Code, by deleting the requirement that the Department of Public Safety (DPS) accept as satisfactory proof of identity for a driver's license or commercial driver's license under the subsection an offender identification card or similar form of identification issued to an inmate by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

 

SECTION 2.  Repealer: Section 522.021(c-1) (relating to requiring DPS to accept as satisfactory proof of identity an offender identification card or similar form of identification issued to an inmate), Transportation Code.

 

SECTION 3.  Makes application of this Act prospective.

 

SECTION 4.  Effective date: September 1, 2009.