| TO: | Honorable John Carona, Chair, Senate Committee on Transportation & Homeland Security |
| FROM: | John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | SB1967 by Carona (Relating to the safe operation of motorcycles and other vehicles in this state; providing penalties.), As Introduced |
The bill would amend the Transportation Code to require that the Department of Transportation (TxDOT) conduct a continuing public awareness campaign to promote motorcyclist safety and the concept of sharing the road with motorcyclists. Additionally, the bill would require that applicants for an original class M driver's license or class A, B, or C license (including commercial driver licenses and permits), with authorization to operate a motorcycle, provide evidence of completion of an approved motorcycle operator training course. The bill would increase penalties for failure to yield to right-of-way if there is an accident which results in injury to a person other than the operator. The bill also would require that proof of health insurance indicate if there is coverage for injuries sustained while riding a motorcycle. The bill would require that motorcycle awareness, dangers of failing to yield right-of-way, and the need to share the road with motorcycles must be included in driver education and driver safety courses. The bill would take effect on September 1, 2009.
The Department of Public Safety indicates that programming changes would be needed to modify the driver license system in order to include a field for the indication of completion of a motorcycle operator training course. This analysis assumes that the costs associated with implementing the provisions of the bill could be reasonably absorbed within current resources. The Texas Education Agency indicates that the agency's current driver training staff functions include reviewing revisions to driver education and driving safety courses, and therefore no significant fiscal impact would be anticipated as a result of including the information required by the bill. The Department of Insurance indicates that developing a rule to prescribe a standard proof of health insurance for plans meeting the requirements of the bill would not pose a significant fiscal impact to the department. TxDOT also assumes no significant fiscal impact to their agency.
| Source Agencies: | 405 Department of Public Safety, 454 Department of Insurance, 601 Department of Transportation, 701 Central Education Agency
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| LBB Staff: | JOB, KJG, GG, LG, MWU, TP
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