BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 3483

By: Fletcher

Transportation

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

According to interested parties, an extended learner's stage that includes supervised driving hours is an effective component of a comprehensive process for young adults to obtain their driver's licenses, as recommended by the National Safety Council. The parties note that, under current law, Texas is one of few states with fewer than the number of supervised driving hours recommended as part of the comprehensive process.

C.S.H.B. 3483 proposes to increase the number of hours of behind-the-wheel instruction with regard to a driver education course to align Texas with federal-level recommendations and to change the conditions under which a driver under 18 years of age is prohibited from driving.

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

C.S.H.B. 3483 reenacts and amends Section 1001.101, Education Code, as amended by Chapters 1253 (H.B. 339) and 1413 (S.B. 1317), Acts of the 81st Legislature, Regular Session, 2009, to increase from 20 to 30 the number of hours of behind-the-wheel instruction in the presence of a qualified adult that a driver education course must require a student to complete.

C.S.H.B. 3483 amends the Transportation Code to prohibit a person under 18 years of age from operating a motor vehicle with more than one passenger in the vehicle under 21 years of age who is not a family member or after midnight and before 5 a.m. unless the operation of the vehicle is necessary for the operator to attend or participate in employment or a school-related activity or because of a medical emergency, rather than prohibiting such a person from operating a vehicle under those conditions only during the 12-month period following issuance of an original Class A, B, or C driver's license to the person.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2013.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

C.S.H.B. 3483 differs from the original only by amending the caption.