BILL ANALYSIS
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Senate Research Center |
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AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Interested parties note that although current law authorizes the online renewal of a Texas driver's license under certain conditions, a military service member on active duty outside of the United States may not be able to renew online if the service member has renewed online previously or has been stationed outside of the United States for longer than two years. The parties further note that these limitations present difficulty for active duty members of the military and that the same difficulty may be encountered by the family of such a service member. H.B. 1814 seeks to amend the applicable law to ensure that military personnel serving our country outside of the United States and members of their family will continue to be able to renew and have a valid driver's license regardless of expiration date.
H.B. 1814 amends current law relating to the online renewal of driver's licenses of certain active duty military personnel and relatives.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
Rulemaking authority previously granted to the Department of Public Safety of the State of Texas is modified in SECTION 1 (Section 521.274, Transportation Code) of this bill.
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 521.274(b), Transportation Code, as follows:
(b) Provides that a rule adopted under this section:
(1) Makes no change to this subdivision;
(2) and (3) Makes conforming changes; and
(4) must allow for the renewal of a driver's license by electronic means, regardless of when the license expires, of:
(A) a person who:
(i) is on active duty in the armed forces of the United States; and
(ii) is absent from the state; and
(B) the spouse or dependent child of a person described by Paragraph (A).
SECTION 2. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2015.