BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 1934

By: Campbell

Homeland Security & Public Safety

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties note that because the driver's license is the most prevalent source of identification in the United States, it is important to ensure that a driver's license and a similar source of identification, a state-issued identification card, are issued to the rightful person and not to a person whose intent is to perpetuate fraud or identity theft. Furthermore, those parties contend that the law governing the issuance of identification cards is not as stringent as the law governing the issuance of a driver's license. S.B. 1934 seeks to remedy this situation by aligning the requirements for the issuance of an identification card with those of a driver's license.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

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

S.B. 1934 amends the Transportation Code to expand the applicability of statutory provisions limiting the use and disclosure of a driver's license applicant's social security number information to include such information with respect to an applicant for a personal identification certificate and to expand the entities to which such social security number information may be disclosed to include an agency of another state responsible for issuing driver's licenses or identification documents. The bill removes the specification that the personal identification certificate of an applicant who is 60 years of age or older does not expire. The bill requires the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to require an applicant for an original driver's license to provide the applicant's social security number or proof that the applicant is not eligible for a social security number and removes a provision authorizing DPS to require such an applicant to provide the applicant's social security number only for a limited purpose. The bill specifies that a person is not entitled to receive a driver's license until the person surrenders to DPS each personal identification certificate in the person's possession that was issued by the state nor is entitled to receive a personal identification certificate until the person surrenders to DPS each driver's license in the person's possession that was issued by the state.  

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2015.