BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 3478

By: Hinojosa, Gina

Homeland Security & Public Safety

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties contend that municipalities need additional flexibility in the provision of renewal and duplicate driver's license, election identification certificate, and personal identification certificate services. H.B. 3478 seeks to provide that additional flexibility by authorizing the Department of Public Safety to establish a municipal program for the provision of those services.

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

H.B. 3478 amends the Transportation Code to include a municipality among the entities for which the Department of Public Safety (DPS) may establish a program for the provision of renewal and duplicate driver's license, election identification certificate, and personal identification certificate services and to authorize DPS to enter into an agreement with the governing body of a municipality to permit municipal employees to provide those services at a municipal office. The bill authorizes an applicable municipality to collect an additional fee of up to $5 for each transaction provided that relates to driver's license and personal identification certificate services only. The bill exempts a person who holds a valid driver's license issued by Texas or another state that includes an authorization to operate a motorcycle from statutory provisions requiring evidence of completion of an approved motorcycle operator training course with an application for an original Class M license, or for an original Class A, B, or C driver's license or commercial driver's license that includes an authorization to operate a motorcycle. The bill exempts a person who holds a valid license issued by another state or a foreign country from statutory provisions conditioning DPS authority to issue a driver's license to a person younger than 25 years of age on the person's submission of a specified driver education certificate. The bill repeals provisions authorizing the issuance of a temporary driver's license without a photograph of the license holder to certain applicants and repeals provisions conditioning DPS authority to issue a driver's license to a person younger than 21 years of age on the person's submission of a specified driver education certificate.

H.B. 3478 repeals the following provisions:

· Section 521.124, Transportation Code

· Section 521.1601, Transportation Code, as added by Chapter 1253 (H.B. 339), Acts of the 81st Legislature, Regular Session, 2009.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2017.