BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

Senate Research Center	S.B. 1205
85R10426 JXC-F	By: Nichols
	Transportation
	3/20/2017
	As Filed

 

 

 

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

The Department of Public Safety (DPS) is statutorily required to give information, including social security numbers (SSNs), to various state agencies. The Department of State Health Services (DSHS) has recently elected to not provide SSNs to DPS when they are notified that an individual passes away. This causes issues for DPS when they attempt to perform their duties that require SSNs. Without this information DPS will have difficulty developing the jury wheel, assisting in identity fraud cases, and sharing this information with other agencies.

 

S.B. 1205 remedies this situation by requiring DSHS to include SSNs with the death record file to DPS. It creates a new section of Chapter 191, Health and Safety Code, authorizing sharing of birth and death record information necessary to confirm information presented during the application process or to mark records as deceased.

 

As proposed, S.B. 1205 amends current law relating to the sharing of death record information between the Department of State Health Services and the Department of Public Safety.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

 

SECTION 1. Amends Subchapter A, Chapter 191, Health and Safety Code, by adding Section 191.009, as follows:

 

Sec. 191.009. DEATH INFORMATION FOR DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY. (a) Requires the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) to implement an efficient and effective method to verify death information to assist the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) with maintaining records of holders of driver's licenses and personal identification certificates in Texas.

 

(b) Requires DSHS to enter into a memorandum of understanding with DPS to implement this section. Requires that the memorandum of understanding to include a mechanism for DSHS to provide to DPS death information that includes unique identifiers, including social security numbers, necessary to accurately match death records with driver's license and personal identification certificate records.

 

SECTION 2. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2017.