BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

Senate Research Center	H.B. 653
86R4806 AJZ-D	By: Neave et al. (Zaffirini)
	Transportation
	5/13/2019
	Engrossed

 

 

 

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

The Evidence Testing Grant Program, established during the 85th Legislature via H.B. 1729, provides financial assistance to crime laboratories for the purpose of testing sexual assault evidence (also known as "rape kits"). The program is funded by voluntary contributions made by persons applying for a driver's license, commercial driver's license, and personal identification certificate. In its first year alone, the voluntary contribution program raised more than $750,000, enough to test thousands of rape kits that otherwise may languish in storage.

 

H.B. 653 follows upon the success of H.B. 1729 (2017) to clarify that persons may make voluntary contributions when applying for a corrected or duplicate driver's license, commercial driver's license, or personal identification certificate.

 

H.B. 653 amends current law relating to voluntary contributions to the evidence testing grant program made when applying for a corrected or duplicate driver's license, commercial driver's license, or personal identification certificate.

 

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 Sections 521.012(a) and (b), Transportation Code, as follows:

 

(a) Authorizes a person, when the person applies for an original, renewal, corrected, or duplicate driver's license or personal identification certificate, rather than when a person applies for an original or renewal driver's license or personal identification certificate, under this chapter (Driver's Licenses and Certificates), to contribute $1 or more to the evidence testing grant program established under Section 772.00715 (Evidence Testing Grant Program).

 

(b) Requires the Department of Public Safety of the State of Texas (DPS) to:

 

(1) include space on the first page of each application for an original, or renewal, corrected, or duplicate driver's license or personal identification certificate that allows a person applying for an original, or renewal, corrected, or duplicate driver's license or personal identification certificate to indicate the amount that the person is voluntarily contributing to the grant program, rather than include space on the first page of each application for an original or renewal driver's license or personal identification certificate that allows a person applying for an original or renewal driver's license or personal identification certificate to indicate the amount that the person is voluntarily contributing to the grant program; and

 

(2) provide an opportunity for the person to contribute to the grant program during the application process for an original, renewal, corrected, or duplicate driver's license or personal identification certificate on DPS's Internet website, rather than provide an opportunity for the person to contribute to the grant program during the application process for an original or renewal driver's license or personal identification certificate on DPS's Internet website.

 

SECTION 2. Amends Sections 522.0295(a) and (b), Transportation Code, to make conforming changes.

 

SECTION 3. Provides that the changes in law made by this Act apply only to a person who applies for a corrected or duplicate driver's license, commercial driver's license, or personal identification certificate on or after January 1, 2020.

 

SECTION 4. Effective date: September 1, 2019.