BILL ANALYSIS |
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C.S.H.B. 1844 |
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By: Guillen |
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Homeland Security & Public Safety |
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Committee Report (Substituted) |
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BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Reforms have been sought to more efficiently designate individuals as certain license holders, veterans, or registered voters on driver's licenses, commercial driver's licenses, and personal identification certificates. C.S.H.B. 1844 seeks to address this issue by providing for the designation of certain individuals as licensed to hunt or fish, as registered to vote, and as veterans and disabled veterans.
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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.
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RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Department of Public Safety in SECTIONS 3, 4, and 7 of this bill.
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ANALYSIS
C.S.H.B. 1844 amends the Transportation Code to require the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to include, subject to available funds, on a personal identification certificate, driver's license, or commercial driver's license issued on or after September 1, 2021, to a person who holds a lifetime resident hunting, fishing, or combination hunting and fishing license a designation indicating the person's status as a holder of the applicable license if the person requests the designation and provides proof sufficient to DPS that the person is a holder of the applicable license. The bill requires DPS to include, subject to available funds, on each personal identification certificate, driver's license, or commercial driver's license issued on or after September 1, 2021, to a person who has been assigned a unique registered voter identifier in the statewide computerized voter registration list a designation indicating the person's unique identifier if the person requests the designation. The bill authorizes DPS to enter into an agreement with the secretary of state for purposes of verifying under the bill's provisions the person's identifier.
C.S.H.B. 1844 authorizes DPS to establish by rule additional designations that may be included on a personal identification certificate, driver's license, or commercial driver's license issued on or after September 1, 2021, to a person who requests the designation and provides proof sufficient to DPS that the person is eligible to receive the designation.
C.S.H.B. 1844 requires DPS to include the designation "VETERAN" on a commercial driver's license issued on or after September 1, 2021, to a veteran in an available space on the face of the commercial driver's license or on the reverse side of the commercial driver's license if the veteran requests the designation and the veteran provides proof sufficient to DPS of the veteran's military service and honorable discharge. The bill requires DPS, on request of a disabled veteran, to include on a commercial driver's license issued on or after September 1, 2021, to the disabled veteran in any available space on the face of the commercial driver's license or on the reverse side of the license a disabled veteran designation and the branch of the service in which the disabled veteran served, if the disabled veteran provides proof sufficient to DPS.
C.S.H.B. 1844 requires DPS to provide to the recipient of a commercial driver's license with a veteran or disabled veteran designation at the time the license is issued the informational paper developed by DPS and the Texas Veterans Commission about veterans services provided by the state for veterans who receive a driver's license, commercial driver's license, or personal identification certificate with such designation.
C.S.H.B. 1844 authorizes a disabled veteran to use a commercial driver's license with a disabled veteran designation for purposes of obtaining a service or benefit available for disabled veterans in Texas as satisfactory proof that the disabled veteran has a specified disability rating, as applicable, and as satisfactory proof of branch of service and honorable discharge. The bill establishes that a commercial driver's license with such designation is not satisfactory proof of the disabled veteran's disability rating for purposes of obtaining a property tax exemption. The bill requires a disabled veteran who renews a commercial driver's license with such designation to provide proof sufficient to DPS of the disabled veteran's disability rating.
C.S.H.B. 1844 requires the application for a personal identification certificate, driver's license, or commercial driver's license, as applicable, to provide space for the applicant to voluntarily list any information that may qualify the applicant to receive a license with a designation under the bill's provisions and to include proof required by DPS to determine the applicant's eligibility to receive the applicable designation.
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EFFECTIVE DATE
September 1, 2019.
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COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE
While C.S.H.B. 1844 may differ from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.
The substitute does not include provisions relating to the automatic voter registration of a person who is issued an original or renewal Texas driver's license or personal identification card by DPS or makes a change to such a license or card.
The substitute does not include provisions revising voter registration procedures relating to the application for an original or renewed driver's license, personal identification card, or duplicate or correct license or card.
The substitute does not include provisions relating to a handgun license designation for the personal identification certificate, driver's license, or commercial driver's license of a person licensed to carry a handgun who elects to include such designation on the applicable license or certificate. The substitute does not include a requirement for DPS to adopt related rules.
The substitute includes provisions requiring placement of a unique registered voter identifier on a personal identification certificate, driver's license, or commercial driver's license and authorizing DPS to enter into an agreement with the secretary of state for purposes of verifying a unique identifier.
The substitute changes the driver's license, commercial driver's license, and personal identification certificate to which the bill's provisions apply from such a document issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2020, to such a document issued or renewed on or after September 1, 2021.
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