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BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

 

H.B. 1938

By: Deshotel

Homeland Security & Public Safety

Committee Report (Unamended)

 

 

 

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

 

It has been suggested that the period of time during which a commercial driver's license is valid in Texas is too short, which burdens initial and renewal applicants and contributes to other customer service inefficiencies regarding the issuance of the license, such as longer wait times. H.B. 1938 seeks to address this issue by extending the period of time during which certain commercial driver's licenses are valid and by increasing fees for the issuance of those licenses.

 

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. 1938 amends the Transportation Code to increase the fee for an applicable commercial driver's license issued by the Department of Public Safety (DPS) from $60 to $96 and to set the fee for the issuance of such a license with a hazardous materials endorsement at $60. The bill extends the expiration date of the following commercial driver's licenses by three years and sets the applicable expiration dates for those licenses with a hazardous materials endorsement:

·       an original commercial driver's license;

·       a commercial driver's license issued to a person holding a Texas Class A, B, C, or M license that would expire one year or more after the date of issuance of the commercial driver's license;

·       a commercial driver's license issued to a person holding a Texas Class A, B, C, or M license that would expire less than one year after the date of issuance of the commercial driver's license or that has been expired for less than one year; and

·       a commercial driver's license issued to a person holding a Texas Class A, B, C, or M license that has been expired for at least one year but not more than two years.

 

H.B. 1938 revises certain criteria regarding the expiration of a non-domiciled commercial driver's license other than a temporary non-domiciled commercial driver's license. The bill extends the expiration date for the renewal of a commercial driver's license that has been expired for less than one year and of a commercial driver's license that has been expired for at least one year but not more than two years and sets the expiration date of the renewal of such licenses with a hazardous materials endorsement. The bill's provisions apply to a commercial driver's license issued or renewed on or after June 1, 2020.

 

EFFECTIVE DATE

 

September 1, 2019.