BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	H.B. 2475
86R13934 AJZ-D	By: Guillen (Zaffirini)
	Transportation
	5/13/2019
	Engrossed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

Persons who are charged with certain traffic offenses may be assessed surcharges by the Department of Public Safety of the State of Texas (DPS) via the Driver Responsibility Program. Individuals are notified by mail or email each time a surcharge is added to their record. Surcharges are added to other fees and do not replace a suspension, revocation, denial, disqualification, or cancellation resulting from the same conviction.

Persons with surcharges on their record may enter into a payment plan with DPS and demonstrate their indigent status, if applicable and necessary. Current law does not specify when a person can or should demonstrate their indigent status. H.B. 2475 would specify that a person may demonstrate their indigent status at any time during the payment plan period with DPS.

H.B. 2475 amends current law relating to the indigent status of a person for purposes of the driver responsibility program.

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 Section 708.158, Transportation Code, by adding Subsection (c) to authorize a person to provide information to the court, as described by Subsection (b) (relating to requiring a person to provide information to the court in which the person is convicted of the offense that is the basis for the surcharge to establish that the person is indigent), to establish that the person is indigent at any time during a period the person is enrolled in an installment plan under Section 708.153 (Installment Payment of Surcharge).

SECTION 2. Provides that Section 708.158(c), Transportation Code, as added by this Act, applies to any surcharge pending on the effective date of this Act, regardless of whether the surcharge was imposed before that date.

SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 2019.