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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the issuance of a driver's license or personal |
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identification certificate to a youth experiencing homelessness. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter R, Chapter 521, Transportation Code, |
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is amended by adding Section 521.4265 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 521.4265. EXEMPTION FOR YOUTH EXPERIENCING |
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HOMELESSNESS. (a) In this section, "youth experiencing |
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homelessness": |
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(1) means an individual who is at least 16 years of age |
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and not older than 24 years of age and: |
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(A) lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate |
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nighttime residence; or |
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(B) has a primary nighttime residence that is: |
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(i) a supervised publicly or privately |
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operated shelter designed to provide temporary living |
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accommodations, including welfare hotels, congregate shelters, and |
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transitional housing for the mentally ill; |
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(ii) an institution that provides a |
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temporary residence for individuals intended to be |
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institutionalized; or |
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(iii) a public or private place not |
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designed for, or ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping |
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accommodation for human beings; and |
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(2) does not include an individual who is imprisoned |
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or otherwise detained in a correctional facility at the time an |
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application is submitted for a driver's license or personal |
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identification certificate. |
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(b) Except as provided by Subsections (f) and (i), a youth |
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experiencing homelessness is entitled to an exemption from the |
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payment of fees under this chapter for the issuance of a driver's |
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license or personal identification certificate. |
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(c) For the purposes of this section, a person's status as a |
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youth experiencing homelessness must be confirmed by a notarized |
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affidavit from: |
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(1) a case manager employed by: |
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(A) a homeless shelter or transitional housing |
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facility; |
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(B) an organization that provides to youth |
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experiencing homelessness or assists youth experiencing |
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homelessness in obtaining services such as health services, mental |
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or behavioral health services, substance abuse services, public |
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assistance services, or employment services; or |
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(C) a faith-based organization that provides |
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benefits or services to youth experiencing homelessness; |
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(2) a peace officer who is an official homeless |
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liaison; or |
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(3) a counselor or administrator at a school attended |
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by the youth experiencing homelessness. |
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(d) A person may not charge a fee for the affidavit |
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described by Subsection (c). |
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(e) An affidavit described by Subsection (c) may not be used |
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for a driver's license or personal identification certificate |
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application if the affidavit was signed more than 60 days before the |
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date the application is submitted. |
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(f) Subsection (b) does not apply to a person subject to the |
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registration requirements of Chapter 62, Code of Criminal |
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Procedure. |
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(g) For each exemption granted under this section the |
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department shall deposit to the credit of the Texas mobility fund an |
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amount from the identification fee exemption account under |
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Subsection (h) that is equal to the amount of the waived fee that |
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would otherwise be deposited to the mobility fund. |
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(h) The identification fee exemption account is created as |
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an account in the general revenue fund of the state treasury. The |
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fund consists of grants and donations made to the department for the |
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purposes of this section. The department shall administer the |
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account. Money in the account may be appropriated for the purposes |
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of Subsection (g). |
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(i) The department may not grant an exemption under this |
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section if money is not available in the identification fee |
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exemption account to meet the requirements of Subsection (g). |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |