| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
| |
|
|
relating to the notification of a peace officer through an |
|
|
indication associated with vehicle registration that a person has a |
|
|
health condition or disability that may impede effective |
|
|
communication. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 502, Transportation Code, |
|
|
is amended by adding Section 502.061 to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 502.061. REGISTRATION BY OWNER WITH CONDITION THAT |
|
|
IMPEDES EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION. (a) An application for |
|
|
registration must provide space for the applicant to voluntarily |
|
|
indicate that the applicant has a health condition or disability |
|
|
that may impede effective communication with a peace officer. The |
|
|
department may request from a person who makes an indication under |
|
|
this subsection verification of a condition in the form of: |
|
|
(1) for a physical health condition, a written |
|
|
statement from a licensed physician; or |
|
|
(2) for a mental health condition, a written statement |
|
|
from a licensed physician, a licensed psychologist, or a |
|
|
non-physician mental health professional, as defined by Section |
|
|
571.003, Health and Safety Code. |
|
|
(b) The department shall provide to the Department of Public |
|
|
Safety the vehicle registration information of a person who |
|
|
voluntarily indicated on an application under Subsection (a) that |
|
|
the person has a health condition or disability that may impede |
|
|
effective communication. The department may not provide to the |
|
|
Department of Public Safety information that shows the type of |
|
|
health condition or disability a person has. |
|
|
(c) The Department of Public Safety shall establish a system |
|
|
to include information received under Subsection (b) in the Texas |
|
|
Law Enforcement Telecommunications System for the purpose of |
|
|
alerting a peace officer who makes a traffic stop that the operator |
|
|
of the stopped vehicle may have a health condition or disability |
|
|
that may impede effective communication. |
|
|
(d) The Department of Public Safety may not make information |
|
|
received under Subsection (b) available in the Texas Law |
|
|
Enforcement Telecommunications System to a person who has access to |
|
|
the system under a contract unless the contract prohibits the |
|
|
person from disclosing that information to a person who is not |
|
|
subject to the contract. |
|
|
(e) The department may not issue to a person without the |
|
|
person's consent a license plate with a visible marking that |
|
|
indicates to the general public that the person voluntarily |
|
|
indicated on an application under Subsection (a) that the person |
|
|
has a health condition or disability that may impede effective |
|
|
communication. |
|
|
(f) Except as provided by Subsection (d), information |
|
|
supplied to the department relating to an applicant's health |
|
|
condition or disability is for the confidential use of the |
|
|
department and the Department of Public Safety and may not be |
|
|
disclosed to any person. |
|
|
SECTION 2. A Department of Public Safety contract that |
|
|
allows a person to access the Texas Law Enforcement |
|
|
Telecommunications System and that is in effect before the |
|
|
effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the |
|
|
date on which the contract was entered into, and that law is |
|
|
continued in effect for that purpose, except that the contract: |
|
|
(1) continues only for the term of the contract; and |
|
|
(2) may not be renewed unless the renewed contract |
|
|
includes the prohibition required by Section 502.061(d), |
|
|
Transportation Code, as added by this Act. |
|
|
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |
|
|
|
|
|
* * * * * |