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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the punishment for the offense of driving while license |
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invalid and to the issuance of a citation or written notice to |
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appear to a person charged with that offense. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 521.457, Transportation Code, is amended |
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by adding Subsection (h) to read as follows: |
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(h) A peace officer, instead of arresting a person charged |
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with an offense under this section and taking the person before a |
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magistrate as required by Section 543.002 of this code and Article |
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14.06(a), Code of Criminal Procedure: |
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(1) may issue the person a citation or written notice |
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to appear as provided by Section 543.003 of this code or Article |
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14.06(b) or (c), Code of Criminal Procedure, as applicable; and |
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(2) may allow a passenger in the motor vehicle to |
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operate the vehicle following the issuance of the citation or |
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written notice to appear if the passenger holds a driver's license |
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and is otherwise fit to operate the vehicle. |
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SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only |
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to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act. |
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An offense committed before the effective date of this Act is |
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governed by the law in effect on the date the offense was committed, |
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and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For |
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purposes of this section, an offense was committed before the |
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effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurred |
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before that date. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |