| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
| |
|
|
relating to residency requirements for driver's licenses and |
|
|
personal identification certificates. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Section 521.101, Transportation Code, is amended |
|
|
by amending Subsections (f-1) and (j) to read as follows: |
|
|
(f-1) A personal identification certificate issued to a |
|
|
person whose address of principal residence [or domicile] is a |
|
|
correctional facility or a parole facility expires on the first |
|
|
birthday of the license holder occurring after the first |
|
|
anniversary of the date of issuance. |
|
|
(j) The department may not issue a personal identification |
|
|
certificate to a person who has not established an address of |
|
|
principal residence [a domicile] in this state. |
|
|
SECTION 2. Section 521.1015(c), Transportation Code, is |
|
|
amended to read as follows: |
|
|
(c) Notwithstanding Section 521.101, Section 521.1426, or |
|
|
any other provision of this chapter, a child or youth described by |
|
|
Subsection (b) may, in applying for a personal identification |
|
|
certificate: |
|
|
(1) provide a copy of the child's or youth's birth |
|
|
certificate as proof of the child's or youth's identity and United |
|
|
States citizenship, as applicable; and |
|
|
(2) if the child or youth does not have an address of |
|
|
principal [a] residence [or domicile]: |
|
|
(A) provide a letter certifying the child or |
|
|
youth is a homeless child or youth issued by: |
|
|
(i) the school district in which the child |
|
|
or youth is enrolled; |
|
|
(ii) the director of an emergency shelter |
|
|
or transitional housing program funded by the United States |
|
|
Department of Housing and Urban Development; or |
|
|
(iii) the director of: |
|
|
(a) a basic center for runaway and |
|
|
homeless youth; or |
|
|
(b) a transitional living program; or |
|
|
(B) use the address of the regional office where |
|
|
the Department of Family and Protective Services caseworker for the |
|
|
child or youth is based. |
|
|
SECTION 3. Section 521.1016(c), Transportation Code, is |
|
|
amended to read as follows: |
|
|
(c) Notwithstanding Section 521.101, Section 521.1426, or |
|
|
any other provision of this chapter, an individual described by |
|
|
Subsection (b) may, in applying for a personal identification |
|
|
certificate: |
|
|
(1) provide a copy of the individual's birth |
|
|
certificate as proof of the individual's identity and United States |
|
|
citizenship, as applicable; and |
|
|
(2) if the individual does not have an address of |
|
|
principal [a] residence [or domicile], provide a letter certifying |
|
|
the individual is homeless issued by: |
|
|
(A) an advocate; |
|
|
(B) a licensed mental health services provider |
|
|
who examined and evaluated the individual; or |
|
|
(C) the director of an emergency shelter or |
|
|
transitional housing program funded by the United States Department |
|
|
of Housing and Urban Development or through the Victims of Crime Act |
|
|
of 1984 (Title II, Pub. L. No. 98-473). |
|
|
SECTION 4. Section 521.1426, Transportation Code, is |
|
|
amended to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 521.1426. ADDRESS OF PRINCIPAL RESIDENCE [DOMICILE] |
|
|
REQUIREMENT; VERIFICATION. (a) The department may not issue a |
|
|
driver's license or a personal identification certificate to a |
|
|
person who has not established an address of principal residence [a |
|
|
domicile] in this state. |
|
|
(b) The department shall adopt rules for determining |
|
|
whether an address of principal residence [a domicile] has been |
|
|
established, including rules prescribing the types of |
|
|
documentation the department may require from the applicant to |
|
|
verify the validity of the claimed principal residence [domicile]. |
|
|
(c) The department may contract with a third-party personal |
|
|
data verification service to assist the department in verifying a |
|
|
claim of an address of principal residence [domicile], including |
|
|
whether the physical address provided by the applicant is the |
|
|
applicant's actual principal residence. |
|
|
SECTION 5. Sections 521.271(a) and (b), Transportation |
|
|
Code, are amended to read as follows: |
|
|
(a) Each original driver's license, provisional license, |
|
|
learner license, or occupational driver's license issued to an |
|
|
applicant who is a citizen, national, or legal permanent resident |
|
|
of the United States or a refugee or asylee lawfully admitted into |
|
|
the United States expires as follows: |
|
|
(1) except as provided by Section 521.2711, a driver's |
|
|
license expires on the first birthday of the license holder |
|
|
occurring after the eighth anniversary of the date of the |
|
|
application; |
|
|
(2) a provisional license expires on the 18th birthday |
|
|
of the license holder; |
|
|
(3) a learner license expires on the 18th birthday of |
|
|
the license holder; |
|
|
(4) an occupational driver's license expires on the |
|
|
first anniversary of the court order granting the license; and |
|
|
(5) unless an earlier date is otherwise provided, a |
|
|
driver's license issued to a person whose address of principal |
|
|
residence [or domicile] is a correctional facility or a parole |
|
|
facility expires on the first birthday of the license holder |
|
|
occurring after the first anniversary of the date of issuance. |
|
|
(b) Except as provided by Section 521.2711, a driver's |
|
|
license that is renewed expires on the earlier of: |
|
|
(1) the eighth anniversary of the expiration date |
|
|
before renewal if the applicant is a citizen, national, or legal |
|
|
permanent resident of the United States or a refugee or asylee |
|
|
lawfully admitted into the United States; |
|
|
(1-a) for an applicant not described by Subdivision |
|
|
(1): |
|
|
(A) the earlier of: |
|
|
(i) the eighth anniversary of the |
|
|
expiration date before renewal; or |
|
|
(ii) the expiration date of the applicant's |
|
|
authorized stay in the United States; or |
|
|
(B) the first anniversary of the date of |
|
|
issuance, if there is no definite expiration date for the |
|
|
applicant's authorized stay in the United States; or |
|
|
(2) for a renewal driver's license issued to a person |
|
|
whose address of principal residence [or domicile] is a |
|
|
correctional facility or a parole facility, the first birthday of |
|
|
the license holder occurring after the first anniversary of the |
|
|
date of issuance unless an earlier date is otherwise provided. |
|
|
SECTION 6. Section 521.421(a-2), Transportation Code, is |
|
|
amended to read as follows: |
|
|
(a-2) Except as provided by Subsection (a-1), the |
|
|
department by rule shall establish the fee for a personal |
|
|
identification certificate or driver's license issued to a person |
|
|
whose address of principal residence [or domicile] is a |
|
|
correctional facility or a parole facility. |
|
|
SECTION 7. The changes in law made by this Act apply to an |
|
|
application for a driver's license or personal identification |
|
|
certificate submitted on or after the effective date of this Act. |
|
|
An application for a driver's license or personal identification |
|
|
certificate submitted before the effective date of this Act is |
|
|
governed by the law in effect on the date the application was |
|
|
submitted, and the former law is continued in effect for that |
|
|
purpose. |
|
|
SECTION 8. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
|
|
|
|
|
* * * * * |