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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the penalties for the offense of passing certain |
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vehicles, creating a criminal offense, increasing a criminal |
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penalty. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. This Act shall be known as the Kevin Alexis |
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Ramirez Vasquez Act. |
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SECTION 2. Section 521.292(a), Transportation Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(a) Except as provided by Section 521.457(h), the |
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department shall suspend the person's license if the department |
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determines that the person: |
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(1) has operated a motor vehicle on a highway while the |
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person's license was suspended, canceled, disqualified, or |
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revoked, or without a license after an application for a license was |
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denied; |
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(2) is a habitually reckless or negligent operator of |
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a motor vehicle; |
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(3) is a habitual violator of the traffic laws; |
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(4) has permitted the unlawful or fraudulent use of |
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the person's license; |
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(5) has committed an offense in another state or |
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Canadian province that, if committed in this state, would be |
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grounds for suspension; |
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(6) has been convicted of two or more separate |
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offenses of a violation of a restriction imposed on the use of the |
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license; |
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(7) has been responsible as a driver for any collision |
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resulting in serious personal injury or serious property damage; |
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(8) is under 18 years of age and has been convicted of |
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two or more moving violations committed within a 12-month period; |
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or |
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(9) has committed an offense under Sections |
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545.157(c)(1), (c)(2), (c)(3), or 545.421. |
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SECTION 3. Section 545.157(c), Transportation Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(c) A person who violates this section commits an offense. |
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An offense under this section is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine |
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of not less than $500 or more than $1,250, except that the offense |
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is: |
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(1) a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than |
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$1,000 or more than $2,000 for a second or subsequent offense |
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committed within five years of the date on which the most recent |
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preceding offense was committed; |
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(2) a Class A misdemeanor if the offense results in a |
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collision [bodily injury to another]; or |
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(3) a state jail felony for a second or subsequent |
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offense punishable under Subdivision (2) or an offense resulting in |
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bodily injury to another. |
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SECTION 4. 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 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |