By: Hagenbuch S.B. No. 1598

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the release of motor vehicle collision report information.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 550.065, Transportation Code, is amended by amending Subsections (b), (c), and (f) and adding Subsection (e-1) to read as follows:

(b) Except as provided by Subsection (c), (c-1), or (e), the information is privileged and for the confidential use of:

(1) the department; and

(2) an agency of the United States, this state, or a local government of this state that has use for the information for [collision prevention] purposes of collision prevention or a criminal investigation conducted by a law enforcement agency.

(c) On written request and payment of any required fee, the department or the governmental entity shall release the information to:

(1) an entity described by Subsection (b);

(2) the law enforcement agency that employs the peace officer who investigated the collision and sent the information to the department, including a person acting on behalf [an agent] of the law enforcement agency who is authorized by contract to obtain the information;

(3) the court in which a case involving a person involved in the collision is pending if the report is subpoenaed; or

(4) any person directly concerned in the collision or having a proper interest therein, including:

(A) any person involved in the collision;

(B) the authorized representative of any person involved in the collision;

(C) a driver involved in the collision;

(D) an employer, parent, or legal guardian of a driver involved in the collision;

(E) the owner of a vehicle or property damaged in the collision;

(F) a person who has established financial responsibility for a vehicle involved in the collision in a manner described by Section 601.051, including a policyholder of a motor vehicle liability insurance policy covering the vehicle;

(G) an insurance company that issued an insurance policy covering a vehicle involved in the collision;

(H) an insurance company that issued a policy covering any person involved in the collision;

(I) a person under contract to provide claims or underwriting information to a person described by Paragraph (F), (G), or (H);

(J) a radio or television station that holds a license issued by the Federal Communications Commission;

(K) a newspaper that is:

(i) a free newspaper of general circulation or qualified under Section 2051.044, Government Code, to publish legal notices;

(ii) published at least once a week; and

(iii) available and of interest to the general public in connection with the dissemination of news;

(L) any person who may sue because of death resulting from the collision; or

(M) an employee or authorized representative of a vehicle storage facility, as defined by Section 2303.002, Occupations Code, that stored a vehicle involved in the collision [accident].

(e-1) In addition to the information required to be released under Subsection (c), the governmental entity may release a vehicle identification number and specific collision information relating to that vehicle to a person described by Subsection (c)(2).

(f) The department or the governmental entity when releasing information under Subsection (c-1), [or] (e), or (e-1):

(1) may not release personal information, as defined by Section 730.003; and

(2) shall withhold or redact the following items:

(A) the first, middle, and last name of any person listed in a collision report, including a vehicle driver, occupant, owner, or lessee, a bicyclist, a pedestrian, or a property owner;

(B) the number of any driver's license, commercial driver's license, or personal identification certificate issued to any person listed in a collision report;

(C) the date of birth, other than the year, of any person listed in a collision report;

(D) the address, other than zip code, and telephone number of any person listed in a collision report;

(E) the license plate number of any vehicle listed in a collision report;

(F) the name of any insurance company listed as a provider of financial responsibility for a vehicle listed in a collision report;

(G) the number of any insurance policy issued by an insurance company listed as a provider of financial responsibility;

(H) the date the peace officer who investigated the collision was notified of the collision;

(I) the date the investigating peace officer arrived at the collision site;

(J) the badge number or identification number of the investigating officer;

(K) the date on which any person who died as a result of the collision died;

(L) the date of any commercial motor vehicle report; and

(M) the place where any person injured or killed in a collision was taken and the person or entity that provided the transportation.

SECTION 2. To the extent of any conflict, this Act prevails over another Act of the 89th Legislature, Regular Session, 2025, relating to nonsubstantive additions to and corrections in enacted codes.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.