Texas 2017 - 85th Regular

Texas House Bill HB1641 Compare Versions

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Version 2 (New)

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1	1	85R9924 AAF-D
2	2	By: Hefner, Miller, Blanco, Flynn, Gutierrez, H.B. No. 1641
3	3	et al.
4	4
5	5
6	6	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
7	7	AN ACT
8	8	relating to the issuance of specially marked driver's licenses and
9	9	personal identification certificates to disabled veterans.
10	10	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
11	11	SECTION 1. Section 521.011, Transportation Code, is amended
12	12	to read as follows:
13	13	Sec. 521.011. SERVICES INFORMATION FOR VETERANS. The
14	14	department and the Texas Veterans Commission shall jointly develop
15	15	a one-page informational paper about veterans services provided by
16	16	this state for veterans who receive:
17	17	(1) a driver's license with a designation under
18	18	Section 521.1235; or
19	19	(2) a personal identification certificate with a
20	20	[veteran's] designation under Section 521.102 [a one-page
21	21	informational paper about veterans services provided by this
22	22	state].
23	23	SECTION 2. Section 521.101(l), Transportation Code, is
24	24	amended to read as follows:
25	25	(l) The application for the personal identification
26	26	certificate must provide space for the applicant:
27	27	(1) to voluntarily list any information [military
28	28	service] that may qualify the applicant to receive a personal
29	29	identification certificate with a [veteran's] designation under
30	30	Section 521.102; and
31	31	(2) to include proof required by the department to
32	32	determine the applicant's eligibility to receive that designation.
33	33	SECTION 3. Section 521.102, Transportation Code, is amended
34	34	by amending Subsections (a) and (c) and adding Subsections (b-1),
35	35	(d), (e), and (f) to read as follows:
36	36	(a) In this section:
37	37	(1) "Disability rating" has the meaning assigned by
38	38	Section 11.22, Tax Code.
39	39	(2) "Disabled veteran" and[,] "veteran" have the
40	40	meanings assigned by Section 521.1235 [means a person who:
41	41	[(1) has served in:
42	42	[(A) the army, navy, air force, coast guard, or
43	43	marine corps of the United States; or
44	44	[(B) the Texas National Guard as defined by
45	45	Section 431.001, Government Code; and
46	46	[(2) has been honorably discharged from the branch of
47	47	the service in which the person served].
48	48	(b-1) If a disabled veteran provides proof sufficient to the
49	49	department, the department, on request of the disabled veteran,
50	50	shall include on a personal identification certificate issued to
51	51	the disabled veteran in any available space on the face of the
52	52	personal identification certificate or on the reverse side of the
53	53	personal identification certificate:
54	54	(1) a disabled veteran designation; and
55	55	(2) the branch of the service in which the disabled
56	56	veteran served.
57	57	(c) The department shall provide to the recipient of a
58	58	personal identification certificate with a [veteran's] designation
59	59	under this section the informational paper described by Section
60	60	521.011 at the time the certificate is issued.
61	61	(d) Notwithstanding any other law and except as provided by
62	62	Subsection (e), for purposes of obtaining a service or benefit
63	63	available for disabled veterans in this state, a disabled veteran
64	64	may use a personal identification certificate described by
65	65	Subsection (b-1) as satisfactory proof:
66	66	(1) that the disabled veteran has a disability rating
67	67	described by Section 521.1235(a)(2)(A) or (B), as applicable; and
68	68	(2) of branch of service and honorable discharge.
69	69	(e) A personal identification certificate described by
70	70	Subsection (b-1) is not satisfactory proof of the disabled
71	71	veteran's disability rating for purposes of obtaining a property
72	72	tax exemption provided by Chapter 11, Tax Code.
73	73	(f) A disabled veteran who renews a personal identification
74	74	certificate described by Subsection (b-1) shall provide proof
75	75	sufficient to the department of the disabled veteran's disability
76	76	rating.
77	77	SECTION 4. Section 521.1235, Transportation Code, is
78	78	amended by amending Subsections (a) and (c) and adding Subsections
79	79	(b-1), (d), (e), and (f) to read as follows:
80	80	(a) In this section:
81	81	(1) "Disability rating" has the meaning assigned by
82	82	Section 11.22, Tax Code.
83	83	(2) "Disabled veteran" means a veteran who has
84	84	suffered a service-connected disability with a disability rating
85	85	of:
86	86	(A) at least 50 percent; or
87	87	(B) 40 percent if the rating is due to the
88	88	amputation of a lower extremity.
89	89	(3) "Veteran" [, "veteran"] means a person who:
90	90	(A) [(1)] has served in:
91	91	(i) [(A)] the army, navy, air force, coast
92	92	guard, or marine corps of the United States; or
93	93	(ii) [(B)] the Texas National Guard as
94	94	defined by Section 437.001, Government Code; and
95	95	(B) [(2)] has been honorably discharged from the
96	96	branch of the service in which the person served.
97	97	(b-1) If a disabled veteran provides proof sufficient to the
98	98	department, the department, on request of the disabled veteran,
99	99	shall include on a driver's license issued to the disabled veteran
100	100	in any available space on the face of the driver's license or on the
101	101	reverse side of the driver's license:
102	102	(1) a disabled veteran designation; and
103	103	(2) the branch of the service in which the disabled
104	104	veteran served.
105	105	(c) The department shall provide to the recipient of a
106	106	driver's license with a [veteran's] designation under this section
107	107	the informational paper described by Section 521.011 at the time
108	108	the license is issued.
109	109	(d) Notwithstanding any other law and except as provided by
110	110	Subsection (e), for purposes of obtaining a service or benefit
111	111	available for disabled veterans in this state, a disabled veteran
112	112	may use a driver's license described by Subsection (b-1) as
113	113	satisfactory proof:
114	114	(1) that the disabled veteran has a disability rating
115	115	described by Subsection (a)(2)(A) or (B), as applicable; and
116	116	(2) of branch of service and honorable discharge.
117	117	(e) A driver's license described by Subsection (b-1) is not
118	118	satisfactory proof of the disabled veteran's disability rating for
119	119	purposes of obtaining a property tax exemption provided by Chapter
120	120	11, Tax Code.
121	121	(f) A disabled veteran who renews a driver's license
122	122	described by Subsection (b-1) shall provide proof sufficient to the
123	123	department of the disabled veteran's disability rating.
124	124	SECTION 5. Section 521.142(i), Transportation Code, is
125	125	amended to read as follows:
126	126	(i) The application must provide space for the applicant:
127	127	(1) to voluntarily list any information [military
128	128	service] that may qualify the applicant to receive a license with a
129	129	[veteran's] designation under Section 521.1235; and
130	130	(2) to include proof required by the department to
131	131	determine the applicant's eligibility to receive that designation.
132	132	SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.