| 1 | 1 | | 85R12453 AAF-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Lucio S.B. No. 1685 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to specialty license plates or stickers for motor vehicles |
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| 8 | 8 | | of persons with intellectual disabilities. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 502, Transportation Code, |
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| 11 | 11 | | is amended by adding Section 502.061 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 502.061. REGISTRATION BY OWNER WITH INTELLECTUAL |
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| 13 | 13 | | DISABILITY. (a) If the department elects to design and issue a |
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| 14 | 14 | | sticker under Section 504.205(c) indicating that a person operating |
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| 15 | 15 | | a motor vehicle may be a person with an intellectual disability, the |
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| 16 | 16 | | department shall adopt rules allowing an applicant for registration |
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| 17 | 17 | | or renewal of registration to apply for the sticker. |
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| 18 | 18 | | (b) Rules adopted by the department under this section must |
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| 19 | 19 | | provide for: |
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| 20 | 20 | | (1) the expiration of the sticker at the end of the |
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| 21 | 21 | | registration period specified in the registration application; |
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| 22 | 22 | | (2) the location on the motor vehicle where the |
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| 23 | 23 | | sticker must be placed; and |
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| 24 | 24 | | (3) a fee for issuance of the sticker in an amount to |
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| 25 | 25 | | cover the department's costs for issuance. |
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| 26 | 26 | | (c) An application for registration or renewal of |
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| 27 | 27 | | registration must provide space for the applicant to submit the |
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| 28 | 28 | | written statement from a physician as required by Section 504.205. |
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| 29 | 29 | | SECTION 2. Subchapter C, Chapter 504, Transportation Code, |
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| 30 | 30 | | is amended by adding Section 504.205 to read as follows: |
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| 31 | 31 | | Sec. 504.205. PERSONS WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY. (a) In |
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| 32 | 32 | | this section, "intellectual disability" has the meaning assigned by |
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| 33 | 33 | | Section 591.003, Health and Safety Code. |
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| 34 | 34 | | (b) Subject to Subsection (c), the department, in |
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| 35 | 35 | | consultation with the Department of Public Safety, shall design and |
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| 36 | 36 | | issue specialty license plates for a motor vehicle that is |
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| 37 | 37 | | regularly operated by a person with an intellectual disability. A |
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| 38 | 38 | | license plate issued under this section must include an emblem |
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| 39 | 39 | | indicating that the person operating the vehicle may be a person |
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| 40 | 40 | | with an intellectual disability. |
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| 41 | 41 | | (c) In lieu of designing and issuing specialty license |
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| 42 | 42 | | plates under Subsection (b), the department, in consultation with |
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| 43 | 43 | | the Department of Public Safety, may design a sticker for a motor |
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| 44 | 44 | | vehicle that is regularly operated by a person with an intellectual |
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| 45 | 45 | | disability and issue the sticker at the time the person registers or |
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| 46 | 46 | | renews the registration of the person's vehicle as provided by |
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| 47 | 47 | | Section 502.061. |
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| 48 | 48 | | (d) The initial application for specialty license plates |
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| 49 | 49 | | under this section must be accompanied by a written statement from a |
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| 50 | 50 | | physician who is licensed to practice medicine in this state or in a |
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| 51 | 51 | | state adjacent to this state. The statement must certify that the |
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| 52 | 52 | | person making the application has an intellectual disability. |
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| 53 | 53 | | (e) The fee for issuance of license plates under this |
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| 54 | 54 | | section may not exceed the administrative costs incurred by the |
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| 55 | 55 | | department in issuing the license plates. |
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| 56 | 56 | | SECTION 3. Section 1701.253, Occupations Code, is amended |
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| 57 | 57 | | by adding Subsection (n) to read as follows: |
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| 58 | 58 | | (n) As part of the minimum curriculum requirements, the |
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| 59 | 59 | | commission shall establish a statewide comprehensive education and |
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| 60 | 60 | | training program on procedures for interacting with drivers with an |
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| 61 | 61 | | intellectual disability, as defined by Section 591.003, Health and |
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| 62 | 62 | | Safety Code, including identifying specialty license plates or |
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| 63 | 63 | | stickers issued to individuals with an intellectual disability |
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| 64 | 64 | | under Section 504.205 or 502.061, Transportation Code. An officer |
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| 65 | 65 | | shall complete a program established under this subsection not |
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| 66 | 66 | | later than the second anniversary of the date the officer is |
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| 67 | 67 | | licensed under this chapter or the date the officer applies for an |
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| 68 | 68 | | intermediate proficiency certificate, whichever date is earlier. |
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| 69 | 69 | | SECTION 4. Not later than March 1, 2018, the Texas |
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| 70 | 70 | | Commission on Law Enforcement shall establish the training program |
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| 71 | 71 | | as required by Section 1701.253(n), Occupations Code, as added by |
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| 72 | 72 | | this Act. |
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| 73 | 73 | | SECTION 5. This Act takes effect January 1, 2018. |
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