85R11847 JRR-D By: Buckingham S.B. No. 1768 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT relating to waiving fees for an original commercial driver's license for veterans. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Section 522.023(h), Transportation Code, is amended to read as follows: (h) An applicant who pays the applicable fee required by Section 522.029 or for whom a waiver is authorized under Section 522.029(a-1) is entitled to three examinations of each element under Section 522.022. If the applicant has not qualified after the third examination, the applicant must submit a new application accompanied by the required fee. SECTION 2. Section 522.029, Transportation Code, is amended by adding Subsection (a-1) to read as follows: (a-1) The department shall waive the fee required by Subsection (a) and any applicable administrative fee if the application is for an original issuance of a commercial driver's license and the applicant is a veteran of the United States armed forces who, within 365 days preceding the date of the application, was honorably discharged from the branch of service in which the person served. SECTION 3. Section 522.029(a-1), Transportation Code, as added by this Act, applies only to a commercial driver's license for which an application was submitted on or after the effective date of this Act. A commercial driver's license for which an application was submitted before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect when the application was submitted, and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.