| 4 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 5 | 7 | | relating to the notification of a peace officer through an |
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| 6 | 8 | | indication associated with vehicle registration that a person has a |
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| 7 | 9 | | health condition or disability that may impede effective |
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| 8 | 10 | | communication. |
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| 9 | 11 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 12 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 502, Transportation Code, |
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| 11 | 13 | | is amended by adding Section 502.061 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 14 | | Sec. 502.061. REGISTRATION BY OWNER WITH CONDITION THAT |
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| 13 | 15 | | IMPEDES EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION. (a) An application for |
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| 14 | 16 | | registration must provide space for the applicant to voluntarily |
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| 15 | 17 | | indicate that the applicant has a health condition or disability |
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| 16 | 18 | | that may impede effective communication with a peace officer. The |
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| 17 | 19 | | department may request from a person who makes an indication under |
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| 18 | 20 | | this subsection verification of a condition in the form of: |
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| 19 | 21 | | (1) for a physical health condition, a written |
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| 20 | 22 | | statement from a licensed physician; or |
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| 21 | 23 | | (2) for a mental health condition, a written statement |
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| 22 | 24 | | from a licensed physician, a licensed psychologist, or a |
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| 23 | 25 | | non-physician mental health professional, as defined by Section |
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| 24 | 26 | | 571.003, Health and Safety Code. |
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| 25 | 27 | | (b) The department shall provide to the Department of Public |
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| 26 | 28 | | Safety the vehicle registration information of a person who |
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| 27 | 29 | | voluntarily indicated on an application under Subsection (a) that |
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| 28 | 30 | | the person has a health condition or disability that may impede |
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| 29 | 31 | | effective communication. The department may not provide to the |
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| 30 | 32 | | Department of Public Safety information that shows the type of |
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| 31 | 33 | | health condition or disability a person has. |
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| 32 | 34 | | (c) The Department of Public Safety shall establish a system |
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| 33 | 35 | | to include information received under Subsection (b) in the Texas |
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| 34 | 36 | | Law Enforcement Telecommunications System for the purpose of |
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| 35 | 37 | | alerting a peace officer who makes a traffic stop that the operator |
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| 36 | 38 | | of the stopped vehicle may have a health condition or disability |
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| 37 | 39 | | that may impede effective communication. |
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| 38 | 40 | | (d) The Department of Public Safety may not make information |
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| 39 | 41 | | received under Subsection (b) available in the Texas Law |
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| 40 | 42 | | Enforcement Telecommunications System to a person who has access to |
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| 41 | 43 | | the system under a contract unless the contract prohibits the |
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| 42 | 44 | | person from disclosing that information to a person who is not |
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| 43 | 45 | | subject to the contract. |
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| 44 | 46 | | (e) The department may not issue to a person without the |
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| 45 | 47 | | person's consent a license plate with a visible marking that |
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| 46 | 48 | | indicates to the general public that the person voluntarily |
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| 47 | 49 | | indicated on an application under Subsection (a) that the person |
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| 48 | 50 | | has a health condition or disability that may impede effective |
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| 49 | 51 | | communication. |
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| 50 | 52 | | (f) Except as provided by Subsection (d), information |
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| 51 | 53 | | supplied to the department relating to an applicant's health |
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| 52 | 54 | | condition or disability is for the confidential use of the |
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| 53 | 55 | | department and the Department of Public Safety and may not be |
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| 54 | 56 | | disclosed to any person. |
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| 55 | 57 | | SECTION 2. A Department of Public Safety contract that |
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| 56 | 58 | | allows a person to access the Texas Law Enforcement |
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| 57 | 59 | | Telecommunications System and that is in effect before the |
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| 58 | 60 | | effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the |
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| 59 | 61 | | date on which the contract was entered into, and that law is |
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| 60 | 62 | | continued in effect for that purpose, except that the contract: |
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| 61 | 63 | | (1) continues only for the term of the contract; and |
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| 62 | 64 | | (2) may not be renewed unless the renewed contract |
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| 63 | 65 | | includes the prohibition required by Section 502.061(d), |
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| 64 | 66 | | Transportation Code, as added by this Act. |
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| 65 | 67 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |
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