| 1 | 1 | | 87R4916 BEE-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Ramos H.B. No. 1619 |
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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 a fee exemption for trafficking victims for certain |
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| 8 | 8 | | personal identification documents. |
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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 A, Chapter 191, Health and Safety |
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| 11 | 11 | | Code, is amended by adding Section 191.00495 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 191.00495. BIRTH RECORD ISSUED TO TRAFFICKING VICTIM. |
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| 13 | 13 | | (a) In this section, "trafficking victim" has the meaning assigned |
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| 14 | 14 | | by Section 521.1813, Transportation Code. |
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| 15 | 15 | | (b) On request of a person who is a trafficking victim, the |
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| 16 | 16 | | state registrar, a local registrar, or a county clerk shall issue |
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| 17 | 17 | | without fee a certified copy of the person's birth record. |
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| 18 | 18 | | (c) The state registrar, a local registrar, or a county |
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| 19 | 19 | | clerk may require a person to provide only the documentation |
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| 20 | 20 | | prescribed by a rule adopted by the Department of Public Safety |
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| 21 | 21 | | under Section 521.1813(c), Transportation Code, to confirm a |
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| 22 | 22 | | person's status as a trafficking victim. |
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| 23 | 23 | | SECTION 2. Subchapter I, Chapter 521, Transportation Code, |
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| 24 | 24 | | is amended by adding Section 521.1813 to read as follows: |
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| 25 | 25 | | Sec. 521.1813. EXEMPTION FOR TRAFFICKING VICTIMS. (a) In |
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| 26 | 26 | | this section, "trafficking victim" means a victim of trafficking of |
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| 27 | 27 | | persons under Chapter 20A, Penal Code. |
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| 28 | 28 | | (b) A person who is a trafficking victim is exempt from the |
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| 29 | 29 | | payment of fees under this chapter for the issuance of a driver's |
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| 30 | 30 | | license or personal identification certificate, subject to Section |
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| 31 | 31 | | 521.4265. |
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| 32 | 32 | | (c) The department shall adopt rules to implement this |
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| 33 | 33 | | section, including rules prescribing any documentation necessary |
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| 34 | 34 | | to confirm a person's status as a trafficking victim. |
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| 35 | 35 | | SECTION 3. Sections 521.4265(b) and (c), Transportation |
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| 36 | 36 | | Code, are amended to read as follows: |
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| 37 | 37 | | (b) For each exemption granted under Section 521.1015, [or] |
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| 38 | 38 | | 521.1811, or 521.1813, the department shall deposit to the credit |
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| 39 | 39 | | of the Texas mobility fund an amount from the identification fee |
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| 40 | 40 | | exemption account under Subsection (a) that is equal to the amount |
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| 41 | 41 | | of the waived fee that would otherwise be deposited to the mobility |
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| 42 | 42 | | fund. |
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| 43 | 43 | | (c) The department may not grant an exemption under Section |
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| 44 | 44 | | 521.1015, [or] 521.1811, or 521.1813 if money is not available in |
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| 45 | 45 | | the identification fee exemption account to meet the requirements |
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| 46 | 46 | | of Subsection (b). |
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| 47 | 47 | | SECTION 4. The changes in law made by this Act apply to an |
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| 48 | 48 | | application for a birth certificate, driver's license, or personal |
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| 49 | 49 | | identification certificate submitted on or after the effective date |
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| 50 | 50 | | of this Act. An application for a birth certificate, driver's |
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| 51 | 51 | | license, or personal identification certificate submitted before |
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| 52 | 52 | | the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on |
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| 53 | 53 | | the date the application was submitted, and the former law is |
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| 54 | 54 | | continued in effect for that purpose. |
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| 55 | 55 | | SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |
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