| 1 | 1 | | 88R3886 JRR-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Davis H.B. No. 4380 |
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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 the renewal, expiration, and suspension of driver's |
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| 8 | 8 | | licenses; increasing a fee. |
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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 M, Chapter 521, Transportation Code, |
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| 11 | 11 | | is amended by adding Section 521.2719 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 521.2719. EXPIRED LICENSES. (a) A person may renew an |
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| 13 | 13 | | expired driver's license if the person's license has not been |
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| 14 | 14 | | expired for more than 10 years. |
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| 15 | 15 | | (b) A person whose driver's license has been expired for |
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| 16 | 16 | | more than 10 years may obtain a new driver's license by complying |
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| 17 | 17 | | with the requirements and procedures for obtaining an original |
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| 18 | 18 | | driver's license. |
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| 19 | 19 | | SECTION 2. Section 521.421, Transportation Code, is amended |
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| 20 | 20 | | by adding Subsection (l) to read as follows: |
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| 21 | 21 | | (l) If a person is applying for the renewal of a driver's |
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| 22 | 22 | | license that has been expired for more than 90 days, the fee for the |
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| 23 | 23 | | renewal driver's license is increased by $20. |
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| 24 | 24 | | SECTION 3. Chapter 706, Transportation Code, is amended by |
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| 25 | 25 | | adding Section 706.0045 to read as follows: |
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| 26 | 26 | | Sec. 706.0045. PERIOD OF DENIAL OF RENEWAL OF DRIVER'S |
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| 27 | 27 | | LICENSE. (a) Notwithstanding Section 706.004(a) or 706.006(c), |
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| 28 | 28 | | the department may deny renewal of a person's driver's license under |
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| 29 | 29 | | this chapter only until the earlier of: |
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| 30 | 30 | | (1) the date the department receives a clearance |
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| 31 | 31 | | notice under Section 706.005; or |
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| 32 | 32 | | (2) the 10th anniversary of the date the department or |
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| 33 | 33 | | a vendor described by Subsection (b) first received notice under |
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| 34 | 34 | | this chapter that there was cause to deny renewal of the person's |
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| 35 | 35 | | driver's license. |
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| 36 | 36 | | (b) This subsection applies only if the department |
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| 37 | 37 | | contracts with a vendor under Section 706.008 to implement this |
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| 38 | 38 | | chapter. Each month, the vendor shall: |
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| 39 | 39 | | (1) identify each person whose license may no longer |
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| 40 | 40 | | be denied renewal because of the expiration of the time period |
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| 41 | 41 | | described by Subsection (a)(2); and |
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| 42 | 42 | | (2) provide the name of each person identified under |
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| 43 | 43 | | Subdivision (1) to: |
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| 44 | 44 | | (A) the department; and |
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| 45 | 45 | | (B) the applicable court in which the person |
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| 46 | 46 | | failed to appear based on a complaint or citation or failed to pay |
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| 47 | 47 | | or satisfy a judgment ordering the payment of a fine and cost in the |
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| 48 | 48 | | manner ordered by the court in a matter involving an offense |
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| 49 | 49 | | described by Section 706.002(a). |
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| 50 | 50 | | SECTION 4. Section 706.005, Transportation Code, is amended |
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| 51 | 51 | | by amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (c) to read as |
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| 52 | 52 | | follows: |
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| 53 | 53 | | (a) A political subdivision shall immediately notify the |
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| 54 | 54 | | department that there is no cause to continue to deny renewal of a |
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| 55 | 55 | | person's driver's license based on the person's previous failure to |
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| 56 | 56 | | appear or failure to pay or satisfy a judgment ordering the payment |
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| 57 | 57 | | of a fine and cost in the manner ordered by the court in a matter |
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| 58 | 58 | | involving an offense described by Section 706.002(a), on payment of |
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| 59 | 59 | | a reimbursement fee, or on a finding by the court that the person is |
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| 60 | 60 | | indigent and not required to pay a reimbursement fee, as provided by |
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| 61 | 61 | | Section 706.006 and: |
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| 62 | 62 | | (1) the perfection of an appeal of the case for which |
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| 63 | 63 | | the warrant of arrest was issued or judgment arose; |
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| 64 | 64 | | (2) the dismissal of the charge for which the warrant |
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| 65 | 65 | | of arrest was issued or judgment arose, other than a dismissal with |
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| 66 | 66 | | prejudice by motion of the appropriate prosecuting attorney for |
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| 67 | 67 | | lack of evidence; |
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| 68 | 68 | | (3) the posting of bond or the giving of other security |
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| 69 | 69 | | to reinstate the charge for which the warrant was issued; |
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| 70 | 70 | | (4) the payment or discharge of the fine and cost owed |
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| 71 | 71 | | on an outstanding judgment of the court; [or] |
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| 72 | 72 | | (5) if the person's license is denied renewal solely |
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| 73 | 73 | | because of the person's previous failure to appear, the person's |
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| 74 | 74 | | appearance in court in any manner authorized by law for the |
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| 75 | 75 | | underlying offense for which the person previously failed to |
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| 76 | 76 | | appear; or |
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| 77 | 77 | | (6) any other [suitable] arrangement to satisfy [pay] |
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| 78 | 78 | | the fine and cost within the court's discretion, including any |
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| 79 | 79 | | instance in which the person enters into an arrangement with the |
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| 80 | 80 | | court to satisfy the fine and cost under a payment plan or by |
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| 81 | 81 | | performing community service. |
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| 82 | 82 | | (c) A political subdivision that notifies the department |
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| 83 | 83 | | that there is no cause to continue to deny renewal of a person's |
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| 84 | 84 | | driver's license under Subsection (a) may notify the department if |
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| 85 | 85 | | the court subsequently determines the person failed to complete an |
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| 86 | 86 | | arrangement to satisfy the fine and cost under Subsection (a)(6), |
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| 87 | 87 | | including failure to complete payment plan installments or failure |
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| 88 | 88 | | to complete community service. On receiving the necessary |
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| 89 | 89 | | information from the political subdivision under this subsection, |
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| 90 | 90 | | the department may deny renewal of the person's driver's license. |
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| 91 | 91 | | SECTION 5. (a) Sections 521.2719 and 521.421(l), |
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| 92 | 92 | | Transportation Code, as added by this Act, apply only to an |
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| 93 | 93 | | application for a renewal driver's license that is submitted on or |
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| 94 | 94 | | after the effective date of this Act. An application that is |
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| 95 | 95 | | submitted before the effective date of this Act is governed by the |
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| 96 | 96 | | law in effect when the application was submitted, and the former law |
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| 97 | 97 | | is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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| 98 | 98 | | (b) Section 706.0045, Transportation Code, as added by this |
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| 99 | 99 | | Act, applies to a determination to deny renewal of a driver's |
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| 100 | 100 | | license that is made by the Department of Public Safety of the State |
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| 101 | 101 | | of Texas before, on, or after the effective date of this Act. |
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| 102 | 102 | | SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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