| 1 | 1 | | H.B. No. 842 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | AN ACT |
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| 5 | 5 | | relating to prohibiting the suspension of a person's driver's |
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| 6 | 6 | | license or extension of the period of a driver's license suspension |
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| 7 | 7 | | for certain driving while license invalid convictions; authorizing |
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| 8 | 8 | | 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. Section 521.292(a), Transportation Code, is |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | (a) Except as provided by Section 521.457(h), the [The] |
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| 13 | 13 | | department shall suspend the person's license if the department |
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| 14 | 14 | | determines that the person: |
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| 15 | 15 | | (1) has operated a motor vehicle on a highway while the |
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| 16 | 16 | | person's license was suspended, canceled, disqualified, or |
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| 17 | 17 | | revoked, or without a license after an application for a license was |
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| 18 | 18 | | denied; |
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| 19 | 19 | | (2) is a habitually reckless or negligent operator of |
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| 20 | 20 | | a motor vehicle; |
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| 21 | 21 | | (3) is a habitual violator of the traffic laws; |
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| 22 | 22 | | (4) has permitted the unlawful or fraudulent use of |
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| 23 | 23 | | the person's license; |
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| 24 | 24 | | (5) has committed an offense in another state or |
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| 25 | 25 | | Canadian province that, if committed in this state, would be |
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| 26 | 26 | | grounds for suspension; |
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| 27 | 27 | | (6) has been convicted of two or more separate |
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| 28 | 28 | | offenses of a violation of a restriction imposed on the use of the |
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| 29 | 29 | | license; |
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| 30 | 30 | | (7) has been responsible as a driver for any accident |
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| 31 | 31 | | resulting in serious personal injury or serious property damage; |
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| 32 | 32 | | (8) is under 18 years of age and has been convicted of |
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| 33 | 33 | | two or more moving violations committed within a 12-month period; |
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| 34 | 34 | | or |
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| 35 | 35 | | (9) has committed an offense under Section 545.421. |
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| 36 | 36 | | SECTION 2. Section 521.343(c), Transportation Code, is |
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| 37 | 37 | | amended to read as follows: |
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| 38 | 38 | | (c) Except as provided by Section 521.457(h), if [If] the |
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| 39 | 39 | | license holder is convicted of operating a motor vehicle while the |
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| 40 | 40 | | license to operate a motor vehicle is cancelled, disqualified, |
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| 41 | 41 | | suspended, revoked, or denied, the period is extended for the same |
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| 42 | 42 | | term as the original suspension or disqualification, in addition to |
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| 43 | 43 | | any penalty assessed under this chapter or Chapter 522. |
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| 44 | 44 | | SECTION 3. Section 521.457, Transportation Code, is amended |
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| 45 | 45 | | by adding Subsections (h), (i), and (j) to read as follows: |
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| 46 | 46 | | (h) Except as provided by Subsection (i), the department may |
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| 47 | 47 | | not suspend a person's driver's license under Section |
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| 48 | 48 | | 521.292(a)(1), or extend the period a person's driver's license is |
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| 49 | 49 | | suspended under Section 521.343(c), for a conviction of an offense |
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| 50 | 50 | | under this section if: |
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| 51 | 51 | | (1) the offense was committed before September 1, |
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| 52 | 52 | | 2019; |
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| 53 | 53 | | (2) the person was convicted of the offense after |
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| 54 | 54 | | August 31, 2023; and |
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| 55 | 55 | | (3) the person pays the department the fee required |
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| 56 | 56 | | under Section 521.313(a) or any other fee required for the |
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| 57 | 57 | | reinstatement of the person's driver's license in the manner |
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| 58 | 58 | | prescribed by the department. |
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| 59 | 59 | | (i) Subsection (h) does not apply to: |
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| 60 | 60 | | (1) a commercial driver's license issued under Chapter |
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| 61 | 61 | | 522; or |
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| 62 | 62 | | (2) a person who was transporting hazardous materials |
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| 63 | 63 | | or operating a commercial motor vehicle at the time of the offense |
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| 64 | 64 | | under this section. |
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| 65 | 65 | | (j) The fee collected under Subsection (h)(3) shall be |
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| 66 | 66 | | deposited to the credit of the Texas mobility fund. |
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| 67 | 67 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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| 68 | 68 | | ______________________________ ______________________________ |
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| 69 | 69 | | President of the Senate Speaker of the House |
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| 70 | 70 | | I certify that H.B. No. 842 was passed by the House on April |
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| 71 | 71 | | 13, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 147, Nays 0, 2 present, not |
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| 72 | 72 | | voting. |
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| 73 | 73 | | ______________________________ |
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| 74 | 74 | | Chief Clerk of the House |
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| 75 | 75 | | I certify that H.B. No. 842 was passed by the Senate on May 3, |
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| 76 | 76 | | 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 1. |
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| 77 | 77 | | ______________________________ |
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| 78 | 78 | | Secretary of the Senate |
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| 79 | 79 | | APPROVED: _____________________ |
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| 80 | 80 | | Date |
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| 81 | 81 | | _____________________ |
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| 82 | 82 | | Governor |
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