BILL ANALYSIS C.S.H.B. 647 By: Patterson Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans' Affairs Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The author has informed the committee that constituents in the author's district have highlighted an issue regarding the driver's license restriction that requires a driver to wear corrective lenses while driving. If such a driver later receives surgery to correct their vision and thus no longer requires the corrective lenses, the driver could still face a fine for not wearing the lenses while driving despite no longer needing the lenses. C.S.H.B. 647 seeks to address this issue by allowing a person to submit to the Department of Public Safety a statement from a licensed physician or optometrist certifying the surgical correction and to receive a new driver's license without a corrective lens restriction. CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS C.S.H.B. 647 amends the Transportation Code to require the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to remove a restriction that requires a driver's license holder to wear corrective lenses for vision and mail to the license holder a new driver's license that does not include the restriction if the license holder submits to DPS the following: a written statement from a licensed physician or optometrist verifying that the license holder's vision has been surgically corrected and the license holder no longer requires corrective lenses for vision; and the required fee. The bill requires DPS to establish a process by which a person may submit the form and fee electronically or by mail. The bill prohibits DPS from mailing a new driver's license under the bill's provisions to a person whose driver's license record indicates that the person is required to register as a sex offender. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2025. COMPARISON OF INTRODUCED AND SUBSTITUTE While C.S.H.B. 647 may differ from the introduced in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill. Whereas the introduced required DPS to remove a restriction that requires a driver's license holder to wear corrective lenses for vision and mail to the license holder a new driver's license that does not include the restriction if the license holder submits to DPS the required fee and a written statement from a licensed physician verifying that the license holder's vision has been surgically corrected and the license holder no longer requires corrective lenses for vision, the substitute requires DPS to do so on submission of the required fee and such a written statement from either a licensed physician or an optometrist.
BILL ANALYSIS
# BILL ANALYSIS
C.S.H.B. 647
By: Patterson
Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans' Affairs
Committee Report (Substituted)
C.S.H.B. 647
By: Patterson
Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans' Affairs
Committee Report (Substituted)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The author has informed the committee that constituents in the author's district have highlighted an issue regarding the driver's license restriction that requires a driver to wear corrective lenses while driving. If such a driver later receives surgery to correct their vision and thus no longer requires the corrective lenses, the driver could still face a fine for not wearing the lenses while driving despite no longer needing the lenses. C.S.H.B. 647 seeks to address this issue by allowing a person to submit to the Department of Public Safety a statement from a licensed physician or optometrist certifying the surgical correction and to receive a new driver's license without a corrective lens restriction.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS C.S.H.B. 647 amends the Transportation Code to require the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to remove a restriction that requires a driver's license holder to wear corrective lenses for vision and mail to the license holder a new driver's license that does not include the restriction if the license holder submits to DPS the following: a written statement from a licensed physician or optometrist verifying that the license holder's vision has been surgically corrected and the license holder no longer requires corrective lenses for vision; and the required fee. The bill requires DPS to establish a process by which a person may submit the form and fee electronically or by mail. The bill prohibits DPS from mailing a new driver's license under the bill's provisions to a person whose driver's license record indicates that the person is required to register as a sex offender.
EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2025.
COMPARISON OF INTRODUCED AND SUBSTITUTE While C.S.H.B. 647 may differ from the introduced in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill. Whereas the introduced required DPS to remove a restriction that requires a driver's license holder to wear corrective lenses for vision and mail to the license holder a new driver's license that does not include the restriction if the license holder submits to DPS the required fee and a written statement from a licensed physician verifying that the license holder's vision has been surgically corrected and the license holder no longer requires corrective lenses for vision, the substitute requires DPS to do so on submission of the required fee and such a written statement from either a licensed physician or an optometrist.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
The author has informed the committee that constituents in the author's district have highlighted an issue regarding the driver's license restriction that requires a driver to wear corrective lenses while driving. If such a driver later receives surgery to correct their vision and thus no longer requires the corrective lenses, the driver could still face a fine for not wearing the lenses while driving despite no longer needing the lenses. C.S.H.B. 647 seeks to address this issue by allowing a person to submit to the Department of Public Safety a statement from a licensed physician or optometrist certifying the surgical correction and to receive a new driver's license without a corrective lens restriction.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS
C.S.H.B. 647 amends the Transportation Code to require the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to remove a restriction that requires a driver's license holder to wear corrective lenses for vision and mail to the license holder a new driver's license that does not include the restriction if the license holder submits to DPS the following:
a written statement from a licensed physician or optometrist verifying that the license holder's vision has been surgically corrected and the license holder no longer requires corrective lenses for vision; and
the required fee.
The bill requires DPS to establish a process by which a person may submit the form and fee electronically or by mail. The bill prohibits DPS from mailing a new driver's license under the bill's provisions to a person whose driver's license record indicates that the person is required to register as a sex offender.
EFFECTIVE DATE
September 1, 2025.
COMPARISON OF INTRODUCED AND SUBSTITUTE
While C.S.H.B. 647 may differ from the introduced in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.
Whereas the introduced required DPS to remove a restriction that requires a driver's license holder to wear corrective lenses for vision and mail to the license holder a new driver's license that does not include the restriction if the license holder submits to DPS the required fee and a written statement from a licensed physician verifying that the license holder's vision has been surgically corrected and the license holder no longer requires corrective lenses for vision, the substitute requires DPS to do so on submission of the required fee and such a written statement from either a licensed physician or an optometrist.