89R12650 MZM-D
By: Bettencourt S.B. No. 2048
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the assumption of the powers and duties relating to
driver's licenses, personal identification certificates, and other
related programs, powers, and duties by the Texas Department of
Motor Vehicles.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 192.005, Transportation Code, is amended
to read as follows:
Sec. 192.005. RECORD OF COLLISION OR VIOLATION. If a person
operating a railroad locomotive or train is involved in a collision
with another train or a motor vehicle or is arrested for violation
of a law relating to the person's operation of a railroad locomotive
or train:
(1) the number of or other identifying information on
the person's driver's license or commercial driver's license may not
be included in any report of the collision or violation; and
(2) the person's involvement in the collision or
violation may not be recorded in the person's individual driving
record maintained by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles [Public
Safety].
SECTION 2. Section 201.806(b), Transportation Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(b) The department shall provide electronic access to the
system containing the collision reports so that the Texas
Department of Motor Vehicles [Public Safety] can perform its
duties, including the duty to make timely entries on driver
records.
SECTION 3. Sections 502.357(b), (c), and (d),
Transportation Code, are amended to read as follows:
(b) Fees collected under this section shall be deposited to
the credit of the state highway fund except that the comptroller
shall provide for a portion of the fees to be deposited first to the
credit of a special fund in the state treasury outside the general
revenue fund to be known as the TexasSure Fund in a total amount
that is necessary to cover the total amount appropriated to the
Texas Department of Insurance from that fund and for the remaining
fees to be deposited to the state highway fund. Subject to
appropriations, the money deposited to the credit of the state
highway fund under this section may be used by the department
[Department of Public Safety] to:
(1) support the department's [Department of Public
Safety's] reengineering of the driver's license system to provide
for the issuance by the department [Department of Public Safety] of
a driver's license or personal identification certificate, to
include use of image comparison technology; and
(2) make lease payments to the master lease purchase
program for the financing of the driver's license reengineering
project.
(c) Subject to appropriation, fees collected under this
section may be used by the [Department of Public Safety, the] Texas
Department of Insurance, the Department of Information Resources,
and the department to carry out Subchapter N, Chapter 601.
(d) The [Department of Public Safety, the] Texas Department
of Insurance, the Department of Information Resources, and the
department shall jointly adopt rules and develop forms necessary to
administer this section.
SECTION 4. Sections 521.001(a)(1-a) and (2),
Transportation Code, are amended to read as follows:
(1-a) "Department" means the Texas Department of Motor
Vehicles [Public Safety].
(2) "Director" means the executive [public safety]
director of the department.
SECTION 5. Section 521.001(c), Transportation Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(c) The department by rule may define types of vehicles that
are "motorcycles" for the purposes of this chapter, in addition to
those defined under Subsection (a)(6-a), and[. The Texas
Department of Motor Vehicles by rule may define the types of
vehicles that are "motorcycles"] for the purposes of Chapters 501,
502, and 503. This subsection applies only to vehicles
manufactured by a manufacturer licensed under Chapter 2301,
Occupations Code.
SECTION 6. Subchapter C, Chapter 521, Transportation Code,
is amended by adding Section 521.064 to read as follows:
Sec. 521.064. REPRODUCTION OF RECORDS. (a) Except as
provided by Subsection (b), the department may photograph,
microphotograph, or film any record in connection with the issuance
of a driver's license or commercial driver's license.
(b) An original fingerprint card may not be photographed or
filmed to dispose of the original record.
(c) The department may create original records in
micrographic form on media, such as computer output microfilm.
(d) A photograph, microphotograph, or film of a record
reproduced under Subsection (a) is equivalent to the original
record for all purposes, including introduction as evidence in all
courts and administrative agency proceedings. A certified or
authenticated copy of such a photograph, microphotograph, or film
is admissible as evidence equally with the original photograph,
microphotograph, or film.
(e) The director or an authorized representative may
certify the authenticity of a photograph, microphotograph, or film
of a record reproduced under this section and shall charge a fee for
the certified photograph, microphotograph, or film as provided by
law.
(f) Certified records shall be furnished to any person who
is authorized by law to receive them.
SECTION 7. Section 521.103, Transportation Code, is amended
by adding Subsection (d) to read as follows:
(d) The Department of Public Safety may access any
photograph of a person described by Subsection (a) that is made
available to the department through the process of issuing a
personal identification certificate under this section, including
a renewal, duplicate, or corrected certificate, for use by the
Department of Public Safety for purposes of Article 62.005(c), Code
of Criminal Procedure.
SECTION 8. Section 521.247, Transportation Code, is amended
to read as follows:
Sec. 521.247. APPROVAL OF IGNITION INTERLOCK DEVICES BY
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY. (a) The Department of Public Safety
[department] shall adopt rules for the approval of ignition
interlock devices used under this subchapter.
(b) The Department of Public Safety [department] by rule
shall establish general standards for the calibration and
maintenance of the devices. The manufacturer or an authorized
representative of the manufacturer is responsible for calibrating
and maintaining the device.
(c) If the Department of Public Safety [department]
approves a device, the Department of Public Safety [department]
shall notify the manufacturer of that approval in writing. Written
notice from the Department of Public Safety [department] to a
manufacturer is admissible in a civil or criminal proceeding in
this state. The manufacturer shall reimburse the Department of
Public Safety [department] for any cost incurred by the Department
of Public Safety [department] in approving the device.
(d) The Department of Public Safety [department] is not
liable in a civil or criminal proceeding that arises from the use of
an approved device.
SECTION 9. Section 521.2475, Transportation Code, is
amended to read as follows:
Sec. 521.2475. IGNITION INTERLOCK DEVICE EVALUATION. (a)
On January 1 of each year, the Department of Public Safety
[department] shall issue an evaluation of each ignition interlock
device approved under Section 521.247 using guidelines established
by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, including:
(1) whether the device provides accurate detection of
alveolar air;
(2) the moving retest abilities of the device;
(3) the use of tamper-proof blood alcohol content
level software by the device;
(4) the anticircumvention design of the device;
(5) the recalibration requirements of the device; and
(6) the breath action required by the operator.
(b) The Department of Public Safety [department] shall
assess the cost of preparing the evaluation equally against each
manufacturer of an approved device.
SECTION 10. Sections 521.2476(a), (b), (c), and (d),
Transportation Code, are amended to read as follows:
(a) The Department of Public Safety [department] by rule
shall establish:
(1) minimum standards for vendors of ignition
interlock devices who conduct business in this state; and
(2) procedures to ensure compliance with those
standards, including procedures for the inspection of a vendor's
facilities.
(b) The minimum standards shall require each vendor to:
(1) be authorized by the Department of Public Safety
[department] to do business in this state;
(2) install a device only if the device is approved
under Section 521.247;
(3) obtain liability insurance providing coverage for
damages arising out of the operation or use of devices in amounts
and under the terms specified by the Department of Public Safety
[department];
(4) install the device and activate any
anticircumvention feature of the device within a reasonable time
after the vendor receives notice that installation is ordered by a
court;
(5) install and inspect the device in accordance with
any applicable court order;
(6) repair or replace a device not later than 48 hours
after receiving notice of a complaint regarding the operation of
the device;
(7) submit a written report of any violation of a court
order to that court and to the person's supervising officer, if any,
not later than 48 hours after the vendor discovers the violation;
(8) maintain a record of each action taken by the
vendor with respect to each device installed by the vendor,
including each action taken as a result of an attempt to circumvent
the device, until at least the fifth anniversary after the date of
installation;
(9) make a copy of the record available for inspection
by or send a copy of the record to any court, supervising officer,
or the Department of Public Safety [department] on request; and
(10) annually provide to the Department of Public
Safety [department] a written report of each service and ignition
interlock device feature made available by the vendor.
(c) The Department of Public Safety [department] may revoke
its [the department's] authorization for a vendor to do business in
this state if the vendor or an officer or employee of the vendor
violates:
(1) any law of this state that applies to the vendor;
or
(2) any rule adopted by the Department of Public
Safety [department] under this section or another law that applies
to the vendor.
(d) A vendor shall reimburse the Department of Public Safety
[department] for the reasonable cost of conducting each inspection
of the vendor's facilities under this section.
SECTION 11. Section 521.272, Transportation Code, is
amended by adding Subsection (e) to read as follows:
(e) The Department of Public Safety may access any
photograph of a person described by Subsection (a) that is made
available to the department through the process of issuing a
driver's license under this section, including a renewal,
duplicate, or corrected license, for use by the Department of
Public Safety for purposes of Article 62.005(c), Code of Criminal
Procedure.
SECTION 12. Section 521A.001, Transportation Code, is
amended by adding Subsection (i) to read as follows:
(i) In this section, "department" means the Texas
Department of Motor Vehicles.
SECTION 13. Section 522.003(8), Transportation Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(8) "Department" means the Texas Department of Motor
Vehicles [Public Safety].
SECTION 14. Section 522.007, Transportation Code, is
amended to read as follows:
Sec. 522.007. EXEMPTION FOR NEIGHBORING STATES. (a) The
executive [public safety] director of the department shall enter
negotiations with an appropriate person or entity of a state
bordering this state for the purpose of applying the exemption
contained in Section 522.004(a)(1) to residents of that state.
(b) The executive [public safety] director of the
department may enter an agreement to apply the exemption contained
in Section 522.004(a)(1) to residents of a bordering state only if
that state extends a similar exemption to residents of this state.
SECTION 15. Sections 523.003(2) and (5), Transportation
Code, are amended to read as follows:
(2) "Executive director" means the executive director
of the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles [Public Safety] or the
equivalent officer of another state.
(5) "Licensing authority" means the Texas Department
of Motor Vehicles [Public Safety] or the equivalent agency of
another state.
SECTION 16. Sections 524.001(8) and (9), Transportation
Code, are amended to read as follows:
(8) "Department" means the Texas Department of Motor
Vehicles [Public Safety].
(9) "Director" means the executive [public safety]
director of the department.
SECTION 17. Section 525.001(b), Transportation Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(b) The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles [Public Safety]
shall include motorcycle and bicycle awareness information in [any
edition of] the Texas driver's handbook [published after the
department exhausts the supply of the handbook that the department
had on September 1, 1993].
SECTION 18. Section 543.112(b), Transportation Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(b) The uniform certificate of course completion must
include an identifying number by which the Texas Department of
Licensing and Regulation, the court, [or] the department, or the
Texas Department of Motor Vehicles may verify its authenticity with
the course provider and must be in a form adopted by the Texas
Department of Licensing and Regulation.
SECTION 19. Section 601.002(1), Transportation Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(1) "Department" means the Texas Department of Motor
Vehicles [Public Safety].
SECTION 20. Subchapter A, Chapter 601, Transportation Code,
is amended by adding Section 601.010 to read as follows:
Sec. 601.010. ACCESS TO RECORDS BY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC
SAFETY. The Department of Public Safety may access the
department's records relating to the suspension of a driver's
license and vehicle registration under this chapter.
SECTION 21. Section 601.023, Transportation Code, is
amended to read as follows:
Sec. 601.023. PAYMENT OF STATUTORY FEES. The department
may pay[:
[(1) a statutory fee required by the Texas Department
of Motor Vehicles for a certified abstract or in connection with
suspension of a vehicle registration; or
[(2)] a statutory fee payable to the comptroller for
issuance of a certificate of deposit required by Section 601.122.
SECTION 22. Section 601.233(a), Transportation Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(a) A citation for an offense under Section 601.191 issued
as a result of Section 601.053 must include, in type larger than
other type on the citation, the following statement:
"A second or subsequent conviction of an offense under the Texas
Motor Vehicle Safety Responsibility Act will result in the
suspension of your driver's license unless you file and maintain
evidence of financial responsibility with the Texas Department of
Motor Vehicles [Public Safety] for two years from the date of
conviction. The department may waive the requirement to file
evidence of financial responsibility if you file satisfactory
evidence with the department showing that at the time this citation
was issued, the vehicle was covered by a motor vehicle liability
insurance policy or that you were otherwise exempt from the
requirements to provide evidence of financial responsibility."
SECTION 23. Section 601.451, Transportation Code, is
amended to read as follows:
Sec. 601.451. DEFINITION. In this subchapter,
"implementing agencies" means:
(1) the department;
(2) [the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles;
[(3)] the Texas Department of Insurance; and
(3) [(4)] the Department of Information Resources.
SECTION 24. Sections 643.253(g) and (h), Transportation
Code, are amended to read as follows:
(g) As soon as practicable after the date a person is
convicted of an offense under Subsection (b), the convicting court
shall notify the department [Department of Public Safety] of the
conviction. The notice must be in a form prescribed by the
department [Department of Public Safety] and must contain the
person's driver's license number.
(h) A conviction under Subsection (b) shall be recorded in
the person's driving record maintained by the department
[Department of Public Safety].
SECTION 25. Section 662.011(a), Transportation Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(a) Of each fee collected under Sections 521.421(b) and (g)
and Sections 522.029(f) and (g), the Texas Department of Motor
Vehicles [Public Safety] shall send $5 to the comptroller for
deposit to the credit of the motorcycle education fund account.
SECTION 26. Section 703.001(2), Transportation Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(2) "Department" and "licensing authority" mean the
Texas Department of Motor Vehicles [Public Safety].
SECTION 27. Section 706.001(2), Transportation Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(2) "Department" means the Texas Department of Motor
Vehicles [Public Safety].
SECTION 28. Section 706.008(c), Transportation Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(c) Except for an action based on a citation issued by a
peace officer employed by the Department of Public Safety
[department], the vendor may not be compensated with state money.
SECTION 29. Section 724.001(7), Transportation Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(7) "Department" means the Texas Department of Motor
Vehicles [Public Safety].
SECTION 30. Section 724.016, Transportation Code, is
amended to read as follows:
Sec. 724.016. BREATH SPECIMEN. (a) A breath specimen taken
at the request or order of a peace officer must be taken and
analyzed under rules of the Department of Public Safety
[department] by an individual possessing a certificate issued by
the Department of Public Safety [department] certifying that the
individual is qualified to perform the analysis.
(b) The Department of Public Safety [department] may:
(1) adopt rules approving satisfactory analytical
methods; and
(2) ascertain the qualifications of an individual to
perform the analysis.
(c) The Department of Public Safety [department] may revoke
a certificate for cause.
SECTION 31. Sections 724.032(a) and (b), Transportation
Code, are amended to read as follows:
(a) If a person refuses to submit to the taking of a
specimen, whether expressly or because of an intentional failure of
the person to give the specimen, the peace officer shall:
(1) serve notice of license suspension or denial on
the person; and
(2) make a written report of the refusal to the
executive director of the department.
(b) The executive director of the department must approve
the form of the refusal report. The report must:
(1) show the grounds for the officer's belief that the
person had been operating a motor vehicle or watercraft powered
with an engine having a manufacturer's rating of 50 horsepower or
above while intoxicated; and
(2) contain a copy of:
(A) the refusal statement requested under
Section 724.031; or
(B) a statement signed by the officer that the
person refused to:
(i) submit to the taking of the requested
specimen; and
(ii) sign the requested statement under
Section 724.031.
SECTION 32. Subchapter C, Chapter 724, Transportation Code,
is amended by adding Section 724.0345 to read as follows:
Sec. 724.0345. ACCESS TO RECORDS BY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC
SAFETY. The Department of Public Safety may access the
department's records relating to the suspension or denial of a
driver's license.
SECTION 33. Section 1001.004, Transportation Code, is
amended to read as follows:
Sec. 1001.004. DIVISIONS. The executive director shall
organize the department into divisions to accomplish the
department's functions and the duties assigned to the department,
including a division reporting directly to the executive director
and the deputy executive director that administers the following
duties:
(1) the issuance of driver's licenses under Chapters
521 and 522;
(2) the issuance of personal identification
certificates under Chapter 521;
(3) the issuance of election identification
certificates under Chapter 521A; and
(4) the registration of voters during the issuance or
renewal of a driver's license or personal identification
certificate.
SECTION 34. Section 411.0111, Government Code, is
transferred to Chapter 1003, Transportation Code, and redesignated
as Section 1003.009, Transportation Code, to read as follows:
Sec. 1003.009 [411.0111]. PROVISION OF CERTAIN INFORMATION
TO COMPTROLLER. (a) Not later than June 1 of every fifth year, the
department shall provide to the comptroller, for the purpose of
assisting the comptroller in the identification of persons entitled
to unclaimed property reported to the comptroller, the name,
address, social security number, date of birth, and driver's
license or state identification number of each person about whom
the department has such information in its records.
(b) Information provided to the comptroller under this
section is confidential and may not be disclosed to the public.
(c) The department shall provide the information in the
format prescribed by rule of the comptroller.
SECTION 35. Section 106.03(b), Alcoholic Beverage Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(b) A person who sells a minor an alcoholic beverage does
not commit an offense if the minor falsely represents himself to be
21 years old or older by displaying an apparently valid proof of
identification that contains a physical description and photograph
consistent with the minor's appearance, purports to establish that
the minor is 21 years of age or older, and was issued by a
governmental agency. The proof of identification may include a
driver's license or identification card issued by the Texas
Department of Motor Vehicles [Public Safety], a passport, or a
military identification card.
SECTION 36. Section 106.06(d), Alcoholic Beverage Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(d) A judge, acting under Chapter 42A, Code of Criminal
Procedure, who places a defendant charged with an offense under
this section on community supervision under that chapter shall, if
the defendant committed the offense at a gathering where
participants were involved in the abuse of alcohol, including binge
drinking or forcing or coercing individuals to consume alcohol, in
addition to any other condition imposed by the judge:
(1) require the defendant to:
(A) perform community service for not less than
20 or more than 40 hours; and
(B) attend an alcohol awareness program approved
under Section 106.115; and
(2) order the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles
[Public Safety] to suspend the driver's license or permit of the
defendant or, if the defendant does not have a driver's license or
permit, to deny the issuance of a driver's license or permit to the
defendant for 180 days.
SECTION 37. Section 106.071(d), Alcoholic Beverage Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(d) In addition to any fine and any order issued under
Section 106.115:
(1) the court shall order a minor placed on deferred
disposition for or convicted of an offense to which this section
applies to perform community service for:
(A) not less than eight or more than 12 hours, if
the minor has not been previously convicted of an offense to which
this section applies; or
(B) not less than 20 or more than 40 hours, if the
minor has been previously convicted once of an offense to which this
section applies; and
(2) the court shall order the Texas Department of
Motor Vehicles [Public Safety] to suspend the driver's license or
permit of a minor convicted of an offense to which this section
applies or, if the minor does not have a driver's license or permit,
to deny the issuance of a driver's license or permit for:
(A) 30 days, if the minor has not been previously
convicted of an offense to which this section applies;
(B) 60 days, if the minor has been previously
convicted once of an offense to which this section applies; or
(C) 180 days, if the minor has been previously
convicted twice or more of an offense to which this section applies.
SECTION 38. Sections 106.115(b-2), (d), and (e), Alcoholic
Beverage Code, are amended to read as follows:
(b-2) For purposes of Subsection (b-1), if the defendant is
enrolled in an institution of higher education located in a county
in which access to an alcohol awareness program is readily
available, the court may consider the defendant to be a resident of
that county. If the defendant is not enrolled in such an
institution of higher education or if the court does not consider
the defendant to be a resident of the county in which the
institution is located, the defendant's residence is the residence
listed on the defendant's driver's license or personal
identification certificate issued by the Texas Department of Motor
Vehicles [Public Safety]. If the defendant does not have a
driver's license or personal identification certificate issued by
the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles [Public Safety], the
defendant's residence is the residence on the defendant's voter
registration certificate. If the defendant is not registered to
vote, the defendant's residence is the residence on file with the
public school district on which the defendant's enrollment is
based. If the defendant is not enrolled in public school, the
defendant's residence is determined by the court.
(d) If the defendant does not present the required evidence
within the prescribed period, the court:
(1) shall order the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles
[Public Safety] to:
(A) suspend the defendant's driver's license or
permit for a period not to exceed six months or, if the defendant
does not have a license or permit, to deny the issuance of a license
or permit to the defendant for that period; or
(B) if the defendant has been previously
convicted of an offense under one or more of the sections listed in
Subsection (a), suspend the defendant's driver's license or permit
for a period not to exceed one year or, if the defendant does not
have a license or permit, to deny the issuance of a license or
permit to the defendant for that period; and
(2) may order the defendant or the parent, managing
conservator, or guardian of the defendant to do any act or refrain
from doing any act if the court determines that doing the act or
refraining from doing the act will increase the likelihood that the
defendant will present evidence to the court that the defendant has
satisfactorily completed an alcohol awareness program or performed
the required hours of community service.
(e) The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles [Public Safety]
shall send notice of the suspension or prohibition order issued
under Subsection (d) by first class mail to the defendant. The
notice must include the date of the suspension or prohibition
order, the reason for the suspension or prohibition, and the period
covered by the suspension or prohibition.
SECTION 39. Section 106.15(e), Alcoholic Beverage Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(e) A person does not commit an offense under Subsection (a)
if the person younger than 18 years of age falsely represents the
person's age to be at least 18 years of age by displaying an
apparently valid Texas driver's license or an identification card
issued by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles [Public Safety]
containing a physical description consistent with the person's
appearance.
SECTION 40. Section 20.23(b), Business & Commerce Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(b) Information or documentation that identifies a
protected consumer or a representative of a protected consumer is
considered sufficient proof of identity for purposes of this
subchapter, including:
(1) a social security number or a copy of the social
security card issued by the United States Social Security
Administration;
(2) a certified or official copy of a birth
certificate issued by the entity authorized to issue the birth
certificate;
(3) a copy of a driver's license or identification card
issued by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles [Public Safety];
or
(4) any other government-issued identification.
SECTION 41. Article 42.016, Code of Criminal Procedure, is
amended to read as follows:
Art. 42.016. SPECIAL DRIVER'S LICENSE OR IDENTIFICATION
REQUIREMENTS FOR CERTAIN SEX OFFENDERS. If a person is convicted
of, receives a grant of deferred adjudication for, or is
adjudicated as having engaged in delinquent conduct based on a
violation of an offense for which a conviction or adjudication
requires registration as a sex offender under Chapter 62, the court
shall:
(1) issue an order requiring the Texas Department of
Motor Vehicles [Public Safety] to include in any driver's license
record or personal identification certificate record maintained by
the department for the person:
(A) an indication that the person is subject to
the registration requirements of Chapter 62; and
(B) if applicable, an indication that the person
is subject to registration because the person was convicted of an
offense involving human trafficking under Chapter 20A, Penal Code;
(2) require the person to apply to the Texas
Department of Motor Vehicles [Public Safety] in person for an
original or renewal driver's license or personal identification
certificate not later than the 30th day after the date the person is
released or the date the department sends written notice to the
person of the requirements of Article 62.060, as applicable, and to
annually renew the license or certificate;
(3) notify the person of the consequence of the
conviction or order of deferred adjudication as it relates to the
order issued under this article; and
(4) send to the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles
[Public Safety] a copy of the record of conviction, a copy of the
order granting deferred adjudication, or a copy of the juvenile
adjudication, as applicable, and a copy of the order issued under
this article.
SECTION 42. Article 42A.406, Code of Criminal Procedure, is
amended to read as follows:
Art. 42A.406. EFFECT OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS ON
DRIVING RECORD AND LICENSE. (a) If a defendant is required as a
condition of community supervision to successfully complete an
educational program under Article 42A.403 or 42A.404, or if the
court waives the educational program requirement under Article
42A.403 or the defendant successfully completes education under
Article 42A.4045, the court clerk shall immediately report that
fact to the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles [Public Safety], on a
form prescribed by the department, for inclusion in the defendant's
driving record. If the court grants an extension of time in which
the defendant may complete the educational program under Article
42A.403, the court clerk shall immediately report that fact to the
Texas Department of Motor Vehicles [Public Safety] on a form
prescribed by the department. The clerk's report under this
subsection must include the beginning date of the defendant's
community supervision.
(b) On the defendant's successful completion of an
educational program under Article 42A.403 or 42A.404, the
defendant's instructor shall give notice to the Texas Department of
Motor Vehicles [Public Safety] for inclusion in the defendant's
driving record and to the community supervision and corrections
department. The community supervision and corrections department
shall forward the notice to the court clerk for filing.
(c) [(b-1)] Upon release from a residential treatment
facility at which the person successfully completed education under
Article 42A.4045, at the request of the court clerk, the director of
the residential treatment facility shall give notice to the Texas
Department of Motor Vehicles [Public Safety] for inclusion in the
person's driving record.
(d) [(c)] If the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles [Public
Safety] does not receive notice that a defendant required to
complete an educational program has successfully completed the
program within the period required by the judge under this
subchapter, as shown on department records, the department, as
provided by Sections 521.344(e) and (f), Transportation Code,
shall:
(1) revoke the defendant's driver's license; or
(2) prohibit the defendant from obtaining a license.
(e) [(d)] The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles [Public
Safety] may not reinstate a license revoked under Subsection (d)
[(c)] as the result of an educational program requirement imposed
under Article 42A.403 unless the defendant whose license was
revoked applies to the department for reinstatement of the license
and pays to the department a reinstatement fee of $100. The Texas
Department of Motor Vehicles [Public Safety] shall remit all fees
collected under this subsection to the comptroller for deposit in
the general revenue fund.
SECTION 43. Articles 42A.407(c) and (e), Code of Criminal
Procedure, are amended to read as follows:
(c) If the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles [Public
Safety] receives notice that a defendant has been required to
successfully complete a subsequent educational program under
Article 42A.403 or 42A.404, although the previously required
completion had been waived, but the judge has not ordered a period
of suspension, the department shall:
(1) suspend the defendant's driver's license; or
(2) issue an order prohibiting the defendant from
obtaining a license for a period of one year.
(e) The suspension of a defendant's driver's license under
Subsection (d) shall be reported to the Texas Department of Motor
Vehicles [Public Safety] as provided under Section 521.347,
Transportation Code.
SECTION 44. Articles 45A.304(b) and (e), Code of Criminal
Procedure, are amended to read as follows:
(b) Notwithstanding Article 45A.303(b)(8), during a
deferral period ordered under this subchapter, the judge shall
require that a defendant described by Subsection (a):
(1) complete a driving safety course approved under
Chapter 1001, Education Code; and
(2) if the defendant holds a provisional license, be
examined by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles [Public Safety]
as required by Section 521.161(b)(2), Transportation Code.
(e) The reimbursement fee collected under Subsection (d)
must be deposited to the credit of a special account in the general
revenue fund and may be used only by the Texas Department of Motor
Vehicles [Public Safety] for the administration of Chapter 521,
Transportation Code.
SECTION 45. Articles 45A.356(a) and (c), Code of Criminal
Procedure, are amended to read as follows:
(a) The court shall enter judgment on a defendant's plea of
nolo contendere or guilty at the time the plea is made, defer
imposition of the judgment, and allow the defendant a 90-day period
to successfully complete the approved driving safety course or
motorcycle operator training course and present to the court:
(1) a uniform certificate of completion of the driving
safety course or a verification of completion of the motorcycle
operator training course;
(2) unless the judge proceeds under Article 45A.359,
the defendant's driving record as maintained by the Texas
Department of Motor Vehicles [Public Safety], if any, showing that
the defendant has not completed an approved driving safety course
or motorcycle operator training course, as applicable, within the
12-month period preceding the date of the offense;
(3) an affidavit stating that the defendant:
(A) was not taking a driving safety course or
motorcycle operator training course, as applicable, under this
subchapter on the date the request to take the course was made; and
(B) has not completed, within the 12-month period
preceding the date of the offense, a course described by Paragraph
(A) that is not shown on the defendant's driving record; and
(4) if the defendant does not have a Texas driver's
license or permit and is a member, or the spouse or dependent child
of a member, of the United States military forces serving on active
duty, an affidavit stating that the defendant:
(A) was not taking a driving safety course or
motorcycle operator training course, as applicable, in another
state on the date the request to take the course was made; and
(B) has not completed a course described by
Paragraph (A) within the 12-month period preceding the date of the
offense.
(c) If a defendant satisfies the requirements of Subsection
(a), the court shall:
(1) remove the judgment and dismiss the charge;
(2) report the fact that the defendant successfully
completed a driving safety course or a motorcycle operator training
course and the date of completion to the Texas Department of Motor
Vehicles [Public Safety] for inclusion in the defendant's driving
record; and
(3) state in the report under Subdivision (2) whether
the course was taken under this subchapter to provide information
necessary to determine eligibility to take a subsequent course
under Article 45A.352(a).
SECTION 46. Articles 45A.359(b), (c), and (f), Code of
Criminal Procedure, are amended to read as follows:
(b) As an alternative to receiving the defendant's driving
record under Article 45A.356(a)(2), the judge, at the time the
defendant requests a driving safety course or motorcycle operator
training course dismissal under this subchapter, may:
(1) require the defendant to pay a reimbursement fee
in an amount equal to the sum of the amount of:
(A) the fee established by Section 521.048,
Transportation Code; and
(B) the state electronic Internet portal fee; and
(2) use the state electronic Internet portal to
request that the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles [Public Safety]
provide the judge with a copy of the defendant's driving record
showing the information described by Section 521.047(b),
Transportation Code.
(c) As soon as practicable, the Texas Department of Motor
Vehicles [Public Safety] shall use the state electronic Internet
portal to provide the judge with the requested copy of the
defendant's driving record.
(f) The comptroller shall credit fees collected under
Subsection (e) to the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles [Public
Safety].
SECTION 47. Article 45A.401(f), Code of Criminal Procedure,
is amended to read as follows:
(f) A charge dismissed under this article may not be part of
the defendant's criminal record or driving record or used for any
purpose, except that if the charge was for a traffic offense, the
court shall report to the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles
[Public Safety] the fact that the defendant successfully completed
the teen court program and the date of completion for inclusion in
the defendant's driving record.
SECTION 48. Articles 45A.461(c) and (f), Code of Criminal
Procedure, are amended to read as follows:
(c) If a child fails to obey an order of a justice or
municipal court under circumstances that would constitute contempt
of court, the justice or municipal court, after providing notice
and an opportunity to be heard, may:
(1) refer the child to the appropriate juvenile court
for delinquent conduct for contempt of the order; or
(2) retain jurisdiction of the case, hold the child in
contempt of court, and order that:
(A) the contemnor pay a fine not to exceed $500;
or
(B) the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles
[Public Safety] suspend the contemnor's driver's license or permit
or, if the contemnor does not have a license or permit, deny the
issuance of a license or permit to the contemnor until the contemnor
fully complies with the order.
(f) A justice or municipal court that orders suspension or
denial of a driver's license or permit under Subsection (c)(2)(B)
shall notify the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles [Public Safety]
on receiving proof of compliance with the orders of the justice or
municipal court.
SECTION 49. Article 62.053(a), Code of Criminal Procedure,
is amended to read as follows:
(a) Before a person who will be subject to registration
under this chapter is due to be released from a penal institution,
the Texas Department of Criminal Justice or the Texas Juvenile
Justice Department shall determine the person's level of risk to
the community using the sex offender screening tool developed or
selected under Article 62.007 and assign to the person a numeric
risk level of one, two, or three. Before releasing the person, an
official of the penal institution shall:
(1) inform the person that:
(A) not later than the later of the seventh day
after the date on which the person is released or after the date on
which the person moves from a previous residence to a new residence
in this state or not later than the first date the applicable local
law enforcement authority by policy allows the person to register
or verify registration, the person must register or verify
registration with the local law enforcement authority in the
municipality or county in which the person intends to reside;
(B) not later than the seventh day after the date
on which the person is released or the date on which the person
moves from a previous residence to a new residence in this state,
the person must, if the person has not moved to an intended
residence, report to the applicable entity or entities as required
by Article 62.051(h) or (j) or 62.055(e);
(C) not later than the seventh day before the
date on which the person moves to a new residence in this state or
another state, the person must report in person to the local law
enforcement authority designated as the person's primary
registration authority by the department and to the juvenile
probation officer, community supervision and corrections
department officer, or parole officer supervising the person;
(D) not later than the 10th day after the date on
which the person arrives in another state in which the person
intends to reside, the person must register with the law
enforcement agency that is identified by the department as the
agency designated by that state to receive registration
information, if the other state has a registration requirement for
sex offenders;
(E) not later than the 30th day after the date on
which the person is released, the person must apply to the Texas
Department of Motor Vehicles [department] in person for the
issuance of an original or renewal driver's license or personal
identification certificate and a failure to apply to the Texas
Department of Motor Vehicles [department] as required by this
paragraph results in the automatic revocation of any driver's
license or personal identification certificate issued by the Texas
Department of Motor Vehicles [department] to the person;
(F) the person must notify appropriate entities
of any change in status as described by Article 62.057;
(G) certain types of employment are prohibited
under Article 62.063 for a person with a reportable conviction or
adjudication for a sexually violent offense involving a victim
younger than 14 years of age and occurring on or after September 1,
2013;
(H) certain locations of residence are
prohibited under Article 62.064 for a person with a reportable
conviction or adjudication for an offense occurring on or after
September 1, 2017, except as otherwise provided by that article;
and
(I) if the person enters the premises of a school
as described by Article 62.065 and is subject to the requirements of
that article, the person must immediately notify the administrative
office of the school of the person's presence and the person's
registration status under this chapter;
(2) require the person to sign a written statement
that the person was informed of the person's duties as described by
Subdivision (1) or Subsection (g) or, if the person refuses to sign
the statement, certify that the person was so informed;
(3) obtain the address or, if applicable, a detailed
description of each geographical location where the person expects
to reside on the person's release and other registration
information, including a photograph and complete set of
fingerprints; and
(4) complete the registration form for the person.
SECTION 50. Article 62.060, Code of Criminal Procedure, is
amended to read as follows:
Art. 62.060. REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO DRIVER'S LICENSE OR
PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION CERTIFICATE. (a) A person subject to
registration under this chapter shall apply to the Texas Department
of Motor Vehicles [department] in person for the issuance of, as
applicable, an original or renewal driver's license under Section
521.272, Transportation Code, an original or renewal personal
identification certificate under Section 521.103, Transportation
Code, or an original or renewal commercial driver's license or
commercial learner's permit under Section 522.033, Transportation
Code, not later than the 30th day after the date:
(1) the person is released from a penal institution or
is released by a court on community supervision or juvenile
probation; or
(2) the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles
[department] sends written notice to the person of the requirements
of this article.
(b) The person shall annually renew in person each driver's
license or personal identification certificate issued by the Texas
Department of Motor Vehicles [department] to the person, including
each renewal, duplicate, or corrected license or certificate, until
the person's duty to register under this chapter expires.
SECTION 51. Article 62.2021(a), Code of Criminal Procedure,
is amended to read as follows:
(a) Notwithstanding Article 62.060(b), a person subject to
registration who is civilly committed as a sexually violent
predator and resides at a civil commitment center shall renew the
person's state-issued [department-issued] driver's license or
personal identification certificate as prescribed by Section
521.103, 521.272, or 522.033, Transportation Code, as applicable.
SECTION 52. Article 65.053(a), Code of Criminal Procedure,
is amended to read as follows:
(a) Before a person who will be subject to registration
under this chapter is due to be released from a penal institution,
an official of the penal institution shall:
(1) inform the person that:
(A) not later than the seventh day after the date
on which the person is released or after the date on which the
person moves from a previous residence to a new residence in this
state, or not later than the first date the applicable local law
enforcement authority by policy allows the person to register or
verify registration, the person must register or verify
registration with the local law enforcement authority in the
municipality or county in which the person intends to reside;
(B) not later than the seventh day after the date
on which the person is released or the date on which the person
moves from a previous residence to a new residence in this state,
the person must, if the person has not moved to an intended
residence, report to the applicable entity or entities as required
by Article 65.051 or 65.054;
(C) not later than the seventh day before the
date on which the person moves to a new residence in this state or
another state, the person must report in person to the local law
enforcement authority designated as the person's registration
authority and to the officer supervising the person;
(D) not later than the 10th day after the date on
which the person arrives in another state in which the person
intends to reside, the person must register with the law
enforcement agency that is identified by the department as the
agency designated in that state to receive registration
information, if the other state has a registration requirement;
(E) not later than the 30th day after the date on
which the person is released, the person must apply to the Texas
Department of Motor Vehicles [department] in person for the
issuance of an original or renewal driver's license or personal
identification certificate and a failure to apply to the Texas
Department of Motor Vehicles [department] as required by this
paragraph results in the automatic revocation of any driver's
license or personal identification certificate issued by the Texas
Department of Motor Vehicles [department] to the person; and
(F) the person must notify appropriate entities
of any change in status as described by Article 65.055;
(2) require the person to sign a written statement
confirming that the person was informed of the person's duties as
described by Subdivision (1) or, if the person refuses to sign the
statement, certify that the person was so informed;
(3) obtain the address or, if applicable, a detailed
description of the geographical location where the person expects
to reside on the person's release and other registration
information, including a photograph and complete set of
fingerprints; and
(4) complete the registration form for the person.
SECTION 53. Article 65.058(a), Code of Criminal Procedure,
is amended to read as follows:
(a) A person subject to registration under this chapter
shall apply to the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles [department]
in person for the issuance of an original or renewal driver's
license under Section 521.272, Transportation Code, a personal
identification certificate under Section 521.103, Transportation
Code, or a commercial driver's license or commercial learner's
permit under Section 522.033, Transportation Code, not later than
the 30th day after the date:
(1) the person is released from a penal institution or
by a court; or
(2) the department sends written notice to the person
of the requirements of this article.
SECTION 54. Section 1001.056(d), Education Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(d) A certificate under this section must:
(1) be in a form required by the department; and
(2) include an identifying number by which the
department, a court, [or] the Department of Public Safety, or the
Texas Department of Motor Vehicles may verify its authenticity with
the driving safety provider.
SECTION 55. Section 1001.058(b), Education Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(b) The advisory committee consists of nine members
appointed for staggered six-year terms by the presiding officer of
the commission, with the approval of the commission, as follows:
(1) three driver education providers;
(2) three driving safety providers;
(3) one driver education instructor;
(4) the division head of the Texas Department of Motor
Vehicles [Public Safety] driver license division or the division
head's designee; and
(5) one member of the public.
SECTION 56. Section 1001.060, Education Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 1001.060. COORDINATION WITH TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR
VEHICLES [PUBLIC SAFETY]. (a) The department shall enter into a
memorandum of understanding with the Texas Department of Motor
Vehicles [Public Safety] for:
(1) the interagency development of the content of
driver's license examinations and examination reference materials;
and
(2) any other matter the agencies consider
appropriate.
(b) The memorandum of understanding must authorize the
Texas Department of Motor Vehicles [Public Safety] to share with
the department any relevant information, including information
related to examination results.
SECTION 57. Section 13.002(c), Election Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(c) A registration application must include:
(1) the applicant's first name, middle name, if any,
last name, and former name, if any;
(2) the month, day, and year of the applicant's birth;
(3) a statement that the applicant is a United States
citizen;
(4) a statement that the applicant is a resident of the
county;
(5) a statement that the applicant has not been
determined by a final judgment of a court exercising probate
jurisdiction to be:
(A) totally mentally incapacitated; or
(B) partially mentally incapacitated without the
right to vote;
(6) a statement that the applicant has not been
finally convicted of a felony or that the applicant is a felon
eligible for registration under Section 13.001;
(7) the applicant's residence address or, if the
residence has no address, the address at which the applicant
receives mail and a concise description of the location of the
applicant's residence;
(8) the following information:
(A) the applicant's Texas driver's license number
or the number of a personal identification card issued by the Texas
Department of Motor Vehicles [Public Safety];
(B) if the applicant has not been issued a number
described by Paragraph (A), the last four digits of the applicant's
social security number; or
(C) a statement by the applicant that the
applicant has not been issued a number described by Paragraph (A) or
(B);
(9) if the application is made by an agent, a statement
of the agent's relationship to the applicant; and
(10) the city and county in which the applicant
formerly resided.
SECTION 58. Section 13.004(c), Election Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(c) The following information furnished on a registration
application is confidential and does not constitute public
information for purposes of Chapter 552, Government Code:
(1) a social security number;
(2) a Texas driver's license number;
(3) a number of a personal identification card issued
by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles [Public Safety];
(4) the residence address of the applicant, if the
applicant is a federal judge, including a federal bankruptcy judge,
a marshal of the United States Marshals Service, a United States
attorney, or a state judge, a family member of a federal judge,
including a federal bankruptcy judge, a marshal of the United
States Marshals Service, a United States attorney, or a state
judge, the spouse of a peace officer as defined by Article 2A.001,
Code of Criminal Procedure, or an individual to whom Section
552.1175, Government Code, or Section 521.1211, Transportation
Code, applies and the applicant:
(A) included an affidavit with the registration
application describing the applicant's status under this
subdivision, if the applicant is a federal judge, including a
federal bankruptcy judge, a marshal of the United States Marshals
Service, a United States attorney, or a state judge or a family
member of a federal judge, including a federal bankruptcy judge, a
marshal of the United States Marshals Service, a United States
attorney, or a state judge;
(B) provided the registrar with an affidavit
describing the applicant's status under this subdivision, if the
applicant is a federal judge, including a federal bankruptcy judge,
a marshal of the United States Marshals Service, a United States
attorney, or a state judge or a family member of a federal judge,
including a federal bankruptcy judge, a marshal of the United
States Marshals Service, a United States attorney, or a state
judge; or
(C) provided the registrar with a completed form
approved by the secretary of state for the purpose of notifying the
registrar of the applicant's status under this subdivision;
(5) the residence address of the applicant, if the
applicant, the applicant's child, or another person in the
applicant's household is a victim of family violence as defined by
Section 71.004, Family Code, who provided the registrar with:
(A) a copy of a protective order issued under
Chapter 85, Family Code, or a magistrate's order for emergency
protection issued under Article 17.292, Code of Criminal Procedure;
or
(B) other independent documentary evidence
necessary to show that the applicant, the applicant's child, or
another person in the applicant's household is a victim of family
violence;
(6) the residence address of the applicant, if the
applicant, the applicant's child, or another person in the
applicant's household is a victim of sexual assault or abuse,
stalking, or trafficking of persons who provided the registrar
with:
(A) a copy of a protective order issued under
Subchapter A or B, Chapter 7B, Code of Criminal Procedure, or a
magistrate's order for emergency protection issued under Article
17.292, Code of Criminal Procedure; or
(B) other independent documentary evidence
necessary to show that the applicant, the applicant's child, or
another person in the applicant's household is a victim of sexual
assault or abuse, stalking, or trafficking of persons;
(7) the residence address of the applicant, if the
applicant:
(A) is a participant in the address
confidentiality program administered by the attorney general under
Subchapter B, Chapter 58, Code of Criminal Procedure; and
(B) provided the registrar with proof of
certification under Article 58.059, Code of Criminal Procedure; or
(8) the telephone number of any applicant submitting
documentation under Subdivision (4), (5), (6), or (7).
SECTION 59. Section 13.072(a), Election Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(a) Unless the registrar challenges the applicant, the
registrar shall approve the application if:
(1) the registrar determines that an application
complies with Section 13.002 and indicates that the applicant is
eligible for registration; and
(2) for an applicant who has not included a statement
described by Section 13.002(c)(8)(C), the registrar verifies with
the secretary of state:
(A) the applicant's Texas driver's license number
or number of a personal identification card issued by the Texas
Department of Motor Vehicles [Public Safety]; or
(B) the last four digits of the applicant's
social security number.
SECTION 60. Section 13.122(a), Election Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(a) In addition to the other statements and spaces for
entering information that appear on an officially prescribed
registration application form, each official form must include:
(1) the statement: "I understand that giving false
information to procure a voter registration is perjury and a crime
under state and federal law.";
(2) a space for the applicant's registration number;
(3) a space for the applicant's Texas driver's license
number or number of a personal identification card issued by the
Texas Department of Motor Vehicles [Public Safety];
(4) a space for the applicant's telephone number;
(5) a space for the applicant's social security
number;
(6) a space for the applicant's sex;
(7) a statement indicating that the furnishing of the
applicant's telephone number and sex is optional;
(8) a space or box for indicating whether the
applicant or voter is submitting new registration information or a
change in current registration information;
(9) a statement instructing a voter who is using the
form to make a change in current registration information to enter
the voter's name and the changed information in the appropriate
spaces on the form;
(10) a statement that if the applicant declines to
register to vote, that fact will remain confidential and will be
used only for voter registration purposes;
(11) a statement that if the applicant does register
to vote, information regarding the agency or office to which the
application is submitted will remain confidential and will be used
only for voter registration purposes;
(12) a space or box for indicating whether the
applicant is interested in working as an election judge;
(13) a statement warning that a conviction for making
a false statement may result in imprisonment for up to the maximum
amount of time provided by law, a fine of up to the maximum amount
provided by law, or both the imprisonment and the fine; and
(14) any other voter registration information
required by federal law or considered appropriate and required by
the secretary of state.
SECTION 61. Section 15.054(a), Election Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(a) For purposes of Section 15.053, a voter's residence may
be documented by providing a photocopy of the first document,
beginning with Subdivision (1) and continuing through Subdivision
(6), in the following list that corresponds to the voter's
residence under Section 1.015:
(1) a driver's license issued to the voter by the Texas
Department of Motor Vehicles [Public Safety] that has not expired
or, if the voter has notified the department of a change of address
under Section 521.054, Transportation Code, an affidavit from the
voter stating the new address contained in the notification;
(2) a personal identification card issued to the voter
by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles [Public Safety] that has
not expired or, if the voter has notified the department of a change
of address under Section 521.054, Transportation Code, an affidavit
from the voter stating the new address contained in the
notification;
(3) a license to carry a concealed handgun issued to
the voter by the Department of Public Safety that has not expired
or, if the voter has notified the department of a change of address
under Section 411.181, Government Code, an affidavit from the voter
stating the new address contained in the notification;
(4) an appraisal district document showing the address
the voter claims as a homestead in this state;
(5) a utility bill addressed to the voter's residence
address; or
(6) an official tax document or Texas Department of
Motor Vehicles document showing the registration address of a
vehicle the voter owns.
SECTION 62. Section 16.031(a), Election Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(a) The registrar shall cancel a voter's registration
immediately on receipt of:
(1) notice under Section 13.072(b), 15.021, or
18.0681(d) or a response under Section 15.053 that the voter's
residence is outside the county;
(2) an abstract of the voter's death certificate under
Section 16.001(a) or an abstract of an application indicating that
the voter is deceased under Section 16.001(b);
(3) an abstract of a final judgment of the voter's
total mental incapacity, partial mental incapacity without the
right to vote, conviction of a felony, or disqualification under
Section 16.002, 16.003, or 16.004;
(4) notice under Section 112.012 that the voter has
applied for a limited ballot in another county;
(5) notice from a voter registration official in
another state that the voter has registered to vote outside this
state;
(6) notice from the early voting clerk under Section
101.053 that a federal postcard application submitted by an
applicant states a voting residence address located outside the
registrar's county; or
(7) notice from the secretary of state that the voter
has registered to vote in another county, as determined by the
voter's driver's license number or personal identification card
number issued by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles [Public
Safety] or social security number.
SECTION 63. Section 20.001(b), Election Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(b) The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles [Public Safety]
is designated as a voter registration agency.
SECTION 64. The heading to Subchapter C, Chapter 20,
Election Code, is amended to read as follows:
SUBCHAPTER C. TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES [PUBLIC SAFETY]
SECTION 65. Section 20.061, Election Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 20.061. APPLICABILITY OF OTHER PROVISIONS. The other
provisions of this chapter apply to the Texas Department of Motor
Vehicles [Public Safety] except provisions that conflict with this
subchapter.
SECTION 66. Section 20.062(a), Election Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(a) The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles [Public Safety]
shall prescribe and use a form and procedure that combines the
department's application form for a license or card with an
officially prescribed voter registration application form.
SECTION 67. Section 20.063(a), Election Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(a) The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles [Public Safety]
shall provide to each person who applies in person at the
department's offices for an original or renewal of a driver's
license, a personal identification card, or a duplicate or
corrected license or card an opportunity to complete a voter
registration application form.
SECTION 68. Section 20.064, Election Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 20.064. DECLINATION FORM NOT REQUIRED. The Texas
Department of Motor Vehicles [Public Safety] is not required to
comply with the procedures prescribed by this chapter relating to
the form for a declination of voter registration.
SECTION 69. Section 20.065(a), Election Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(a) At the end of each day a Texas Department of Motor
Vehicles [Public Safety] office is regularly open for business, the
manager of the office shall deliver by mail or in person to the
voter registrar of the county in which the office is located each
completed voter registration application and applicable change of
address submitted to a department employee.
SECTION 70. Section 20.066(a), Election Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(a) If a person completes a voter registration application
as provided by Section 20.063, the Texas Department of Motor
Vehicles [Public Safety] shall:
(1) input the information provided on the application
into the department's electronic data system; and
(2) inform the applicant that the applicant's
electronic signature provided to the department will be used for
submitting the applicant's voter registration application.
SECTION 71. Section 31.013(b), Election Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(b) In establishing the program, the secretary of state
shall consult with the Department of Public Safety and Texas
Department of Motor Vehicles on the creation of the program,
security relating to the issuance of an election identification
certificate, best practices in issuing an election identification
certificate, and equipment required to issue an election
identification certificate.
SECTION 72. Section 63.0101(a), Election Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(a) The following documentation is an acceptable form of
photo identification under this chapter:
(1) a driver's license, election identification
certificate, or personal identification card issued to the person
by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles [Public Safety] that has
not expired or that expired no earlier than four years before the
date of presentation;
(2) a United States military identification card that
contains the person's photograph that has not expired or that
expired no earlier than four years before the date of presentation;
(3) a United States citizenship certificate issued to
the person that contains the person's photograph;
(4) a United States passport book or card issued to the
person that has not expired or that expired no earlier than four
years before the date of presentation; or
(5) a license to carry a handgun issued to the person
by the Department of Public Safety that has not expired or that
expired no earlier than four years before the date of presentation.
SECTION 73. Section 65.060, Election Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 65.060. DISCLOSURE OF SOCIAL SECURITY, DRIVER'S
LICENSE, OR PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION NUMBER ON PROVISIONAL BALLOT
AFFIDAVIT. A social security number, Texas driver's license
number, or number of a personal identification card issued by the
Texas Department of Motor Vehicles [Public Safety] furnished on a
provisional ballot affidavit is confidential and does not
constitute public information for purposes of Chapter 552,
Government Code. The general custodian of election records shall
ensure that a social security number, Texas driver's license
number, or number of a personal identification card issued by the
Texas Department of Motor Vehicles [Public Safety] is excluded from
disclosure.
SECTION 74. Section 84.002(a), Election Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(a) An early voting ballot application must include:
(1) the applicant's name and the address at which the
applicant is registered to vote;
(1-a) the following information:
(A) the number of the applicant's driver's
license, election identification certificate, or personal
identification card issued by the Texas Department of Motor
Vehicles [Public Safety];
(B) if the applicant has not been issued a number
described by Paragraph (A), the last four digits of the applicant's
social security number; or
(C) a statement by the applicant that the
applicant has not been issued a number described by Paragraph (A) or
(B);
(2) for an application for a ballot to be voted by mail
on the ground of absence from the county of residence, the address
outside the applicant's county of residence to which the ballot is
to be mailed;
(3) for an application for a ballot to be voted by mail
on the ground of age or disability, the address of the hospital,
nursing home or other long-term care facility, or retirement
center, or of a person related to the applicant within the second
degree by affinity or the third degree by consanguinity, as
determined under Chapter 573, Government Code, if the applicant is
living at that address and that address is different from the
address at which the applicant is registered to vote;
(4) for an application for a ballot to be voted by mail
on the ground of confinement in jail, the address of the jail or of a
person related to the applicant within the degree described by
Subdivision (3);
(5) for an application for a ballot to be voted by mail
on any ground, an indication of each election for which the
applicant is applying for a ballot;
(6) an indication of the ground of eligibility for
early voting; and
(7) for an application for a ballot to be voted by mail
on the ground of involuntary civil commitment, the address of the
facility operated by or under contract with the Texas Civil
Commitment Office or of a person related to the applicant within the
degree of consanguinity described by Subdivision (3).
SECTION 75. Section 86.002(g), Election Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(g) The carrier envelope must include a space that is hidden
from view when the envelope is sealed for the voter to enter the
following information:
(1) the number of the voter's driver's license,
election identification certificate, or personal identification
card issued by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles [Public
Safety];
(2) if the voter has not been issued a number described
by Subdivision (1), the last four digits of the voter's social
security number; or
(3) a statement by the applicant that the applicant
has not been issued a number described by Subdivision (1) or (2).
SECTION 76. Section 86.015(b), Election Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(b) The online tool developed or provided under Subsection
(a) must require the voter to provide, before permitting the voter
to access information described by that subsection:
(1) the voter's name and date of birth and the last
four digits of the voter's social security number; and
(2) the voter's:
(A) driver's license number; or
(B) personal identification card number issued
by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles [Public Safety].
SECTION 77. Section 2.005(b), Family Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(b) The proof must be established by:
(1) a driver's license or identification card issued
by this state, another state, or a Canadian province that is current
or has expired not more than two years preceding the date the
identification is submitted to the county clerk in connection with
an application for a license;
(2) a United States passport;
(3) a current passport issued by a foreign country or a
consular document issued by a state or national government;
(4) an unexpired Certificate of United States
Citizenship, Certificate of Naturalization, United States Citizen
Identification Card, Permanent Resident Card, Temporary Resident
Card, Employment Authorization Card, or other document issued by
the federal Department of Homeland Security or the United States
Department of State including an identification photograph;
(5) an unexpired military identification card for
active duty, reserve, or retired personnel with an identification
photograph;
(6) an original or certified copy of a birth
certificate issued by a bureau of vital statistics for a state or a
foreign government;
(7) an original or certified copy of a Consular Report
of Birth Abroad or Certificate of Birth Abroad issued by the United
States Department of State;
(8) an original or certified copy of a court order
relating to the applicant's name change or sex change;
(9) school records from a secondary school or
institution of higher education;
(10) an insurance policy continuously valid for the
two years preceding the date of the application for a license;
(11) a motor vehicle certificate of title;
(12) military records, including documentation of
release or discharge from active duty or a draft record;
(13) an unexpired military dependent identification
card;
(14) an original or certified copy of the applicant's
marriage license or divorce decree;
(15) a voter registration certificate;
(16) a pilot's license issued by the Federal Aviation
Administration or another authorized agency of the United States;
(17) a license to carry a handgun under Subchapter H,
Chapter 411, Government Code;
(18) a temporary identification card issued by the
Texas Department of Motor Vehicles [Public Safety]; or
(19) an offender identification card issued by the
Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
SECTION 78. Sections 54.042(a), (b), (f), and (g), Family
Code, are amended to read as follows:
(a) A juvenile court, in a disposition hearing under Section
54.04, shall:
(1) order the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles
[Public Safety] to suspend a child's driver's license or permit, or
if the child does not have a license or permit, to deny the issuance
of a license or permit to the child if the court finds that the child
has engaged in conduct that:
(A) violates a law of this state enumerated in
Section 521.342(a), Transportation Code; or
(B) violates a penal law of this state or the
United States, an element or elements of which involve a severe form
of trafficking in persons, as defined by 22 U.S.C. Section 7102; or
(2) notify the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles
[Public Safety] of the adjudication, if the court finds that the
child has engaged in conduct that violates a law of this state
enumerated in Section 521.372(a), Transportation Code.
(b) A juvenile court, in a disposition hearing under Section
54.04, may order the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles [Public
Safety] to suspend a child's driver's license or permit or, if the
child does not have a license or permit, to deny the issuance of a
license or permit to the child, if the court finds that the child
has engaged in conduct that violates Section 28.08, Penal Code.
(f) A juvenile court, in a disposition hearing under Section
54.04, may order the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles [Public
Safety] to suspend a child's driver's license or permit or, if the
child does not have a license or permit, to deny the issuance of a
license or permit to the child for a period not to exceed 12 months
if the court finds that the child has engaged in conduct in need of
supervision or delinquent conduct other than the conduct described
by Subsection (a).
(g) A juvenile court that places a child on probation under
Section 54.04 may require as a reasonable condition of the
probation that if the child violates the probation, the court may
order the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles [Public Safety] to
suspend the child's driver's license or permit or, if the child does
not have a license or permit, to deny the issuance of a license or
permit to the child for a period not to exceed 12 months. The court
may make this order if a child that is on probation under this
condition violates the probation. A suspension under this
subsection is cumulative of any other suspension under this
section.
SECTION 79. Section 54.0482(c), Family Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(c) On or before the fifth anniversary of the date the
juvenile probation department receives a payment for a victim that
is not claimed by the victim, the department shall make and document
a good faith effort to locate and notify the victim that an
unclaimed payment exists, including:
(1) confirming, if possible, the victim's most recent
address with the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles [Public
Safety]; and
(2) making at least one additional certified mailing
to the victim.
SECTION 80. Section 65.103(c), Family Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(c) In addition to any other order authorized by this
section, a truancy court may order the Texas Department of Motor
Vehicles [Public Safety] to suspend the driver's license or permit
of a child who has been found to have engaged in truant conduct. If
the child does not have a driver's license or permit, the court may
order the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles [Public Safety] to
deny the issuance of a license or permit to the child. The period of
the license or permit suspension or the order that the issuance of a
license or permit be denied may not extend beyond the maximum time
period that a remedial order is effective as provided by Section
65.104.
SECTION 81. Section 65.251(a), Family Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(a) If a child fails to obey an order issued by a truancy
court under Section 65.103(a) or a child is in direct contempt of
court, the truancy court, after providing notice and an opportunity
for a hearing, may hold the child in contempt of court and order
either or both of the following:
(1) that the child pay a fine not to exceed $100; or
(2) that the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles
[Public Safety] suspend the child's driver's license or permit or,
if the child does not have a license or permit, order that the Texas
Department of Motor Vehicles [Public Safety] deny the issuance of a
license or permit to the child until the child fully complies with
the court's orders.
SECTION 82. Sections 203.007(b) and (g), Family Code, are
amended to read as follows:
(b) A domestic relations office is entitled to obtain from
the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles and the Department of Public
Safety records that relate to:
(1) a person's date of birth;
(2) a person's most recent address;
(3) a person's current driver's license status;
(4) motor vehicle collisions involving a person;
(5) reported traffic-law violations of which a person
has been convicted; and
(6) a person's criminal history record information.
(g) The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, the Department
of Public Safety, the Texas Workforce Commission, or the office of
the secretary of state may charge a domestic relations office a fee
not to exceed the charge paid by the Title IV-D agency for
furnishing records under this section.
SECTION 83. Section 264.1213, Family Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 264.1213. RECORDS AND DOCUMENTS FOR CHILDREN AGING OUT
OF FOSTER CARE. The department in cooperation with volunteer
advocates from a charitable organization described by Subchapter C,
Chapter 107, and the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles [Public
Safety] shall develop procedures to ensure that a foster child
obtains a driver's license or personal identification card before
the child leaves the conservatorship of the department.
SECTION 84. Section 277.002(a), Finance Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(a) A financial institution shall require, as a condition of
opening or maintaining a business checking account, that the
applicant or account holder provide:
(1) if the business is a sole proprietorship:
(A) the name of the business owner;
(B) the physical address of the business;
(C) the home address of the business owner; and
(D) the driver's license number of the business
owner or the personal identification card number issued to the
business owner by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles [Public
Safety]; or
(2) if the business is a corporation or other legal
entity, a copy of the business's certificate of incorporation or a
comparable document and an assumed name certificate, if any.
SECTION 85. Sections 62.001(a), (f), (h), and (i),
Government Code, are amended to read as follows:
(a) The jury wheel must be reconstituted by using, as the
source:
(1) the names of all persons on the current voter
registration lists from all the precincts in the county; and
(2) all names on a current list to be furnished by the
Texas Department of Motor Vehicles [Public Safety], showing the
citizens of the county who:
(A) hold a valid Texas driver's license or a
valid personal identification card or certificate issued by the
department; and
(B) are not disqualified from jury service under
Section 62.102(1), (2), or (8).
(f) The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles [Public Safety]
shall furnish a list to the secretary of state that shows the names
required under Subsection (a)(2) and that contains any of the
information enumerated in Subsection (c) that is available to the
department, including citizenship status and county of residence.
The list shall exclude the names of convicted felons, persons who
are not citizens of the United States, persons residing outside the
county, and the duplicate name of any registrant. The department
shall furnish the list to the secretary of state on or before the
first Monday in October of each year.
(h) If the secretary of state is unable to furnish the list
as provided in this section because of the failure of the voter
registrar to furnish the county voter registration list to the
secretary of state, the county tax assessor-collector, sheriff,
county clerk, and district clerk in the county shall meet at the
county courthouse between January 1 and January 15 of the following
year and shall reconstitute the jury wheel for the county, except as
provided under a plan adopted under Section 62.011. The deadlines
included in the plan control for preparing the list and
reconstituting the wheel. The secretary of state shall send the
list furnished by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles [Public
Safety] as provided by Subsection (f) to the voter registrar, who
shall combine the lists as described in this section for use as the
juror source and certify the combined list as required of the
secretary of state under Subsection (g).
(i) The commissioners court may, instead of using the method
provided by Subsections (c) through (h), contract with another
governmental unit or a private person to combine the voter
registration list with the list furnished by the Texas Department
of Motor Vehicles [Public Safety]. Subsections (c) through (h) do
not apply to a county in which the commissioners court has
contracted with another governmental unit or a private person under
this subsection. The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles [Public
Safety] may not charge a fee for furnishing a list under this
subsection. Each list must contain the name, date of birth,
address, county of residence, and citizenship status of each person
listed. If practical, each list must contain any other information
useful in determining if the person is qualified to serve as a
juror.
SECTION 86. Section 72.016, Government Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 72.016. NOTIFICATION PROCEDURE FOR JUDICIAL PRIVACY.
The director shall develop a procedure to regularly notify county
registrars, the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles [Public Safety],
the Texas Ethics Commission, and any other state agency the office
determines should be notified of the judges, judges' spouses, and
related family members whose personal information must be kept from
public records, as provided under Sections 552.117 and 572.035 of
this code, Sections 13.0021 and 15.0215, Election Code, and Section
521.121, Transportation Code.
SECTION 87. Section 411.0201(a), Government Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), the department may
photograph, microphotograph, or film [any record in connection with
the issuance of a driver's license or commercial driver's license
and] any record of any division of the department.
SECTION 88. Section 411.082(2), Government Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(2) "Criminal history record information" means
information collected about a person by a criminal justice agency
that consists of identifiable descriptions and notations of
arrests, detentions, indictments, informations, and other formal
criminal charges and their dispositions. The term does not
include:
(A) identification information, including
fingerprint records, to the extent that the identification
information does not indicate involvement of the person in the
criminal justice system; or
(B) driving record information maintained by the
Texas Department of Motor Vehicles [department] under Subchapter C,
Chapter 521, Transportation Code.
SECTION 89. Section 411.174(b), Government Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(b) An applicant must provide on the application a statement
of the applicant's:
(1) full name and place and date of birth;
(2) race and sex;
(3) residence and business addresses for the preceding
five years;
(4) hair and eye color;
(5) height and weight;
(6) driver's license number or identification
certificate number issued by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles
[department];
(7) criminal history record information of the type
maintained by the department under this chapter, including a list
of offenses for which the applicant was arrested, charged, or under
an information or indictment and the disposition of the offenses;
and
(8) history, if any, of treatment received by,
commitment to, or residence in:
(A) a drug or alcohol treatment center licensed
to provide drug or alcohol treatment under the laws of this state or
another state, but only if the treatment, commitment, or residence
occurred during the preceding five years; or
(B) a psychiatric hospital.
SECTION 90. Section 411.179(a), Government Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(a) The department by rule shall adopt the form of the
license. A license must include:
(1) a number assigned to the license holder by the
department;
(2) a statement of the period for which the license is
effective;
(3) a photograph of the license holder;
(4) the license holder's full name, date of birth, hair
and eye color, height, weight, and signature;
(5) the license holder's residence address or, as
provided by Subsection (d), the street address of the courthouse in
which the license holder or license holder's spouse or parent
serves as a federal judge or the license holder serves as a state
judge;
(6) the number of a driver's license or an
identification certificate issued to the license holder by the
Texas Department of Motor Vehicles [department];
(7) the designation "VETERAN" if required under
Subsection (e);
(8) any at-risk designation for which the license
holder has established eligibility under Section 411.184; and
(9) if applicable, a protective order designation
under Section 411.1735.
SECTION 91. Section 411.205, Government Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 411.205. REQUIREMENT TO DISPLAY LICENSE. If a license
holder is carrying a handgun on or about the license holder's person
when a magistrate or a peace officer demands that the license holder
display identification, the license holder shall display:
(1) both the license holder's driver's license or
identification certificate issued by the Texas Department of Motor
Vehicles [department] and the license holder's handgun license; and
(2) if the license holder's handgun license bears a
protective order designation, a copy of the applicable court order
under which the license holder is protected.
SECTION 92. Sections 501.0165(a), (c), and (d), Government
Code, are amended to read as follows:
(a) Before discharging an inmate or releasing an inmate on
parole, mandatory supervision, or conditional pardon, the
department shall:
(1) determine whether the inmate has:
(A) a valid license issued under Chapter 521 or
522, Transportation Code; or
(B) a valid personal identification certificate
issued under Chapter 521, Transportation Code; and
(2) if the inmate does not have a valid license or
certificate described by Subdivision (1), submit to the Texas
Department of Motor Vehicles [Public Safety] on behalf of the
inmate a request for the issuance of a personal identification
certificate under Chapter 521, Transportation Code.
(c) The department, the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles
[Public Safety], and the bureau of vital statistics of the
Department of State Health Services shall by rule adopt a
memorandum of understanding that establishes their respective
responsibilities with respect to the issuance of a personal
identification certificate to an inmate, including
responsibilities related to verification of the inmate's identity.
The memorandum of understanding must require the Department of
State Health Services to electronically verify the birth record of
an inmate whose name and any other personal information is provided
by the department and to electronically report the recorded filing
information to the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles [Public
Safety] to validate the identity of an inmate under this section.
(d) The department shall reimburse the Texas Department of
Motor Vehicles [Public Safety] or the Department of State Health
Services for the actual costs incurred by those agencies in
performing responsibilities established under this section. The
department may charge an inmate for the actual costs incurred under
this section or the fees required by Section 521.421,
Transportation Code.
SECTION 93. Section 509.004(a), Government Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(a) The division shall require each department to:
(1) keep financial and statistical records determined
necessary by the division;
(2) submit a strategic plan and all supporting
information requested by the division;
(3) present data requested by the division as
necessary to determine the amount of state aid for which the
department is eligible;
(4) submit periodic financial audits and statistical
reports to the division; and
(5) submit to the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles
[Public Safety] the full name, address, date of birth, social
security number, and driver's license number of each person
restricted to the operation of a motor vehicle equipped with a
device that uses a deep-lung breath analysis mechanism to make
impractical the operation of the motor vehicle if ethyl alcohol is
detected in the breath of the restricted operator.
SECTION 94. Section 526.0356(a), Government Code, as
effective April 1, 2025, is amended to read as follows:
(a) The executive commissioner shall adopt rules to ensure
the safe and efficient provision of nonemergency transportation
services under this subchapter. The rules must:
(1) include minimum standards regarding the physical
condition and maintenance of motor vehicles used to provide the
services, including standards regarding the accessibility of motor
vehicles by individuals with disabilities;
(2) require a regional contracted broker to:
(A) verify that each motor vehicle operator
providing the services or seeking to provide the services has a
valid driver's license;
(B) check the driving record information
maintained by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles [Public
Safety] under Subchapter C, Chapter 521, Transportation Code, of
each motor vehicle operator providing the services or seeking to
provide the services; and
(C) check the public criminal record information
maintained by the Department of Public Safety and made available to
the public through the department's Internet website of each motor
vehicle operator providing the services or seeking to provide the
services; and
(3) include training requirements for motor vehicle
operators providing the services through a regional contracted
broker, including training on:
(A) passenger safety;
(B) passenger assistance;
(C) assistive devices, including wheelchair
lifts, tie-down equipment, and child safety seats;
(D) sensitivity and diversity;
(E) customer service;
(F) defensive driving techniques; and
(G) prohibited behavior by motor vehicle
operators.
SECTION 95. Section 526.0357(a), Government Code, as
effective April 1, 2025, is amended to read as follows:
(a) The commission shall enter into a memorandum of
understanding with the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles [and the
Department of Public Safety] for purposes of obtaining the motor
vehicle registration and driver's license information of a medical
transportation services provider, including a regional contracted
broker and a subcontractor of the broker, to confirm the provider
complies with applicable requirements adopted under Section
526.0356(a).
SECTION 96. Section 540A.0152(d), Government Code, as
effective April 1, 2025, is amended to read as follows:
(d) The rules may not permit a motor vehicle operator to
provide nonmedical transportation services if the operator:
(1) has been convicted in the three-year period
preceding the issue date of the driving record obtained under
Subsection (c)(4) of:
(A) more than three offenses the Texas Department
of Motor Vehicles [Public Safety] classifies as moving violations;
or
(B) one or more of the following offenses:
(i) fleeing or attempting to elude a police
officer under Section 545.421, Transportation Code;
(ii) reckless driving under Section
545.401, Transportation Code;
(iii) driving without a valid driver's
license under Section 521.025, Transportation Code; or
(iv) driving with an invalid driver's
license under Section 521.457, Transportation Code;
(2) has been convicted in the preceding seven-year
period of any of the following:
(A) driving while intoxicated under Section
49.04 or 49.045, Penal Code;
(B) use of a motor vehicle to commit a felony;
(C) a felony crime involving property damage;
(D) fraud;
(E) theft;
(F) an act of violence; or
(G) an act of terrorism; or
(3) is found to be registered in the national sex
offender public website the United States Department of Justice or
a successor agency maintains.
SECTION 97. Section 546.0209, Government Code, as effective
April 1, 2025, is amended to read as follows:
Sec. 546.0209. REQUIREMENTS OF PARENT OR GUARDIAN ON
CHILD'S ADMISSION TO CERTAIN INSTITUTIONS. On the admission of a
child to an institution described by Section 546.0201(4)(A), (B),
or (D), the commission shall require the child's parent or guardian
to submit:
(1) an admission form that includes:
(A) the parent's or guardian's:
(i) name, address, and telephone number;
(ii) driver's license number and state of
issuance or personal identification card number the Texas
Department of Motor Vehicles [Public Safety] issued; and
(iii) place of employment and the
employer's address and telephone number; and
(B) the name, address, and telephone number of a
relative of the child or other individual whom the commission or
institution may contact in an emergency, a statement indicating the
relation between that individual and the child, and at the parent's
or guardian's option:
(i) that individual's driver's license
number and state of issuance or personal identification card number
the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles [Public Safety] issued; and
(ii) the name, address, and telephone
number of that individual's employer; and
(2) a signed acknowledgment of responsibility stating
that the parent or guardian agrees to:
(A) notify the institution in which the child is
placed of any changes to the information submitted under
Subdivision (1)(A); and
(B) make reasonable efforts to participate in the
child's life and in planning activities for the child.
SECTION 98. Section 555.003, Government Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 555.003. EXCEPTION. This chapter does not apply to
files that relate to drivers of motor vehicles and that are
maintained by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles [Public
Safety] under Subchapter C, Chapter 521, Transportation Code.
SECTION 99. Section 12.013(b), Health and Safety Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(b) Based on the studies and investigations, the department
periodically shall recommend to the Department of Public Safety and
the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles appropriate policies,
standards, and procedures relating to those medical aspects.
SECTION 100. Section 12.092(b), Health and Safety Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(b) The medical advisory board shall assist:
(1) the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles [Public
Safety of the State of Texas] in determining whether[:
[(1)] an applicant for a driver's license or a license
holder is capable of safely operating a motor vehicle; and [or]
(2) the Department of Public Safety in determining
whether an applicant for or holder of a license to carry a handgun
under the authority of Subchapter H, Chapter 411, Government Code,
or an applicant for or holder of a commission as a security officer
under Chapter 1702, Occupations Code, is capable of exercising
sound judgment with respect to the proper use and storage of a
handgun.
SECTION 101. Sections 12.095(a) and (c), Health and Safety
Code, are amended to read as follows:
(a) If the Department of Public Safety of the State of Texas
or Texas Department of Motor Vehicles requests an opinion or
recommendation from the medical advisory board as to the ability of
an applicant or license holder to operate a motor vehicle safely or
to exercise sound judgment with respect to the proper use and
storage of a handgun, the commissioner or a person designated by the
commissioner shall convene a panel to consider the case or question
submitted by that department.
(c) Each panel member shall prepare an individual
independent written report for the Department of Public Safety of
the State of Texas or Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, as
appropriate, that states the member's opinion as to the ability of
the applicant or license holder to operate a motor vehicle safely or
to exercise sound judgment with respect to the proper use and
storage of a handgun, as appropriate. In the report the panel
member may also make recommendations relating to that department's
subsequent action.
SECTION 102. Section 12.096(a), Health and Safety Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(a) A physician licensed to practice medicine in this state
may inform the Department of Public Safety of the State of Texas,
the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, or the medical advisory
board, orally or in writing, of the name, date of birth, and address
of a patient older than 15 years of age whom the physician has
diagnosed as having a disorder or disability specified in a rule of
the Department of Public Safety of the State of Texas or Texas
Department of Motor Vehicles.
SECTION 103. Section 12.097, Health and Safety Code, is
amended to read as follows:
Sec. 12.097. CONFIDENTIALITY REQUIREMENTS. (a) All
records, reports, and testimony relating to the medical condition
of an applicant or license holder:
(1) are for the confidential use of the medical
advisory board, a panel, the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, or
the Department of Public Safety of the State of Texas;
(2) are privileged information; and
(3) may not be disclosed to any person or used as
evidence in a trial except as provided by Subsection (b).
(b) In a subsequent proceeding under Subchapter H, Chapter
411, Government Code, or Subchapter N, Chapter 521, Transportation
Code, the department may provide a copy of the report of the medical
advisory board or panel and a medical record or report relating to
an applicant or license holder to:
(1) the Department of Public Safety of the State of
Texas or Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, as appropriate;
(2) the applicant or license holder; and
(3) the officer who presides at the hearing.
SECTION 104. Sections 53.001(d) and (e), Health and Safety
Code, are amended to read as follows:
(d) The department, the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles,
and the Department of Public Safety shall post the information
described by Subsection (b) on each agency's respective Internet
websites.
(e) Appropriate health care facilities, blood banks, and
driver's license offices may access the informational materials
described by Subsection (b) on the Internet websites of the
department, the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, and the
Department of Public Safety and print the materials to place in
their facilities, banks, or offices to provide to residents of this
state.
SECTION 105. Sections 54.002(c) and (d), Health and Safety
Code, as added by Chapter 88 (S.B. 1249), Acts of the 88th
Legislature, Regular Session, 2023, are amended to read as follows:
(c) The department and the Texas Department of Motor
Vehicles [Public Safety] shall post the information described by
Subsection (a) on each of the agency's Internet websites.
(d) Appropriate health care facilities, transplant centers,
organ procurement organizations, tissue banks, eye banks, and
driver's license offices may access the informational materials
described by Subsection (a) on the Internet websites of the
department and the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles [Public
Safety] and print the materials to place in their facilities or
offices to provide to residents of this state.
SECTION 106. Section 81.011, Health and Safety Code, is
amended to read as follows:
Sec. 81.011. REQUEST FOR INFORMATION. In times of
emergency or epidemic declared by the commissioner, the department
is authorized to request information pertaining to names, dates of
birth, and most recent addresses of individuals from the driver's
license records of the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles [Public
Safety] for the purpose of notification to individuals of the need
to receive certain immunizations or diagnostic, evaluation, or
treatment services for suspected communicable diseases.
SECTION 107. Section 191.010, Health and Safety Code, is
amended to read as follows:
Sec. 191.010. DEATH INFORMATION FOR TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF
MOTOR VEHICLES [PUBLIC SAFETY]. (a) The department shall
implement an efficient and effective method to verify death
information to assist the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles
[Public Safety] with maintaining records of holders of driver's
licenses and personal identification certificates in this state.
(b) The department shall enter into a memorandum of
understanding with the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles [Public
Safety] to implement this section. The memorandum of understanding
must include a mechanism for the department to provide to the Texas
Department of Motor Vehicles [Public Safety] death information that
includes unique identifiers, including social security numbers,
necessary to accurately match death records with driver's license
and personal identification certificate records.
SECTION 108. Section 481.077(d), Health and Safety Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(d) Before selling, transferring, or otherwise furnishing
to a person in this state a chemical precursor subject to Subsection
(a), a manufacturer, wholesaler, retailer, or other person shall:
(1) if the recipient does not represent a business,
obtain from the recipient:
(A) the recipient's driver's license number or
other personal identification certificate number, date of birth,
and residential or mailing address, other than a post office box
number, from a driver's license or personal identification
certificate issued by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles
[department] that contains a photograph of the recipient;
(B) the year, state, and number of the motor
vehicle license of the motor vehicle owned or operated by the
recipient;
(C) a complete description of how the chemical
precursor is to be used; and
(D) the recipient's signature; or
(2) if the recipient represents a business, obtain
from the recipient:
(A) a letter of authorization from the business
that includes the business license or comptroller tax
identification number, address, area code, and telephone number and
a complete description of how the chemical precursor is to be used;
and
(B) the recipient's signature; and
(3) for any recipient, sign as a witness to the
signature and identification of the recipient.
SECTION 109. Section 481.080(e), Health and Safety Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(e) Before selling, transferring, or otherwise furnishing
to a person in this state a chemical laboratory apparatus subject to
Subsection (a), a manufacturer, wholesaler, retailer, or other
person shall:
(1) if the recipient does not represent a business,
obtain from the recipient:
(A) the recipient's driver's license number or
other personal identification certificate number, date of birth,
and residential or mailing address, other than a post office box
number, from a driver's license or personal identification
certificate issued by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles
[department] that contains a photograph of the recipient;
(B) the year, state, and number of the motor
vehicle license of the motor vehicle owned or operated by the
recipient;
(C) a complete description of how the apparatus
is to be used; and
(D) the recipient's signature; or
(2) if the recipient represents a business, obtain
from the recipient:
(A) a letter of authorization from the business
that includes the business license or comptroller tax
identification number, address, area code, and telephone number and
a complete description of how the apparatus is to be used; and
(B) the recipient's signature; and
(3) for any recipient, sign as a witness to the
signature and identification of the recipient.
SECTION 110. Section 485.032(c), Health and Safety Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(c) It is an affirmative defense to prosecution under this
section that:
(1) the person making the delivery is an adult having
supervisory responsibility over the person younger than 18 years of
age and:
(A) the adult permits the use of the abusable
volatile chemical only under the adult's direct supervision and in
the adult's presence and only for its intended purpose; and
(B) the adult removes the chemical from the
person younger than 18 years of age on completion of that use; or
(2) the person to whom the abusable volatile chemical
was delivered presented to the defendant an apparently valid Texas
driver's license or an identification certificate, issued by the
Texas Department of Motor Vehicles [Public Safety of the State of
Texas] and containing a physical description consistent with the
person's appearance, that purported to establish that the person
was 18 years of age or older.
SECTION 111. Sections 692A.002(11) and (15), Health and
Safety Code, are amended to read as follows:
(11) "Driver's license" means a license or permit
issued by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles [Public Safety] to
operate a vehicle, whether or not conditions are attached to the
license or permit.
(15) "Identification card" means an identification
card issued by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles [Public
Safety].
SECTION 112. Sections 692A.014(a) and (b), Health and
Safety Code, are amended to read as follows:
(a) When a hospital refers an individual at or near death to
a procurement organization, the organization shall make a
reasonable search of the records of the Texas Department of Motor
Vehicles [Public Safety] and any donor registry that it knows
exists for the geographical area in which the individual resides to
ascertain whether the individual has made an anatomical gift.
(b) A procurement organization must be allowed reasonable
access to information in the records of the Texas Department of
Motor Vehicles [Public Safety] to ascertain whether an individual
at or near death is a donor.
SECTION 113. Sections 692A.020(a), (d), (e), (f), (g), (h),
(i), and (m), Health and Safety Code, are amended to read as
follows:
(a) A nonprofit organization designated by the Texas
Department of Motor Vehicles [Public Safety] shall maintain and
administer a statewide donor registry, to be known as the Glenda
Dawson Donate Life-Texas Registry.
(d) The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles [Public Safety]
at least monthly shall electronically transfer to the nonprofit
organization administering the registry the name, date of birth,
driver's license number, most recent address, and any other
relevant information in the possession of the Texas Department of
Motor Vehicles [Public Safety] for any person who indicates on the
person's driver's license application under Section 521.401,
Transportation Code, that the person would like to make an
anatomical gift.
(e) The nonprofit organization administering the registry
shall:
(1) make information obtained from the Texas
Department of Motor Vehicles [Public Safety] under Subsection (d)
available to procurement organizations;
(2) allow potential donors to submit information in
writing directly to the organization for inclusion in the
Internet-based registry;
(3) maintain the Internet-based registry in a manner
that allows procurement organizations to immediately access organ,
tissue, and eye donation information 24 hours a day, seven days a
week through electronic and telephonic methods; and
(4) protect the confidentiality and privacy of the
individuals providing information to the Internet-based registry,
regardless of the manner in which the information is provided.
(f) Except as otherwise provided by Subsection (e)(3) or
this subsection, the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles [Public
Safety], the nonprofit organization administering the registry, or
a procurement organization may not sell, rent, or otherwise share
any information provided to the Internet-based registry. A
procurement organization may share any information provided to the
registry with an organ procurement organization or a health care
provider or facility providing medical care to a potential donor as
necessary to properly identify an individual at the time of
donation.
(g) The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles [Public Safety],
the nonprofit organization administering the registry, or the
procurement organizations may not use any demographic or specific
data provided to the Internet-based registry for any fund-raising
activities. Data may only be transmitted from the selected
organization to procurement organizations through electronic and
telephonic methods using secure, encrypted technology to preserve
the integrity of the data and the privacy of the individuals
providing information.
(h) In each office authorized to issue driver's licenses or
personal identification certificates, the Texas Department of
Motor Vehicles [Public Safety] shall make available educational
materials developed by the nonprofit organization administering
the registry.
(i) The Glenda Dawson Donate Life-Texas Registry fund is
created as a trust fund outside the state treasury to be held by the
comptroller and administered by the Texas Department of Motor
Vehicles [Public Safety] as trustee on behalf of the statewide
donor registry maintained for the benefit of the citizens of this
state. The fund is composed of money deposited to the credit of the
fund under Sections 502.405(b), 521.008, and 522.0295,
Transportation Code, as provided by those sections. Money in the
fund shall be disbursed at least monthly, without appropriation, to
the nonprofit organization administering the registry to pay the
costs of:
(1) maintaining, operating, and updating the
Internet-based registry and establishing procedures for an
individual to be added to the registry;
(2) designing and distributing educational materials
for prospective donors as required under this section; and
(3) providing education under this chapter.
(m) The nonprofit organization administering the registry
may:
(1) implement a training program for all appropriate
Texas Department of Motor Vehicles [Public Safety] and Texas
Department of Transportation employees on the benefits of organ,
tissue, and eye donation and the procedures for individuals to be
added to the Internet-based registry; and
(2) conduct the training described by Subdivision (1)
on an ongoing basis for new employees.
SECTION 114. Section 841.0822, Health and Safety Code, is
amended to read as follows:
Sec. 841.0822. REQUIRED PROCEDURES BEFORE RELEASE FROM
SECURE CORRECTIONAL FACILITY. Before a committed person is
released from a secure correctional facility, the Texas Department
of Criminal Justice shall ensure that:
(1) the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles [Public
Safety] issues a personal identification card to the person; and
(2) the person completes an application for the
following federal benefits, as appropriate, for which the person
may be eligible:
(A) social security benefits, including
disability benefits, administered by the United States Social
Security Administration; and
(B) veterans benefits administered by the United
States Department of Veterans Affairs.
SECTION 115. Sections 841.153(a), (c), and (d), Health and
Safety Code, are amended to read as follows:
(a) On the release of a committed person from a correctional
facility, secure correctional facility, or secure detention
facility, as those terms are defined by Section 841.151, the office
shall:
(1) determine whether the person has:
(A) a valid license issued under Chapter 521 or
522, Transportation Code; or
(B) a valid personal identification certificate
issued under Chapter 521, Transportation Code; and
(2) if the person does not have a valid license or
certificate described by Subdivision (1), submit to the Texas
Department of Motor Vehicles [Public Safety] on behalf of the
person a request for the issuance of a personal identification
certificate under Chapter 521, Transportation Code.
(c) The office, the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles
[Public Safety], and the vital statistics unit of the Department of
State Health Services by rule shall adopt a memorandum of
understanding that establishes their respective responsibilities
with respect to the issuance of a personal identification
certificate to a committed person, including responsibilities
related to verification of the person's identity. The memorandum
of understanding must require the Department of State Health
Services to electronically verify the birth record of a committed
person whose name and any other personal information is provided by
the office and to electronically report the recorded filing
information to the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles [Public
Safety] to validate the identity of a committed person under this
section.
(d) The office shall reimburse the Texas Department of Motor
Vehicles [Public Safety] or the Department of State Health
Services, as applicable, for the actual costs incurred by those
agencies in performing responsibilities established under this
section. The office may charge a committed person for the actual
costs incurred under this section or for the fees required by
Section 521.421, Transportation Code.
SECTION 116. Section 23.002, Human Resources Code, is
amended to read as follows:
Sec. 23.002. LICENSING AUTHORITIES SUBJECT TO CHAPTER. In
this chapter, "licensing authority" means:
(1) the Parks and Wildlife Department; and
(2) the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles [Public
Safety of the State of Texas].
SECTION 117. Sections 245.0536(a), (c), and (d), Human
Resources Code, are amended to read as follows:
(a) Before releasing a child under supervision or finally
discharging a child, the department shall:
(1) determine whether the child has:
(A) a valid license issued under Chapter 521,
Transportation Code; or
(B) a valid personal identification certificate
issued under Chapter 521, Transportation Code; and
(2) if the child does not have a valid license or
certificate described by Subdivision (1), submit to the Texas
Department of Motor Vehicles [Public Safety] on behalf of the child
a request for the issuance of a personal identification certificate
under Chapter 521, Transportation Code.
(c) The department, the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles
[Public Safety], and the vital statistics unit of the Department of
State Health Services shall adopt a memorandum of understanding
that establishes their respective responsibilities with respect to
the issuance of a personal identification certificate to a child,
including responsibilities related to verification of the child's
identity. The memorandum of understanding must require the
Department of State Health Services to electronically verify the
birth record of a child whose name and any other personal
information is provided by the department and to electronically
report the recorded filing information to the Department of Public
Safety to validate the identity of a child under this section.
(d) The department shall reimburse the Texas Department of
Motor Vehicles [Public Safety] or the Department of State Health
Services for the actual costs incurred by those agencies in
performing responsibilities established under this section. The
department may charge the child's parent or guardian for the actual
costs incurred under this section or the fees required by Section
521.421, Transportation Code.
SECTION 118. Section 133.124, Local Government Code, is
amended to read as follows:
Sec. 133.124. ALLOCATION OF FEES TO TRANSPORTATION
ADMINISTRATIVE FEE ACCOUNT. The transportation administrative fee
account is an account in the general revenue fund. The account
consists of money allocated to the account under Section
133.102(e). Money in the account may be appropriated only to the
Texas Department of Motor Vehicles [Public Safety] to defray the
administrative costs associated with implementing Chapter 706,
Transportation Code.
SECTION 119. Section 1701.451(a), Occupations Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(a) Before a law enforcement agency may hire a person
licensed under this chapter, the agency must, on a form and in the
manner prescribed by the commission:
(1) obtain the person's written consent for the agency
to review the information required to be reviewed under this
section;
(2) request from the commission and any other
applicable person information required to be reviewed under this
section; and
(3) submit to the commission confirmation that the
agency, to the best of the agency's ability before hiring the
person:
(A) contacted each entity or individual
necessary to obtain the information required to be reviewed under
this section; and
(B) except as provided by Subsection (b),
obtained and reviewed as related to the person, as applicable:
(i) personnel files, as described by
Section 1701.4535, and other employee records from each previous
law enforcement agency employer, including the employment
application submitted to the previous employer;
(ii) employment termination reports and
misconduct investigation reports maintained by the commission
under this subchapter;
(iii) service records maintained by the
commission;
(iv) proof that the person meets the
minimum qualifications for enrollment in a training program under
Section 1701.251(a);
(v) a military veteran's United States
Department of Defense Form DD-214 or other military discharge
record;
(vi) criminal history record information;
(vii) information on pending warrants as
available through the Texas Crime Information Center and National
Crime Information Center;
(viii) evidence of financial
responsibility as required by Section 601.051, Transportation
Code;
(ix) a driving record from the Texas
Department of Motor Vehicles [Public Safety];
(x) proof of United States citizenship or,
if the person is an honorably discharged veteran of the armed forces
of the United States with at least two years of service before
discharge, proof of legal permanent residence and proof that the
person has applied for United States citizenship;
(xi) information on the person's background
from at least three personal references and at least two
professional references; and
(xii) information on the person's law
enforcement background as available through a database designated
by the commission under Section 1701.169 and, if applicable, a file
or record obtained by the commission under Section 1701.3035.
SECTION 120. Section 1805.051(d), Occupations Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(d) The list required by Subsection (c) must contain:
(1) the proposed seller's driver's license number or
Texas Department of Motor Vehicles [Public Safety] identification
card number, as recorded by the dealer on physical presentation of
the license or identification card by the seller;
(2) a complete and accurate description of each
business machine, including its serial number or other identifying
marks or symbols;
(3) the proposed seller's certification that the
information is true and complete; and
(4) if the business machine is delivered to the
secondhand dealer for sale or exchange at an auction, the make,
year, model, color, and registration number of the vehicle in which
the business machine is transported to the auction.
SECTION 121. Section 1805.052(b), Occupations Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(b) Except as provided by Section 1805.053, a report
required by this chapter must contain:
(1) the name and address of the seller of the business
machine;
(2) a complete and accurate description of the
business machine for which the report is made, including the serial
number or other identifying marks or symbols;
(3) the seller's certification that the information is
true and complete; and
(4) the seller's driver's license number or Texas
Department of Motor Vehicles [Public Safety] identification card
number, as recorded by the dealer on physical presentation of the
license or identification card by the seller.
SECTION 122. Section 1956.001(8), Occupations Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(8) "Personal identification document" means:
(A) a valid driver's license issued by a state in
the United States;
(B) a United States military identification
card; or
(C) a personal identification certificate issued
by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles [department] under
Section 521.101, Transportation Code, or a corresponding card or
certificate issued by another state.
SECTION 123. Section 1956.062(c), Occupations Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(c) The dealer shall record the proposed seller's driver's
license number or [department] personal identification certificate
number on physical presentation of the license or personal
identification certificate by the seller. The record must
accompany the list.
SECTION 124. Section 2033.017(f), Occupations Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(f) It is an affirmative defense to prosecution of an
offense under Subsection (a) that the minor falsely represented the
minor's age by displaying to the person an apparently valid Texas
driver's license or identification card issued by the Texas
Department of Motor Vehicles [Public Safety] that contains a
physical description consistent with the minor's appearance.
SECTION 125. Section 2402.107(b), Occupations Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(b) A transportation network company may not permit an
individual to log in as a driver on the company's digital network if
the individual:
(1) has been convicted in the three-year period
preceding the issue date of the driving record obtained under
Subsection (a)(3) of:
(A) more than three offenses classified by the
Texas Department of Motor Vehicles [Public Safety] as moving
violations; or
(B) one or more of the following offenses:
(i) fleeing or attempting to elude a police
officer under Section 545.421, Transportation Code;
(ii) reckless driving under Section
545.401, Transportation Code;
(iii) driving without a valid driver's
license under Section 521.025, Transportation Code; or
(iv) driving with an invalid driver's
license under Section 521.457, Transportation Code;
(2) has been convicted in the preceding seven-year
period of any of the following:
(A) driving while intoxicated under Section
49.04 or 49.045, Penal Code;
(B) use of a motor vehicle to commit a felony;
(C) a felony crime involving property damage;
(D) fraud;
(E) theft;
(F) an act of violence; or
(G) an act of terrorism; or
(3) is found to be registered in the national sex
offender public website maintained by the United States Department
of Justice or a successor agency.
SECTION 126. Sections 11.43(f) and (m), Tax Code, are
amended to read as follows:
(f) The comptroller, in prescribing the contents of the
application form for each kind of exemption, shall ensure that the
form requires an applicant to furnish the information necessary to
determine the validity of the exemption claim. The form must
require an applicant to provide the applicant's name and driver's
license number, personal identification certificate number, or
social security account number. If the applicant is a charitable
organization with a federal tax identification number, the form
must allow the applicant to provide the organization's federal tax
identification number in lieu of a driver's license number,
personal identification certificate number, or social security
account number. The comptroller shall include on the forms a notice
of the penalties prescribed by Section 37.10, Penal Code, for
making or filing an application containing a false statement. The
comptroller shall include, on application forms for exemptions that
do not have to be claimed annually, a statement explaining that the
application need not be made annually and that if the exemption is
allowed, the applicant has a duty to notify the chief appraiser when
the applicant's entitlement to the exemption ends. In this
subsection:
(1) "Driver's license" has the meaning assigned that
term by Section 521.001, Transportation Code.
(2) "Personal identification certificate" means a
certificate issued by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles
[Public Safety] under Subchapter E, Chapter 521, Transportation
Code.
(m) Notwithstanding Subsections (a) and (k), if a person who
receives an exemption under Section 11.13, other than an exemption
under Section 11.13(c) or (d) for an individual 65 years of age or
older, in a tax year becomes 65 years of age in the next tax year,
the person is entitled to receive and the chief appraiser shall
allow an exemption under Section 11.13(c) or (d) for an individual
65 years of age or older in that next tax year on the same property
without requiring the person to apply for or otherwise request the
exemption if the person's age is shown by:
(1) information in the records of the appraisal
district that was provided to the appraisal district by the
individual in an application for an exemption under Section 11.13
on the property or in correspondence relating to the property; or
(2) the information provided by the Texas Department
of Motor Vehicles [Public Safety] to the appraisal district under
Section 521.049, Transportation Code.
SECTION 127. Section 411.0085, Government Code, is
repealed.
SECTION 128. (a) Effective January 1, 2027, the powers and
duties of the Department of Public Safety with regard to driver's
licenses, personal identification certificates, and other
miscellaneous programs, powers, and duties are transferred to the
Texas Department of Motor Vehicles in accordance with this Act.
(b) Effective January 1, 2027, all rules of the Department
of Public Safety relating to driver's licenses, personal
identification certificates, and other miscellaneous programs,
powers, and duties are continued in effect as rules of the Texas
Department of Motor Vehicles until superseded by a rule of the Texas
Department of Motor Vehicles. A license or certification issued by
the Department of Public Safety relating to driver's licenses,
personal identification certificates, and other miscellaneous
programs, powers, and duties is continued in effect as provided by
the law in effect immediately before the effective date of this Act.
A complaint, investigation, contested case, or other proceeding
relating to driver's licenses, personal identification
certificates, and other miscellaneous programs, powers, and duties
that is pending on the effective date of this Act is continued
without change in status after the effective date of this Act. An
activity conducted by the Department of Public Safety relating to
driver's licenses, personal identification certificates, and other
miscellaneous programs, powers, and duties is considered to be an
activity conducted by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles.
(c) On September 1, 2025, or as soon as possible after that
date, the public safety director of the Department of Public Safety
shall adopt a comprehensive plan to ensure the smooth transition of
all programs operated by the Department of Public Safety relating
to driver's licenses, personal identification certificates, and
other miscellaneous programs, powers, and duties before January 1,
2027, from the Department of Public Safety to the Texas Department
of Motor Vehicles.
SECTION 129. Effective January 1, 2027:
(1) all money, contracts, leases, rights, property,
records, and bonds and other obligations of the Department of
Public Safety relating to driver's licenses, personal
identification certificates, and other miscellaneous programs,
powers, and duties are transferred to the Texas Department of Motor
Vehicles; and
(2) an employee of the Department of Public Safety
driver license division and any employee of the Department of
Public Safety who primarily performs duties related to a power or
duty transferred under this Act become employees of the Texas
Department of Motor Vehicles.
SECTION 130. (a) The unobligated and unexpended balance of
any appropriations made to the Department of Public Safety in
connection with or relating to driver's licenses, personal
identification certificates, or other programs, powers, or duties
transferred under this Act, for the state fiscal biennium ending
August 31, 2027, is transferred to the Texas Department of Motor
Vehicles for the purpose of implementing the powers, duties,
obligations, and rights of action transferred to that department
under this Act.
(b) The Department of Public Safety shall continue, as
necessary, to perform the duties and functions being transferred to
the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles until the transfer of agency
duties and functions is complete.
SECTION 131. (a) The governing bodies of the Texas
Department of Motor Vehicles and the Department of Public Safety
shall enter into or revise a joint memorandum of understanding to
coordinate the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles' and the
Department of Public Safety's information systems to allow for the
sharing of information so that each department may effectively and
efficiently perform the functions and duties assigned to it.
Neither the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles nor the Department
of Public Safety may impose or collect a fee or charge in connection
with the sharing of information under the joint memorandum of
understanding entered into or revised under this section.
(b) The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles and the
Department of Public Safety shall implement the joint memorandum of
understanding using existing personnel and resources.
(c) Otherwise confidential information shared under the
memorandum of understanding remains subject to the same
confidentiality requirements and legal restrictions on access to
the information that are imposed by law on the department that
originally obtained or collected the information.
(d) Information may be shared under the memorandum of
understanding without the consent of the person who is the subject
of the information.
(e) The memorandum of understanding required by Subsection
(a) of this section must be entered into or revised at the first
official meeting of the board of the Texas Department of Motor
Vehicles occurring after the effective date of this Act.
SECTION 132. (a) In addition to the memorandum of
understanding required by this Act, the governing bodies of the
Texas Department of Motor Vehicles and the Department of Public
Safety may enter into or revise one or more other joint memoranda of
understanding necessary to effect the transfer of the powers and
duties of the Department of Public Safety to the Texas Department of
Motor Vehicles under this Act. A memorandum of understanding may
include an agreement for the provision of office space, utilities,
and other facility services; the need for full-time equivalent
positions of the Department of Public Safety to provide support
services in addition to the positions transferred to the Texas
Department of Motor Vehicles under this Act; other support
services; and the transfer of information technology as necessary
or appropriate to effect the transfer of the powers and duties of
the Department of Public Safety to the Texas Department of Motor
Vehicles.
(b) Subsections (b), (c), and (d) of Section 131 of this Act
apply to a memorandum of understanding entered into or revised
under Subsection (a) of this section.
SECTION 133. It is the intent of the 89th Legislature,
Regular Session, 2025, that the amendments made by this Act to
Section 54.002, Health and Safety Code, as added by Chapter 88 (S.B.
1249), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023, be
harmonized with another Act of the 89th Legislature, Regular
Session, 2025, relating to nonsubstantive additions to and
corrections in enacted codes.
SECTION 134. This Act takes effect immediately if it
receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each
house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.
If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate
effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2025.