Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

   
      88(R) HB 842 - Enrolled version - Bill Text
      
            H.B.  No.  842
         
               AN ACT
            
            relating to prohibiting the suspension of a person's driver's 
         
            license or extension of the period of a driver's license suspension 
         
            for certain driving while license invalid convictions; authorizing 
         
            a fee.
         
                          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         
                          SECTION  1.    Section 521.292(a), Transportation Code, is 
         
            amended to read as follows:
         
                          (a)    Except as provided by Section 521.457(h), the [The] 
         
            department shall suspend the person's license if the department 
         
            determines that the person:
         
                                      (1)    has operated a motor vehicle on a highway while the 
         
            person's license was suspended, canceled, disqualified, or 
         
            revoked, or without a license after an application for a license was 
         
            denied;
         
                                      (2)    is a habitually reckless or negligent operator of 
         
            a motor vehicle;
         
                                      (3)    is a habitual violator of the traffic laws;
         
                                      (4)    has permitted the unlawful or fraudulent use of 
         
            the person's license;
         
                                      (5)    has committed an offense in another state or 
         
            Canadian province that, if committed in this state, would be 
         
            grounds for suspension;
         
                                      (6)    has been convicted of two or more separate 
         
            offenses of a violation of a restriction imposed on the use of the 
         
            license;
         
                                      (7)    has been responsible as a driver for any accident 
         
            resulting in serious personal injury or serious property damage;
         
                                      (8)    is under 18 years of age and has been convicted of 
         
            two or more moving violations committed within a 12-month period; 
         
            or
         
                                      (9)    has committed an offense under Section 545.421.
         
                          SECTION  2.    Section 521.343(c), Transportation Code, is 
         
            amended to read as follows:
         
                          (c)    Except as provided by Section 521.457(h), if [If] the 
         
            license holder is convicted of operating a motor vehicle while the 
         
            license to operate a motor vehicle is cancelled, disqualified, 
         
            suspended, revoked, or denied, the period is extended for the same 
         
            term as the original suspension or disqualification, in addition to 
         
            any penalty assessed under this chapter or Chapter 522.
         
                          SECTION  3.    Section 521.457, Transportation Code, is amended 
         
            by adding Subsections (h), (i), and (j) to read as follows:
         
                          (h)    Except as provided by Subsection (i), the department may 
         
            not suspend a person's driver's license under Section 
         
            521.292(a)(1), or extend the period a person's driver's license is 
         
            suspended under Section 521.343(c), for a conviction of an offense 
         
            under this section if:
         
                                      (1)    the offense was committed before September 1, 
         
            2019;
         
                                      (2)    the person was convicted of the offense after 
         
            August 31, 2023; and
         
                                      (3)    the person pays the department the fee required 
         
            under Section 521.313(a) or any other fee required for the 
         
            reinstatement of the person's driver's license in the manner 
         
            prescribed by the department.
         
                          (i)    Subsection (h) does not apply to:
         
                                      (1)    a commercial driver's license issued under Chapter 
         
            522; or
         
                                      (2)    a person who was transporting hazardous materials 
         
            or operating a commercial motor vehicle at the time of the offense 
         
            under this section.
         
                          (j)    The fee collected under Subsection (h)(3) shall be 
         
            deposited to the credit of the Texas mobility fund.
         
                          SECTION  4.    This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.
         
            ______________________________
            ______________________________
         
                  President of the Senate
            Speaker of the House          
         
                          I certify that H.B. No. 842 was passed by the House on April 
         
            13, 2023, by the following vote:    Yeas 147, 
Statutes affected: 
Introduced: Transportation Code 521.343 (Transportation Code 521)
House Committee Report: Transportation Code 521.292, Transportation Code 521.343, Transportation Code 521.457 (Transportation Code 521)
Engrossed: Transportation Code 521.292, Transportation Code 521.343, Transportation Code 521.457 (Transportation Code 521)
Senate Committee Report: Transportation Code 521.457 (Transportation Code 521)
Enrolled: Transportation Code 521.292, Transportation Code 521.343, Transportation Code 521.457 (Transportation Code 521)




	AN ACT
	relating to prohibiting the suspension of a person's driver's
	license or extension of the period of a driver's license suspension
	for certain driving while license invalid convictions; authorizing
	a fee.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
	SECTION 1. Section 521.292(a), Transportation Code, is
	amended to read as follows:
	(a) Except as provided by Section 521.457(h), the [~~The~~]
	department shall suspend the person's license if the department
	determines that the person:
	(1) has operated a motor vehicle on a highway while the
	person's license was suspended, canceled, disqualified, or
	revoked, or without a license after an application for a license was
	denied;
	(2) is a habitually reckless or negligent operator of
	a motor vehicle;
	(3) is a habitual violator of the traffic laws;
	(4) has permitted the unlawful or fraudulent use of
	the person's license;
	(5) has committed an offense in another state or
	Canadian province that, if committed in this state, would be
	grounds for suspension;
	(6) has been convicted of two or more separate
	offenses of a violation of a restriction imposed on the use of the
	license;
	(7) has been responsible as a driver for any accident
	resulting in serious personal injury or serious property damage;
	(8) is under 18 years of age and has been convicted of
	two or more moving violations committed within a 12-month period;
	or
	(9) has committed an offense under Section 545.421.
	SECTION 2. Section 521.343(c), Transportation Code, is
	amended to read as follows:
	(c) Except as provided by Section 521.457(h), if [If] the
	license holder is convicted of operating a motor vehicle while the
	license to operate a motor vehicle is cancelled, disqualified,
	suspended, revoked, or denied, the period is extended for the same
	term as the original suspension or disqualification, in addition to
	any penalty assessed under this chapter or Chapter 522.
	SECTION 3. Section 521.457, Transportation Code, is amended
	by adding Subsections (h), (i), and (j) to read as follows:
	(h) Except as provided by Subsection (i), the department may
	not suspend a person's driver's license under Section
	521.292(a)(1), or extend the period a person's driver's license is
	suspended under Section 521.343(c), for a conviction of an offense
	under this section if:
	(1) the offense was committed before September 1,
	2019;
	(2) the person was convicted of the offense after
	August 31, 2023; and
	(3) the person pays the department the fee required
	under Section 521.313(a) or any other fee required for the
	reinstatement of the person's driver's license in the manner
	prescribed by the department.
	(i) Subsection (h) does not apply to:
	(1) a commercial driver's license issued under Chapter
	522; or
	(2) a person who was transporting hazardous materials
	or operating a commercial motor vehicle at the time of the offense
	under this section.
	(j) The fee collected under Subsection (h)(3) shall be
	deposited to the credit of the Texas mobility fund.
	SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.


	______________________________	______________________________
	President of the Senate	Speaker of the House


	I certify that H.B. No. 842 was passed by the House on April
	13, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 147, Statutes affected: Introduced: Transportation Code 521.343 (Transportation Code 521) House Committee Report: Transportation Code 521.292, Transportation Code 521.343, Transportation Code 521.457 (Transportation Code 521) Engrossed: Transportation Code 521.292, Transportation Code 521.343, Transportation Code 521.457 (Transportation Code 521) Senate Committee Report: Transportation Code 521.457 (Transportation Code 521) Enrolled: Transportation Code 521.292, Transportation Code 521.343, Transportation Code 521.457 (Transportation Code 521)