Bill Caption

Relating to commercial driver's licenses and commercial learner's permits and the operation of commercial motor vehicles; creating a criminal offense; amending provisions subject to a criminal penalty; authorizing fees.

Fiscal Notes

Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for SB1173, Committee Report 1st House, Substituted: an impact of $0 through the biennium ending August 31, 2017.

Bill Analysis

This legislation amends Chapter 522  of the Transportation Code, the Texas Commercial Driver's License Act, to make the conforming changes necessary to maintain federal compliance. This law would be considered for administrative purposes, to establish consistency between state and federal law in order to maintain compliance, which would allow Texas to remain eligible for certain federal transportation funding. 

Beyond this legislation mostly consisting of clerical items, it also amends the Transportation code to:

• Permit an administrative fee of $10 if a case involving a failure to carry a license was dismissed;
• Set the cost for issuing or renewing of a commercial learner's permit at $24 and a skills test to a person who is not domiciled in this state to $60.
• $24 for a commercial learner's permit issued to certain sex offenders
• Repeals fees for renewing a license with a motorcycle authorization. 
  

Vote Recommendation Notes

This legislation would make Texas compliant with several recently changed federal regulations. Failure to do so could put millions of dollars in federal highway funding in jeopardy. It also reduces costs for issuing and reissuing certain commercial licenses, and eliminates unnecessary fees, such as charging more for a license with a motorcycle endorsement, which supports a limited government, by reigning in unnecessary overregulation.