| Vote Recommendation | Economic Freedom | Property Rights | Personal Responsibility | Limited Government | Individual Liberty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral | Negative | Neutral |
Relating to the issuance of a certified birth record, driver’s
license, or personal identification certificate to a homeless
individual.
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
HB 1196 would require the state registrar, a local registrar, or a county clerk to issue, on request of a homeless individual, without fee, a certified copy of the individual’s birth record or drivers license to the individual.
Texas Action is opposed to HB 1196 on the principle of limited government. Eliminating fees for certain classes of people while leaving them intact for everyone else does not align with the notion of equal application of the law. Subsidizing the cost to produce these documents is better left to private philanthropic endeavors rather than the state at taxpayer expense.