Bill Text: TX SB1330 | 2011-2012 | 82nd Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Relating to driving safety courses for individuals younger than 25 years of age receiving deferred disposition for certain traffic offenses.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Passed) 2011-06-17 - See remarks for effective date [SB1330 Detail]
Download: Texas-2011-SB1330-Enrolled.html
S.B. No. 1330 |
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relating to driving safety courses for individuals younger than 25 | ||
years of age receiving deferred disposition for certain traffic | ||
offenses. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Effective January 1, 2012, Subsection (b-1), | ||
Article 45.051, Code of Criminal Procedure, is amended to read as | ||
follows: | ||
(b-1) If the defendant is younger than 25 years of age and | ||
the offense committed by the defendant is a traffic offense | ||
classified as a moving violation: | ||
(1) Subsection (b)(8) does not apply; | ||
(2) during the deferral period, the judge: | ||
(A) shall require the defendant to complete a | ||
driving safety course approved under Chapter 1001, Education Code; | ||
and | ||
(B) may require the defendant to complete an | ||
additional driving safety course designed for drivers younger than | ||
25 years of age and approved under Section 1001.111, Education | ||
Code; and | ||
(3) if the defendant holds a provisional license, | ||
during the deferral period the judge shall require that the | ||
defendant be examined by the Department of Public Safety as | ||
required by Section 521.161(b)(2), Transportation Code; a | ||
defendant is not exempt from the examination regardless of whether | ||
the defendant was examined previously. | ||
SECTION 2. Subchapter C, Chapter 1001, Education Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 1001.111 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 1001.111. DRIVING SAFETY COURSE FOR DRIVER YOUNGER | ||
THAN 25 YEARS OF AGE. (a) The commissioner by rule shall provide | ||
minimum standards of curriculum for and designate the educational | ||
materials to be used in a driving safety course designed for drivers | ||
younger than 25 years of age. | ||
(b) A driving safety course designed for drivers younger | ||
than 25 years of age must: | ||
(1) be a four-hour live, interactive course focusing | ||
on issues specific to drivers younger than 25 years of age; | ||
(2) include instruction in: | ||
(A) alcohol and drug awareness; | ||
(B) the traffic laws of this state; | ||
(C) the high rate of motor vehicle accidents and | ||
fatalities for drivers younger than 25 years of age; | ||
(D) the issues commonly associated with motor | ||
vehicle accidents involving drivers younger than 25 years of age, | ||
including poor decision-making, risk taking, impaired driving, | ||
distraction, speed, failure to use a safety belt, driving at night, | ||
failure to yield the right-of-way, and using a wireless | ||
communication device while operating a vehicle, and the role of | ||
peer pressure in those issues; | ||
(E) the effect of poor driver decision-making on | ||
the family, friends, school, and community of a driver younger than | ||
25 years of age; and | ||
(F) the importance of taking control of | ||
potentially dangerous driving situations both as a driver and as a | ||
passenger; and | ||
(3) require a written commitment by the student to | ||
family and friends that the student will not engage in dangerous | ||
driving habits. | ||
(c) A course approved for use under this section before | ||
January 1, 2012, must comply with the requirements of Subsection | ||
(b) and be approved for that purpose by the commissioner not later | ||
than January 1, 2012. This subsection expires September 1, 2012. | ||
SECTION 3. (a) The Texas Education Agency shall adopt the | ||
rules required by Section 1001.111, Education Code, as added by | ||
this Act, as soon as practicable after the effective date of this | ||
Act. | ||
(b) The change in law made by this Act to Article 45.051, | ||
Code of Criminal Procedure, applies only to an offense committed on | ||
or after January 1, 2012. An offense committed before January 1, | ||
2012, is governed by the law in effect on the date the offense was | ||
committed, and the former law is continued in effect for that | ||
purpose. For purposes of this subsection, an offense was committed | ||
before that date if any element of the offense occurred before that | ||
date. | ||
SECTION 4. Except as otherwise provided by this Act, this | ||
Act takes effect September 1, 2011. | ||
______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1330 passed the Senate on | ||
May 10, 2011, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Secretary of the Senate | ||
I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1330 passed the House on | ||
May 23, 2011, by the following vote: Yeas 142, Nays 0, one | ||
present not voting. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Chief Clerk of the House | ||
Approved: | ||
______________________________ | ||
Date | ||
______________________________ | ||
Governor |