Bill Text: TX SB1685 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to specialty license plates or stickers for motor vehicles of persons with intellectual disabilities.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-03-22 - Referred to Transportation [SB1685 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-SB1685-Introduced.html
| 85R12453 AAF-D | ||
| By: Lucio | S.B. No. 1685 | |
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| relating to specialty license plates or stickers for motor vehicles | ||
| of persons with intellectual disabilities. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 502, Transportation Code, | ||
| is amended by adding Section 502.061 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 502.061. REGISTRATION BY OWNER WITH INTELLECTUAL | ||
| DISABILITY. (a) If the department elects to design and issue a | ||
| sticker under Section 504.205(c) indicating that a person operating | ||
| a motor vehicle may be a person with an intellectual disability, the | ||
| department shall adopt rules allowing an applicant for registration | ||
| or renewal of registration to apply for the sticker. | ||
| (b) Rules adopted by the department under this section must | ||
| provide for: | ||
| (1) the expiration of the sticker at the end of the | ||
| registration period specified in the registration application; | ||
| (2) the location on the motor vehicle where the | ||
| sticker must be placed; and | ||
| (3) a fee for issuance of the sticker in an amount to | ||
| cover the department's costs for issuance. | ||
| (c) An application for registration or renewal of | ||
| registration must provide space for the applicant to submit the | ||
| written statement from a physician as required by Section 504.205. | ||
| SECTION 2. Subchapter C, Chapter 504, Transportation Code, | ||
| is amended by adding Section 504.205 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 504.205. PERSONS WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY. (a) In | ||
| this section, "intellectual disability" has the meaning assigned by | ||
| Section 591.003, Health and Safety Code. | ||
| (b) Subject to Subsection (c), the department, in | ||
| consultation with the Department of Public Safety, shall design and | ||
| issue specialty license plates for a motor vehicle that is | ||
| regularly operated by a person with an intellectual disability. A | ||
| license plate issued under this section must include an emblem | ||
| indicating that the person operating the vehicle may be a person | ||
| with an intellectual disability. | ||
| (c) In lieu of designing and issuing specialty license | ||
| plates under Subsection (b), the department, in consultation with | ||
| the Department of Public Safety, may design a sticker for a motor | ||
| vehicle that is regularly operated by a person with an intellectual | ||
| disability and issue the sticker at the time the person registers or | ||
| renews the registration of the person's vehicle as provided by | ||
| Section 502.061. | ||
| (d) The initial application for specialty license plates | ||
| under this section must be accompanied by a written statement from a | ||
| physician who is licensed to practice medicine in this state or in a | ||
| state adjacent to this state. The statement must certify that the | ||
| person making the application has an intellectual disability. | ||
| (e) The fee for issuance of license plates under this | ||
| section may not exceed the administrative costs incurred by the | ||
| department in issuing the license plates. | ||
| SECTION 3. Section 1701.253, Occupations Code, is amended | ||
| by adding Subsection (n) to read as follows: | ||
| (n) As part of the minimum curriculum requirements, the | ||
| commission shall establish a statewide comprehensive education and | ||
| training program on procedures for interacting with drivers with an | ||
| intellectual disability, as defined by Section 591.003, Health and | ||
| Safety Code, including identifying specialty license plates or | ||
| stickers issued to individuals with an intellectual disability | ||
| under Section 504.205 or 502.061, Transportation Code. An officer | ||
| shall complete a program established under this subsection not | ||
| later than the second anniversary of the date the officer is | ||
| licensed under this chapter or the date the officer applies for an | ||
| intermediate proficiency certificate, whichever date is earlier. | ||
| SECTION 4. Not later than March 1, 2018, the Texas | ||
| Commission on Law Enforcement shall establish the training program | ||
| as required by Section 1701.253(n), Occupations Code, as added by | ||
| this Act. | ||
| SECTION 5. This Act takes effect January 1, 2018. | ||
