HBA-DMD H.B. 1827 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1827
By: Hochberg
Public Safety
3/10/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

On the back of the current Texas driver's license there is a writing
surface that allows a person to respond to the phrases "directive to
physician has been filed at tel. #" (physician's directive) and "allergic
reaction to drugs."  H.B. 1827 requires the Department of Public Safety to
include on the back of a driver's license space on that writing surface to
indicate a person's emergency contact telephone number (emergency contact
statement).  This bill requires the department to include a space to the
right of the physician's directive and emergency contact statement on which
a person may write the appropriate telephone number.  This bill also
requires the department to include a box to the left of the physician's
directive and emergency contact statement which a person may use to
indicate the purpose of the telephone number. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 521.125, Transportation Code, as follows:

Sec. 521.125.  New Title:  MEDICAL AND EMERGENCY INFORMATION ON LICENSE.
Requires the Department of Public Safety (department) to print "emergency
contact tel. #" (emergency contact statement) on the back of a Texas
driver's license, including to the right of the "directive to physician has
been filed at tel. #" (physician's directive) and emergency contact
statement a surface, rather than a line, on which the license holder may
write, rather than indicate, the appropriate emergency contact telephone
number. Requires the department on the reverse side of a driver's license
to include to the left of the physician's directive and emergency contact
statement a box that the license holder may use to indicate the purpose of
the telephone number.  Makes conforming changes. 

SECTION 2.  Authorizes the department, notwithstanding Section 521.125
(Medical Information on License), Transportation Code, to use any materials
that are used for driver's licenses that the department has on the
effective date of this Act regardless of whether the materials comply with
that section. 

SECTION 3.Emergency clause.
  Effective date: upon passage.