HBA-NMO H.B. 284 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 284
By: Wise
Public Safety
4/21/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) requires
individuals applying for a driver's license in a few large cities in this
state to take the license examination through the use of an electronic or
mechanical testing method.  These use of these methods may deter some
people from applying to obtain a driver's license.  H.B. 284 requires DPS
to give each applicant for a driver's license the option of taking certain
parts of the license examination through the use of oral responses.  
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 521.161, Transportation Code, by adding
Subsection (f), as follows: 

(f) Requires the Department of Public Safety (department) to give each
applicant for a driver's license the option of taking the traffic law and
highway sign part of the examination through the use of oral responses in
addition to or instead of through a mechanical, electronic, or other
testing method.  Provides that the applicant is considered to have passed
that part of the examination if the applicant  passes any version of the
examination.  Requires the department to inform each person taking the
examination of the person's rights under this subsection.   

SECTION 2.  Effective date: September 1, 1999.

SECTION 3.  Emergency clause.