HBA- MPA H.B. 570 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 570 By: Hupp Transportation 4/17/1999 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, a person's driver's license number is displayed on a handicapped parking placard in a manner that makes it readable from outside the vehicle. The original purpose of this law was to reduce the fraudulent use of handicapped parking placards. However, the potential for unlawful misuse of the publicly displayed driver's license number and the loss of privacy potentially outweigh any law enforcement benefit. H.B. 570 requires the driver's license number to be displayed in such a way that it is not visible from outside the vehicle. 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 681.0031(b), Transportation Code, to authorize the Texas Department personal identification number of an applicant for a disabled parking placard be recorded on the placard, and if it is recorded, that it be done in such a manner that the number cannot be read from outside the vehicle when the placard is properly displayed. SECTION 2. Makes application of this Act prospective. SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 1999. SECTION 4. Emergency clause.