HBA-SEP H.B. 673 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 673
By: Miller
State Affairs
3/1/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Current law does not prohibit the Department of Public Safety (DPS) from
selling to the public, information such as a person's physical and mailing
address, telephone number, electronic or photographic image, or social
security number obtained through a driver's license or personal
identification card.  DPS may sell the information to private companies
that may then resell the information to other entities.  Such personal
information may provide access to private financial information and enable
another person to obtain duplicate credit cards or to assume the person's
identity.  House Bill 673 prohibits DPS from disclosing this information. 

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. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 673 amends the Government Code to prohibit the Department of
Public Safety from disclosing, to a member of the public who has requested
information, a person's physical address, mailing address, telephone
number, electronic or photographic image, or social security number.  The
bill does not prohibit the disclosure of a person's zip code or apply to
requested information regarding a person who is a registered sex offender
at the time the request is made.     

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act
takes effect September 1, 2001.