Bill Text: TX HCR94 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Declaring opposition to the enactment or enforcement of a law requiring the revocation or suspension of the driver's license of any individual convicted of a drug offense.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-04-04 - Referred to Transportation [HCR94 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-HCR94-Introduced.html
| 85R11759 BPG-D | ||
| By: Thompson of Harris | H.C.R. No. 94 | |
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| WHEREAS, Pursuant to 23 U.S.C. Section 159, the United States | ||
| Secretary of Transportation is required to withhold eight percent | ||
| of a state's highway-related funds unless that state enacts and | ||
| enforces a law requiring a six-month suspension or revocation of | ||
| the driver's license of any individual convicted of any violation | ||
| of the Controlled Substances Act or other drug law, or unless the | ||
| governor of the state submits written certifications by the | ||
| governor and the state legislature that both are opposed to the | ||
| enactment and enforcement of such a law; and | ||
| WHEREAS, The burden of automatic license suspensions falls | ||
| heavily on low-income people, making it even more difficult for | ||
| them to lead productive, law-abiding lives independent of public | ||
| assistance; in the Dallas and McAllen metropolitan areas, for | ||
| instance, fewer than 20 percent of jobs are accessible to residents | ||
| of low-income communities by public transit; a recent study found | ||
| that 40 percent of people lost a job upon a driver's license | ||
| suspension, and in the wake of such a suspension, 88 percent | ||
| reported lower income; moreover, such suspensions can make it | ||
| difficult to meet family obligations, reach medical care, and even | ||
| fulfill court requirements; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Automatic license suspensions impose high | ||
| administrative costs, but the American Association of Motor | ||
| Vehicles found that there is no evidence that they deter criminal | ||
| behavior; these suspensions force traffic authorities to expend | ||
| significant resources, including employee time as well as taxpayer | ||
| dollars, thereby diminishing their focus on dangerous | ||
| driving-related behavior on our roads and undermining public | ||
| safety; and | ||
| WHEREAS, The granting or withholding of driving privileges | ||
| has always been the prerogative of the states, rather than the | ||
| federal government, and the State of Texas has found that automatic | ||
| driver's license suspensions under 23 U.S.C. Section 159 waste tax | ||
| dollars while negatively impacting past offenders struggling to | ||
| become more responsible, contributing members of society; now, | ||
| therefore, be it | ||
| RESOLVED, That the 85th Legislature of the State of Texas | ||
| hereby declare its opposition to the enactment or enforcement by | ||
| the state of a law requiring the revocation or suspension of the | ||
| driver's license of any individual who is convicted of any | ||
| violation of the Controlled Substances Act or any drug offense; | ||
| and, be it further | ||
| RESOLVED, That the Texas Legislature hereby respectfully | ||
| urge the governor to submit written certification to the United | ||
| States Secretary of Transportation expressing his opposition to | ||
| this federal mandate along with written certification that the | ||
| Texas Legislature has adopted this resolution; and, be it further | ||
| RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official | ||
| copies of this resolution to the governor, to the secretary of the | ||
| United States Department of Transportation, and to all the members | ||
| of the Texas delegation to Congress. | ||
