Bill Text: TX SB538 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Introduced

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Bill Title: Relating to the issuance of a driver's license or personal identification certificate to a youth experiencing homelessness.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-03-13 - Left pending in committee [SB538 Detail]

Download: Texas-2019-SB538-Introduced.html

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86R9233 BEE-D
By: Johnson S.B. No. 538

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the issuance of a driver's license or personal
identification certificate to a youth experiencing homelessness.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter R, Chapter 521, Transportation Code,
is amended by adding Section 521.4265 to read as follows:
Sec. 521.4265. EXEMPTION FOR YOUTH EXPERIENCING
HOMELESSNESS. (a) In this section, "youth experiencing
homelessness":
(1) means an individual who is at least 16 years of age
and not older than 24 years of age and:
(A) lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate
nighttime residence; or
(B) has a primary nighttime residence that is:
(i) a supervised publicly or privately
operated shelter designed to provide temporary living
accommodations, including welfare hotels, congregate shelters, and
transitional housing for the mentally ill;
(ii) an institution that provides a
temporary residence for individuals intended to be
institutionalized; or
(iii) a public or private place not
designed for, or ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping
accommodation for human beings; and
(2) does not include an individual who is imprisoned
or otherwise detained in a correctional facility at the time an
application is submitted for a driver's license or personal
identification certificate.
(b) Except as provided by Subsections (f) and (i), a youth
experiencing homelessness is entitled to an exemption from the
payment of fees under this chapter for the issuance of a driver's
license or personal identification certificate.
(c) For the purposes of this section, a person's status as a
youth experiencing homelessness must be confirmed by a notarized
affidavit from:
(1) a case manager employed by:
(A) a homeless shelter or transitional housing
facility;
(B) an organization that provides to youth
experiencing homelessness or assists youth experiencing
homelessness in obtaining services such as health services, mental
or behavioral health services, substance abuse services, public
assistance services, or employment services; or
(C) a faith-based organization that provides
benefits or services to youth experiencing homelessness;
(2) a peace officer who is an official homeless
liaison; or
(3) a counselor or administrator at a school attended
by the youth experiencing homelessness.
(d) A person may not charge a fee for the affidavit
described by Subsection (c).
(e) An affidavit described by Subsection (c) may not be used
for a driver's license or personal identification certificate
application if the affidavit was signed more than 60 days before the
date the application is submitted.
(f) Subsection (b) does not apply to a person subject to the
registration requirements of Chapter 62, Code of Criminal
Procedure.
(g) For each exemption granted under this section the
department shall deposit to the credit of the Texas mobility fund an
amount from the identification fee exemption account under
Subsection (h) that is equal to the amount of the waived fee that
would otherwise be deposited to the mobility fund.
(h) The identification fee exemption account is created as
an account in the general revenue fund of the state treasury. The
fund consists of grants and donations made to the department for the
purposes of this section. The department shall administer the
account. Money in the account may be appropriated for the purposes
of Subsection (g).
(i) The department may not grant an exemption under this
section if money is not available in the identification fee
exemption account to meet the requirements of Subsection (g).
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.