Bill Text: TX SB889 | 2025-2026 | 89th Legislature | Introduced

Texas Senate Bill 889

Introduced

Bill Title: Relating to a defense to prosecution and the dismissal of a charge for the criminal offense of driving with an expired license.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2025-02-13 - Referred to Transportation [SB889 Detail]

Download: Texas-2025-SB889-Introduced.html

	89R9553 MZM-F

	By: Eckhardt	S.B. No. 889



	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
	AN ACT
	relating to a defense to prosecution and the dismissal of a charge
	for the criminal offense of driving with an expired license.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
	SECTION 1. Section 521.025(d), Transportation Code, is
	amended to read as follows:
	(d) It is a defense to prosecution under this section that
	[if] the person charged produces in court a driver's license:
	(1) issued to that person;
	(2) appropriate for the type of vehicle operated; and
	(3) that was either:
	(A) valid on the date [~~at the time~~] of the arrest
	for the offense; or
	(B) expired for not more than 60 days before the
	date of the arrest for the offense if the person also produces in
	court confirmation that the person had scheduled before the date of
	the arrest for the offense an appointment to renew the license
	described by this paragraph.
	SECTION 2. Section 521.026(a), Transportation Code, is
	amended to read as follows:
	(a) A judge may dismiss a charge of driving with an expired
	license if the defendant remedies this defect within 60 [20]
	working days or before the defendant's first court appearance date,
	whichever is later.
	SECTION 3. The change in law made by this Act applies only
	to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act.
	An offense committed before the effective date of this Act is
	governed by the law in effect on the date the offense was committed,
	and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For
	purposes of this section, an offense was committed before the
	effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurred
	before that date.
	SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.