By: Hughes  S.B. No. 976
         (In the Senate - Filed February 21, 2019; March 1, 2019,
  read first time and referred to Committee on Transportation;
  April 1, 2019, reported adversely, with favorable Committee
  Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 8, Nays 0; April 1, 2019,
  sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
 
  COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 976 By:  Schwertner
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to the notification of a peace officer through an
  indication associated with vehicle registration that a person has a
  health condition or disability that may impede effective
  communication.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 502, Transportation Code,
  is amended by adding Section 502.061 to read as follows:
         Sec. 502.061.  REGISTRATION BY OWNER WITH CONDITION THAT
  IMPEDES EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION. (a)  An application for
  registration must provide space for the applicant to voluntarily
  indicate that the applicant has a health condition or disability
  that may impede effective communication with a peace officer.  The
  department may request from a person who makes an indication under
  this subsection verification of a condition in the form of:
               (1)  for a physical health condition, a written
  statement from a licensed physician; or
               (2)  for a mental health condition, a written statement
  from a licensed physician, a licensed psychologist, or a
  non-physician mental health professional, as defined by Section
  571.003, Health and Safety Code.
         (b)  The department shall provide to the Department of Public
  Safety the vehicle registration information of a person who
  voluntarily indicated on an application under Subsection (a) that
  the person has a health condition or disability that may impede
  effective communication.  The department may not provide to the
  Department of Public Safety information that shows the type of
  health condition or disability a person has.
         (c)  The Department of Public Safety shall establish a system
  to include information received under Subsection (b) in the Texas
  Law Enforcement Telecommunications System for the purpose of
  alerting a peace officer who makes a traffic stop that the operator
  of the stopped vehicle may have a health condition or disability
  that may impede effective communication.
         (d)  The Department of Public Safety may not make information
  received under Subsection (b) available in the Texas Law
  Enforcement Telecommunications System to a person who has access to
  the system under a contract unless the contract prohibits the
  person from disclosing that information to a person who is not
  subject to the contract.
         (e)  The department may not issue to a person without the
  person's consent a license plate with a visible marking that
  indicates to the general public that the person voluntarily
  indicated on an application under Subsection (a) that the person
  has a health condition or disability that may impede effective
  communication.
         (f)  Except as provided by Subsection (d), information
  supplied to the department relating to an applicant's health
  condition or disability is for the confidential use of the
  department and the Department of Public Safety and may not be
  disclosed to any person.
         SECTION 2.  A Department of Public Safety contract that
  allows a person to access the Texas Law Enforcement
  Telecommunications System and that is in effect before the
  effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the
  date on which the contract was entered into, and that law is
  continued in effect for that purpose, except that the contract:
               (1)  continues only for the term of the contract; and
               (2)  may not be renewed unless the renewed contract
  includes the prohibition required by Section 502.061(d),
  Transportation Code, as added by this Act.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.
 
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