HBA-CMT H.B. 359 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 359 By: Wise Public Safety 4/6/2001 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Under current law, all applications for a Texas driver's license must state the applicant's full name, and place and date of birth and must be verified by presentation of proof of identity satisfactory to the Department of Public Safety (DPS). DPS sometimes requests that social security cards be presented, because DPS uses social security numbers to track applicants who owe child support. However, some applicants may not be eligible for a social security number. House Bill 359 provides a list of acceptable alternatives or documents that DPS may use in lieu of social security card numbers to help applicants obtain a valid drivers license. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that rulemaking authority is expressly delegated to the Department of Public Safety in SECTION 1 (Section 521.142, Transportation Code) of this bill. ANALYSIS House Bill 359 amends the Transportation Code to specify the forms of identification that are sufficient to prove identity when applying for an original driver's license. Sufficient proof of identity is: _a driver's license or personal identification certificate issued by this state; _a valid driver's license or identification document bearing a photograph of the applicant and issued by another state; _a passport or identity card with a photograph of the applicant and issued by another country or governmental agency of another country; _a duplicate original birth certificate or a certified copy of a birth certificate issued by this or another state or by another country accompanied by documentation required by rules of the Department of Public Safety; or _any other proof of identity satisfactory to the department. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001.