HBA-AMW H.B. 620 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 620 By: Capelo Criminal Jurisprudence 4/8/2001 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Under current law, drivers ticketed for speeding up to 24 miles per hour (mph) over the speed limit are allowed to take a defensive driving course to avoid having the ticket affect their automobile insurance rates. Under the current speed limit of 70 mph on many Texas roads, a driver may drive up to 94 mph and still be eligible to take a defensive driving course and have the speeding ticket removed from the driver's record. House Bill 620 provides that a speeding offense is ineligible for dismissal of a charge on completion of a driving safety course if the offense is for speeding 20, rather than 25, miles per hour over the posted speed limit. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS House Bill 620 amends the Code of Criminal Procedure relating to speeding offenses eligible for dismissal of a charge on completion of a driving safety course. The bill provides that a speeding offense is ineligible if the offense is for speeding 20, rather than 25, miles per hour or more over the posted speed limit. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001.