The Texas Driver's Handbook is available online to help you qualify for a Texas driver license. Excerpt from the bill: Uniquely situated amid rugged mountains and below the spectacular West Texas sky, Fort Davis is beloved by residents and visitors alike, and it has earned a well-deserved reputation as one of the Lone Star States top destinations.. It would also amend Section 38.15 of Texas Penal Code (interference with public duties) to add an affirmative defense to prosecution if the conduct engaged in by the defendant consisted only of filming, recording, photographing, documenting, or observing a peace officer, if before or while engaging in the conduct, the defendant obeyed any reasonable and lawful order by a peace officer to change the defendants proximity or position., HB1757 also seeks to amend Section 542.501 of Texas Transportation Code (willfully failing or refuse to comply with a lawful order) to state that the law does not apply to an order or direction to cease filming, recording, photographing, documenting, or observing a peace officer while the officer is engaged in the performance of official duties, although this does not prohibit a peace officer from giving the person a reasonable and lawful order or direction to change the persons proximity or position relative to a peace officer who is engaged in the performance of official duties., Lastly, HB1757 would also amend Chapter 2 of Texas Code of Criminal Procedure to state that if during the performance of the peace officers official duties a peace officer makes a video or audio recording of the officers interaction with a person, the peace officer must immediately disclose to the person that the officer is recording the interaction and the method by which the officer is making the recording, except if the peace officers interaction with a person occurs as part of an ongoing criminal investigation or if making the disclosure immediately would be unsafe, unrealistic, or impracticable.. OR EMAIL US BELOW. If passed, the State of Texas (and each member state) shall conduct a statewide popular election for President and Vice President of the United States. For more information on the current license structure, fees and more, visit the following pages and resources: Copyright 2023 Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission. Texas observes daylight saving time beginning the second Sunday in March, and then reverts to standard time on the first Sunday in November. License suspensions undermine public safety. The court may authorize this only if the presence of the dog or animal will assist the witness in providing testimony, the party petitioning for the order provides proof of liability insurance coverage in effect for the dog or animal, and the party petitions the court no later than the 14th day before the date of the court proceeding. 50 percent of all amounts recovered by the injured individual through a cause of action, judgment, or settlement. If passed, the bills would require the division to prepare and keep current a pandemic response plan, include provisions for: If passed, each of the bills listed above seek to amend Section 62.051 of the Texas Labor Code to raise the minimum wage in Texas. This bill seeks to disallow cities, counties and municipalities from enforcing more-restrictive laws or regulations relating to the use of wireless communication devices (i.e., phones) while operating a motor vehicle. Opponents often argue that scholarships are the only form of compensation they should receive. The amount billed by the medical or health care provider. The attorneys at Chambers Law Office have been helping clients with a suspended driver's license reinstate their driving privileges for nearly a decade, and now changes in Indiana law are making it easier for clients to get valid. In 2017, Texas passed a law banning drivers from electronic messaging via a portable wireless communication device (i.e., a phone) while operating a motor vehicle. The act would also require officers to provide aid immediately to any person who needs medical attention as a result of the use of force by a peace officer, as well as require identification as a peace officer before taking any action within the course and scope of the officers official duties (unless the identification would render the action impracticable). Require a peace officer who participates in an investigation to keep a body worn camera activated for the entirety of the investigation. It would also require policyholders who receive a written request for policy information from a claimant to disclose the name of their insurance company and type of coverage provided by their insurer. Each of the three bills listed above seek to amend several sections of Texas Government Code (as well as the Civil Practice and Remedies Code, Family Code, Estates Code, Health and Safety Code, and Code of Criminal Procedure) in order to permit or require the attendance of a court hearing or proceeding remotely through the use of technology and the Internet.. This would include the installation of automatic license plate reader systems on appropriate infrastructure owned by this state or a political subdivision of this state (including traffic signals, highway signs, bridges, and overpasses). Greg Abbott signed House Bill 25, which eliminated the straight-ticket voting option (the option for voters to check one box to cast a ballot for every candidate from a single political party) starting in the year 2020. HB307 seeks to amend Section 481.111 of the Texas Health and Safety Code to expand on defenses to possession of certain consumable hemp products containing a controlled substance or marijuana. This article highlights about 150 different proposed bills, but weve grouped them into several categories. These daycare facilities shall retain all recorded video required by this act for at least 30 days after the date the video is recorded. HB1518, if passed, goes a bit further by allowing a hotel bar to sell or offer for sale alcoholic beverages at any time to a registered guest of the hotel.. If passed, HB2540 seeks to amend Section 547.605(c) of Texas Transportation Code to state that the owner or operator of a passenger car or light truck manufactured after 1967 may not modify the exhaust system (or a part of the system) in a manner that the owner or operator knows or should know will amplify or increase the noise emitted by the motor of the vehicle above that emitted by the muffler originally installed on the vehicle.. If passed, HB555 seeks to expand on this law by applying it to additional types of stationary vehicles adjacent to a highway, such as utility service vehicles and vehicles used exclusively to transport municipal solid waste or recyclable material. Review complaints received by the office regarding the use of force by peace officers of law enforcement agencies, conduct investigations, and (when necessary) request the district or county attorney to bring actions against an agency in order to institute reforms regarding their use of force practices. Both HB2232 & SB1013 seek to allow wet counties and cities in Texas the option to hold local elections in order to either prohibit or legalize the sale of liquor for off-premise consumption on Sundays. Each of the bills listed above seek to lay out the groundwork for legalizing and regulating the cultivation, manufacture, distribution, sale, testing, possession, and use of cannabis and cannabis products in Texas. Documentation, replacement parts, and tools; and. A peace officer may not assert official immunity as a defense to liability, and the officers governmental unit would also be liable to such a suit under the doctrine of respondeat superior. In Texas, fireworks are only permitted to be sold to the public during certain periods of the year (i.e., between June 24 through July 4; December 20 through January 1; May 1 through May 5). Reinstatement fees can be paid in person, unless your suspension paperwork gives directions on how to pay by mail or phone. The officer reasonably believes it is immediately necessary to protect the officer from unlawful deadly force by the driver of the vehicle by means of the vehicle; and. This fee (which increases to $50 in some cases) does not apply to a suit filed by any governmental entity or to a suit for delinquent taxes. If passed, both HB439 and SB151 seek to create a new, lower punishment range for possession and/or delivery of marijuana concentrates. SCR9 would designate the City of San Marcos as the official Mermaid Capital of Texas for the next 10 years. Dan Patrick announced that he will be introducing a bill known as the Star Spangled Banner Protection Act (SB4). 0:00. SCR20 seeks to have the 87th Texas Legislature recognize the original 1847 Colt Walker pistol as the official handgun of the State of Texas. If passed, HB88 (known as the George Floyd Act) seeks to address qualified immunity for police officers by allowing civil lawsuits at the state level for deprivation of rights under color of law, require the use of de-escalation tactics, require officers to intervene if another officer is using excessive force, require officers to provide aid immediately to any person who needs medical attention (including as a result of the use of force), to further define when and why police officers can use nonlethal and lethal force, to ban chokeholds, as well as prevent arrests for misdemeanor fine-only offenses. If passed, the bill seeks to amend Chapter 487 of the Texas Health and Safety Code in order to allow physicians to recommend medical cannabis use to qualified individuals, as well as establish rules and regulations regarding the licensure of dispensing organizations. The new laws may affect your current driving record. If passed, HB1250 seeks to amend Section 662.003(b) of the Texas Government Code to add Selena Quintanilla Prez Day in memory of the contributions to Tejano music of Selena Quintanilla Prez, an award-winning singer and recording artist. Offering an incentive or inducement (other than a warranty issued by a repair person or facility) for the beneficiary or claimant to use a particular repair person or facility. Insurance companies claim that this information is irrelevant and immaterial to a pre-suit claim, while plaintiffs lawyers argue that it can help facilitate settlement and avoid needless litigation. If youre involved in an auto accident, under current Texas law, the other drivers insurance company has no obligation to disclose the limits of their insureds applicable liability policy (the total amount of money available to compensate a victim). Governor Abbott has already signaled his backing, and the bills are expected to receive bipartisan support when they comes up for vote. HB113 would amend Texas Business & Commerce Code to allow for peer-to-peer car sharing programs (a business platform that connects owners with drivers to enable vehicle sharing for financial consideration) to operate within the State of Texas. If passed, HB1955 seeks to amend Section 9.51 of Texas Penal Code to state that a peace officer is only justified in using deadly force against another when and to the degree the peace officer reasonably believes the deadly force is immediately necessary to make an arrest (or to prevent escape after arrest) if: HB1757 seeks to add additional rules relating to the recording of a peace officers performance of official duties and interactions with the public. The grand jury declined to indict the defendant. HB1609 goes even further by seeking to classify possession of four (4) ounces or less of marijuana as a Class C misdemeanor. The fee depends on the offense leading to the suspension. HB2588, SB950 & SB1626 on the other hand, each seek to amend Chapter 2 of Texas Code of Criminal Procedure by adding a section titled Cite and Release Policy. For HB2588, this policy would state that law enforcement agencies in the state shall adopt a written policy regarding the issuance of citations for all misdemeanor offenses, other than violent misdemeanors.