Wednesday, April 02, 2014

Lege committee to review 'Driver Responsibility' surcharge options

The Texas House Homeland Security and Public Safety Committee will meet April 14 to hear invited and public testimony to "Review the Driver Responsibility Program and consider methods for overall improvement of the program," as well as to hear testimony regarding the aftermath of the fertilizer plant explosion in West, TX a year ago.

At a minimum, the Lege would be wise to require the Department of Public Safety to implement another "amnesty" period for the Driver Responsibility surcharge. Their first one was barely publicized and they seem disinclined to sponsor another one, even though they have the authority. Nearly 100,000 drivers were able to regain their licenses thanks to the lat Amnesty program in 2011, but because it was poorly publicized, only 14% of those eligible applied.

DPS offered quite a few additional suggestions for reforming the program at a hearing last year. But for my money, at this point the best way to "improve" the misnamed Driver Responsibility Program would be to abolish it.

See prior, related Grits posts:

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