Regular Session
Department of Public Safety (DPS)
Key implementation requirements and action items for compliance with this legislation
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This bill's path through the Texas Legislature
BILL ANALYSIS |
| C.S.H.B. 647 |
| By: Patterson |
| Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans' Affairs |
| Committee Report (Substituted) |
| BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The author has informed the committee that constituents in the author's district have highlighted an issue regarding the driver's license restriction that requires a driver to wear corrective lenses while driving. If such a driver later receives surgery to correct their vision and thus no longer requires the corrective lenses, the driver could still face a fine for not wearing the lenses while driving despite no longer needing the lenses. C.S.H.B. 647 seeks to address this issue by allowing a person to submit to the Department of Public Safety a statement from a licensed physician or optometrist certifying the surgical correction and to receive a new driver's license without a corrective lens restriction.
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| CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.
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| RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
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| ANALYSIS C.S.H.B. 647 amends the Transportation Code to require the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to remove a restriction that requires a driver's license holder to wear corrective lenses for vision and mail to the license holder a new driver's license that does not include the restriction if the license holder submits to DPS the following: ·a written statement from a licensed physician or optometrist verifying that the license holder's vision has been surgically corrected and the license holder no longer requires corrective lenses for vision; and ·the required fee. The bill requires DPS to establish a process by which a person may submit the form and fee electronically or by mail. The bill prohibits DPS from mailing a new driver's license under the bill's provisions to a person whose driver's license record indicates that the person is required to register as a sex offender.
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| EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2025.
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| COMPARISON OF INTRODUCED AND SUBSTITUTE While C.S.H.B. 647 may differ from the introduced in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill. Whereas the introduced required DPS to remove a restriction that requires a driver's license holder to wear corrective lenses for vision and mail to the license holder a new driver's license that does not include the restriction if the license holder submits to DPS the required fee and a written statement from a licensed physician verifying that the license holder's vision has been surgically corrected and the license holder no longer requires corrective lenses for vision, the substitute requires DPS to do so on submission of the required fee and such a written statement from either a licensed physician or an optometrist. |
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| H.B. No. 647 | ||
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| relating to the removal of certain restrictions imposed on driver's | ||
| licenses; authorizing a fee. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Section 521.221, Transportation Code, is amended | ||
| by adding Subsection (e) to read as follows: | ||
| (e) The department: | ||
| (1) shall remove a restriction that requires the | ||
| license holder to wear corrective lenses for vision and mail to the | ||
| license holder a new driver's license that does not include the | ||
| restriction if the license holder submits to the department: | ||
| (A) a written statement from a licensed physician | ||
| or optometrist verifying that the license holder's vision has been | ||
| surgically corrected and the license holder no longer requires | ||
| corrective lenses for vision; and | ||
| (B) the required fee; | ||
| (2) shall establish a process by which a person may | ||
| submit to the department electronically or by mail the form and fee | ||
| described by Subdivision (1); and | ||
| (3) may not mail a new driver's license under this | ||
| subsection to a person whose driver's license record indicates that | ||
| the person is subject to the registration requirements of Chapter | ||
| 62, Code of Criminal Procedure. | ||
| SECTION 2. The Texas Department of Public Safety is | ||
| required to implement this Act only if the legislature appropriates | ||
| money specifically for that purpose. If the legislature does not | ||
| appropriate money specifically for that purpose, the agency may, | ||
| but is not required to, implement this Act using other | ||
| appropriations available for that purpose. | ||
| SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. | ||
| TO: | Honorable Cole Hefner, Chair, House Committee on Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans' Affairs |
| FROM: | Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | HB647 by Patterson (Relating to the removal of certain restrictions imposed on driver's licenses; authorizing a fee.), As Introduced |
| Fiscal Year | Probable Net Positive/(Negative) Impact to General Revenue Related Funds |
|---|---|
| 2026 | ($2,606,400) |
| 2027 | ($525,150) |
| 2028 | ($525,150) |
| 2029 | ($525,150) |
| 2030 | ($525,150) |
| Fiscal Year | Probable Savings/(Cost) from General Revenue Fund 1 |
|---|---|
| 2026 | ($2,606,400) |
| 2027 | ($525,150) |
| 2028 | ($525,150) |
| 2029 | ($525,150) |
| 2030 | ($525,150) |
| Source Agencies: | 304 Comptroller of Public Accounts, 313 Department of Information Resources, 405 Department of Public Safety |
| LBB Staff: | JMc, MGol, CSh, KVEL |
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Common questions about HB647
HB647 mandates the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to establish an electronic or mail-in process for removing "corrective lens" restrictions from driver's licenses, eliminating the statutory requirement for an in-person office visit. While legally effective in June 2025, implementation is contingent upon specific legislative funding; without the $3. 1M appropriation for IT upgrades, DPS is not required to activate this system.
HB647 was authored by Texas Representative Jared Patterson during the Regular Session.
HB647 was signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott on June 20, 2025.
HB647 is enforced by Department of Public Safety (DPS).
The compliance urgency for HB647 is rated as "low". Businesses and organizations should review the requirements and timeline to ensure timely compliance.
The cost impact of HB647 is estimated as "low". This may vary based on industry and implementation requirements.
HB647 addresses topics including health care providers, vehicles & traffic, vehicles & traffic--driver's licenses, eyecare & vision and public safety, department of.
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