Hearing set for Driver Responsibility Program proposal - 4/26/10 in Austin

[Guest guest]

The Department of Public Safety has announced that they will be holding

a hearing on the Driver Responsibility Program Monday, April 26, from 3

to 7 p.m. in Austin. While this hearing is intended to take testimony

on proposed rule changes to program mechanics and not directly to funds

appropriated to the Texas Trauma System, it does present an important

opportunity for providers in the trauma system to provide information on

the importance of the program in that it helps to support the Texas

Trauma System!

This hearing will be held a week from Monday, so our time is short but

it will be important to have a strong Texas Trauma System presence.

More information to follow, but if you have the ability to come to

Austin and testify on April 26th please make plans to do so now.

The DPS media announcement on the hearing follows:

April 15, 2010

Hearing set for Driver Responsibility Program proposal

A hearing date has been set for public comment on proposed changes to

the Driver Responsibility Program (DRP). Members of the Public Safety

Commission will be present to hear testimony regarding the proposed

changes to the Driver Responsibility Program. There will be no open

discussion during the hearing and no formal action will be taken in this

meeting.

The public hearing will be held on Monday, April 26, from 3 p.m. to 7

p.m. in Senate Committee Hearing Room E1.028 in the State Capitol

Extension Building. Any overflow crowd will be accommodated in Room

E1.016.

Those interested in commenting during the hearing will be able to submit

either written or oral comments on the proposed changes. Individuals

will speak for up to five minutes in the order they registered.

The Driver Responsibility law, passed during the 78th Texas Legislature,

established a system to assess surcharges based on certain traffic

offenses that occurred on or after September 1, 2003.

The 81st Texas Legislature amended the law to require a reduction for

indigent individuals. In March 2010, the Department published proposed

new rules for the DRP to address the program's financial impact on

low-income individuals who are living at or below the poverty level.

Surcharges due every year for three years include convictions for:

* Failure to maintain insurance and driving while license

invalid-$250 per year

* Driving without a valid license-$100 per year

* DWI-related offense

$1,000 per year for first offense

$2,000 per year if the court reports an alcohol concentration of .16 or

more

$1,500 per year for a subsequent conviction within the three-year period

All charges are cumulative.

The newly proposed rule would:

* Set DRP indigency at 125% of the poverty level.

* Allow electronic application online or by telephone.

* Require applicants to submit supporting documentation.

* Allow the Department to contract with a third party for

application verification.

* Mandate a letter of approval or denial be mailed to any

applicant.

* Provide applicants 90 days to pay the reduced fee, in full,

and provide proof of insurance.

Please note that persons with disabilities who plan to attend this

meeting and who may need auxiliary aids or services such as interpreters

for persons who are deaf or hearing-impaired, or who need readers, large

print, or Braille, are requested to contact Rebekah Hibbs at

by Wednesday, April 21, so that appropriate arrangements

can be made.

### (PIO 2010-37)

DINAH S. WELSH

Chief Executive Officer

Texas EMS, Trauma & Acute Care Foundation

3400 Enfield Road

Austin, Texas 78703

dwelsh@... dwelsh@...>

www.tetaf.org http://www.tetaf.org/>

office

cell

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