bill raising penalties for passing certain vehicles

The text as introduced · 478 words

By: Vasut
H.B. No. 1625

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the penalties for the offense of passing certain

vehicles, creating a criminal offense, increasing a criminal

penalty.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. This Act shall be known as the Kevin Alexis

Ramirez Vasquez Act.

SECTION 2. Section 521.292(a), Transportation Code, is

amended to read as follows:

(a) Except as provided by Section 521.457(h), the

department shall suspend the person's license if the department

determines that the person:

(1) has operated a motor vehicle on a highway while the

person's license was suspended, canceled, disqualified, or

revoked, or without a license after an application for a license was

denied;

(2) is a habitually reckless or negligent operator of

a motor vehicle;

(3) is a habitual violator of the traffic laws;

(4) has permitted the unlawful or fraudulent use of

the person's license;

(5) has committed an offense in another state or

Canadian province that, if committed in this state, would be

grounds for suspension;

(6) has been convicted of two or more separate

offenses of a violation of a restriction imposed on the use of the

license;

(7) has been responsible as a driver for any collision

resulting in serious personal injury or serious property damage;

(8) is under 18 years of age and has been convicted of

two or more moving violations committed within a 12-month period;

or

(9) has committed an offense under Section s

545.157(c)(1), (c)(2), (c)(3), or 545.421.

SECTION 3. Section 545.157(c), Transportation Code, is

amended to read as follows:

(c) A person who violates this section commits an offense.

An offense under this section is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine

of not less than $500 or more than $1,250, except that the offense

is:

(1) a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than

$1,000 or more than $2,000 for a second or subsequent offense

committed within five years of the date on which the most recent

preceding offense was committed;

(2) a Class A misdemeanor if the offense results in a

collision [ bodily injury to another ]; or

(3) a state jail felony for a second or subsequent

offense punishable under Subdivision (2) or an offense resulting in

bodily injury to another .

SECTION 4. The change in law made by this Act applies only

to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act.

An offense committed before the effective date of this Act is

governed by the law in effect on the date the offense was committed,

and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For

purposes of this section, an offense was committed before the

effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurred

before that date.

SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.