HB 3973

bill ending the fee for parent-taught driver ed licenses

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review

Initial review · graded Oct 20, 2026 · Headline, summary and grade are analysis of the bill text, not a finding about any person · How we grade

Caption

relating to prohibiting a fee for a parent-taught driver education provider license.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Teaching your own kid to drive, now free of the state fee.

The bill removes the state fee for getting or renewing a parent-taught driver education provider license. It touches parents who teach their own kids to drive under the parent-taught program and the state commission that licenses driver education providers. Starting September 1, 2025, the commission can no longer charge those parents a license fee, while other driver education and driving safety providers still pay theirs.

Labels

Labels: NEVER GOT A HEARING. Filed Mar 6, 2025 and referred to the House Licensing & Administrative Procedures committee. No public hearing. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB3973 · 2025-03-06

SOLD BY

Rep. Keresa RichardsonRHouse 61

ITEM

relating to prohibiting a fee for a parent-taught driver education provider license.

WHAT IT DOES

Teaching your own kid to drive, now free of the state fee.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

HISTORY

Mar 6, 2025Filed
Mar 27, 2025Read first time
Mar 27, 2025Referred to Licensing & Administrative Procedures

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Keresa Richardson

Donors

Texas Conservative Majority PAC$575K Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$364KJeannie Pascale$100,000

Not tied to this bill.

Sources

The author's campaign account only. Own money and internal transfers are separate on the member page.

Derived itemized flow · Nov 4, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Texas Conservative Majority PAC$574,750.00

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$574,750.00

Cash: $200,000.00
Paid by others: $374,750.00
Total: $574,750.00

canvassing $350,000.00polling $24,750.00

Also funds 42 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jan 23, 2026 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Aug 14, 2026 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101069161, 101072822.

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$363,511.10

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$363,511.10

Cash: $195,000.00
Paid by others: $168,511.10
Total: $363,511.10

advertising $76,656.57mail $71,344.18polling $20,510.35

Also funds 124 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 10, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jun 23, 2025 to Oct 22, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101007087, 101036173, 101040588, 101060020, 101069161, 101072822.

Jeannie Pascale$100,000.00

Money

Missing data does not establish zero giving. Display amounts are rounded.

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$574,750.00

Cash: $200,000.00
Paid by others: $374,750.00
Total: $574,750.00

canvassing $350,000.00polling $24,750.00

Also funds 42 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jan 23, 2026 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Aug 14, 2026 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101069161, 101072822.

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$363,511.10

Cash: $195,000.00
Paid by others: $168,511.10
Total: $363,511.10

advertising $76,656.57mail $71,344.18polling $20,510.35

Also funds 124 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 10, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jun 23, 2025 to Oct 22, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101007087, 101036173, 101040588, 101060020, 101069161, 101072822.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Fiscal

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

How this was graded

Analysis of text version I by claude-opus-5-5, Oct 20, 2026, against the published rubric.

Sources

Texas House · Filed Mar 6, 2025

03/27/2025 H Referred to Licensing & Administrative Procedures: Mar 27 2025 11:57AM

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced

Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 4:20 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

House committee · Licensing & Administrative Procedures · Final status: Died in committee

Subjects

Education--Driver Education & Training

Vehicles & Traffic--Driver's Licenses

Vehicles & Traffic--Rules of Road

LICENSING & REGULATION, TEXAS COMMISSION OF

Text

The text as introduced · 266 words

89R15340 JTZ-D

By: Richardson
H.B. No. 3973

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to prohibiting a fee for a parent-taught driver education

provider license.

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

SECTION 1. Section 1001.151, Education Code, is amended by

amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (e) to read as

follows:

(b) The commission by rule shall establish a fee for:

(1) an initial in-person driver education provider

license and for each branch location;

(2) an initial online driver education provider

license;

(3) [ an initial parent-taught driver education

provider license;

[ (4) ] an initial driving safety provider license;

(4) [ (5) ] the annual renewal for a driving safety

provider, an in-person driver education provider , an online driver

education provider , or a branch location of an in-person driver

education provider, except that the executive director may waive

the fee if revenue generated by the issuance of course completion

certificate numbers and driver education certificates is

sufficient to cover the cost of administering this chapter and

Subchapter H, Chapter 45A, Code of Criminal Procedure;

(5) [ (6) ] a change of address of a driver education

provider or driving safety provider; and

(6) [ (7) ] a change of name of:

(A) a driver education provider or an owner of a

driver education provider; or

(B) a driving safety provider or an owner of a

driving safety provider.

(e) The commission may not charge a fee for the issuance or

renewal of a parent-taught driver education provider license.

SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.