89th Legislature Regular Session

SB 523

Overall Vote Recommendation
Yes
Principle Criteria
Free Enterprise
Property Rights
Personal Responsibility
Limited Government
Individual Liberty
Digest

SB 523 proposes changes to the Texas Transportation Code to allow parole officers, peace officers, probation officers, and prosecutors to have an alternative address—such as an office address—listed on their driver's license instead of their residential address. This change aims to enhance the privacy and safety of these public servants by reducing their exposure to potential threats from individuals they interact with professionally.

The key difference between the originally filed version and the committee substitute is the expansion of eligibility for obtaining a driver's license with an alternative address.

In the originally filed bill the provision applied only to parole officers, peace officers, and prosecutors. However, in the committee substitute the bill was amended to include probation officers in the list of eligible individuals.

Another modification relates to the address change notification requirement. Under the originally filed version, a parole officer or prosecutor was required to notify the Department of Public Safety within 30 days if they changed either their residence or office address. In the committee substitute, this provision was extended to include probation officers, ensuring that they, too, must report address changes under the same timeline.

Author
Judith Zaffirini
Co-Author
Royce West
Fiscal Notes

According to the Legislative Budget Board's fiscal note, there is no significant fiscal impact anticipated for the state. The bill primarily modifies the rules governing the issuance of driver's licenses for certain public safety officials, allowing them to use an alternative address instead of their residential address. Since this change does not involve substantial administrative or technological modifications within the Department of Public Safety (DPS) or other related agencies, the costs associated with implementation are expected to be negligible.

Additionally, no significant fiscal implications are expected for local governments. The bill does not impose any new financial obligations or administrative burdens on local entities, as the changes pertain specifically to state-issued driver's licenses and are managed at the state level. The affected agencies, including the Office of Court Administration, the Texas Judicial Council, the Department of Information Resources, and the Department of Public Safety, have reviewed the bill and found that any potential costs associated with its implementation would be minor and absorbable within existing budgets.

Overall, SB 523 is a low-cost policy change aimed at enhancing the privacy and security of public safety officials without imposing a financial burden on the state or local governments.

Vote Recommendation Notes

SB 523 is a necessary legislative measure that enhances the personal safety of parole officers, probation officers, peace officers, and prosecutors by allowing them to use an alternative address—typically their office address—on their Texas driver's license instead of their home address. This protection is already extended to certain other law enforcement officials and judicial officers, and this bill closes an existing gap by ensuring that parole and probation officers, who frequently work with high-risk individuals, receive the same level of privacy protection.

Parole officers regularly supervise offenders and testify in revocation hearings, often interacting with individuals who may pose a threat to their personal safety. By listing their home addresses on their driver's licenses, these officers are made unnecessarily vulnerable to potential retaliation or harassment from the individuals they supervise or have testified against in court. SB 523 mitigates this risk by permitting them to use an alternative business address instead, aligning their privacy protections with those of prosecutors and other law enforcement personnel.

From a liberty-oriented perspective, SB 523 advances individual liberty by protecting the personal safety of public officials while maintaining their ability to carry out their duties effectively. It also upholds personal responsibility by requiring these professionals to update their address information as needed, ensuring that their driver’s licenses remain accurate and useful for law enforcement and administrative purposes. Moreover, the bill maintains limited government by providing a narrowly focused policy change that enhances privacy protections without creating unnecessary bureaucratic burdens.

By providing reasonable privacy protections to at-risk professionals in law enforcement and criminal justice, SB 523 ensures that public servants can perform their duties without fear of personal harm. The bill balances transparency with necessary security protections. As a result, Texas Policy Research recommends a YES vote by state lawmakers on SB 523.

View Bill Text and Status