TITLE 37.PUBLIC SAFETY AND CORRECTIONS

Part 1. TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY

Chapter 1. ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION

Subchapter I. FEES FOR COPIES OF RECORDS

37 TAC §1.125

The Texas Department of Public Safety adopts the repeal of §1.125, concerning Statistical Services Bureau Fees, without changes to the proposed text as published in the November 2, 2001, issue of the Texas Register (26 TexReg 8760) and will not republish it.

The section is repealed since it is outdated and does not follow the General Services Commission's policy for the release of accident information in bulk. This adoption is filed simultaneously with the adoption of a new §1.125 that will make the fee for the sale of accident reports consistent with statute.

No comments were received regarding adoption of the repeal.

The repeal is adopted pursuant to Texas Government Code, §411.004(3), which authorizes the Public Safety Commission to adopt rules considered necessary for carrying out the department's work.

This agency hereby certifies that the adoption has been reviewed by legal counsel and found to be a valid exercise of the agency's legal authority.

Filed with the Office of the Secretary of State on February 4, 2002.

TRD-200200675

Thomas A. Davis, Jr.

Director

Texas Department of Public Safety

Effective date: February 24, 2002

Proposal publication date: November 2, 2001

For further information, please call: (512) 424-2135


37 TAC §1.125

The Texas Department of Public Safety adopts new §1.125, concerning Accident Records Bureau Fees, without changes to the proposed text as published in the November 2, 2001, issue of the Texas Register (26 TexReg 8760) and will not republish it.

New §1.125 places into rule the department's current business policies regarding the sale of accident reports and accident information. The section further makes the sale of accident reports consistent with the statutory fee of $6.00 as a result of the passage of Tex. H.B. 1544, Acts 2001, 77th Leg., R.S., ch. 1032, §5.

No comments were received regarding adoption of the new section.

The new section is adopted pursuant to Texas Government Code, §411.004(3), which authorizes the Public Safety Commission to adopt rules considered necessary for carrying out the department's work.

This agency hereby certifies that the adoption has been reviewed by legal counsel and found to be a valid exercise of the agency's legal authority.

Filed with the Office of the Secretary of State on February 4, 2002.

TRD-200200676

Thomas A. Davis, Jr.

Director

Texas Department of Public Safety

Effective date: February 24, 2002

Proposal publication date: November 2, 2001

For further information, please call: (512) 424-2135


Chapter 5. CRIMINAL LAW ENFORCEMENT

Subchapter C. THREATS AGAINST PEACE OFFICER

37 TAC §§5.31 - 5.38

The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) adopts new Subchapter C, §§5.31-5.38, relating to Threats Against Peace Officer, without changes to the proposed text as published in the November 2, 2001, issue of the Texas Register (26 TexReg 8761) and will not republish them.

The new sections are necessary as a result of the passage of Tex. H.B. 776, Acts 2001, 77th Leg., R.S., ch. 474, §3. The new sections promulgate the policies and procedures requiring law enforcement agencies that have determined that some individual that has made a threat against a police officer to report that incident according to department rules.

No comments were received regarding adoption of the new sections.

The new sections are adopted pursuant to Texas Government Code, §411.004(3), which authorizes the Public Safety Commission to adopt rules considered necessary for carrying out the department's work and Texas Government Code, §411.048(c), (e), and (i) which provide that the director of the department shall adopt rules, subject to commission approval, to prescribe the form and manner to be used by a criminal justice agency reporting to the department its determination of a serious threat against a peace officer, to prescribe how an agency may use information disseminated to it by the department, and to require compliance with general federal intelligence guidelines.

This agency hereby certifies that the adoption has been reviewed by legal counsel and found to be a valid exercise of the agency's legal authority.

Filed with the Office of the Secretary of State on February 4, 2002.

TRD-200200677

Thomas A. Davis, Jr.

Director

Texas Department of Public Safety

Effective date: February 24, 2002

Proposal publication date: November 2, 2001

For further information, please call: (512) 424-2135


Chapter 15. DRIVERS LICENSE RULES

Subchapter C. EXAMINATION REQUIREMENTS

37 TAC §15.59

The Texas Department of Public Safety adopts an amendment to §15.59, concerning Examination Requirements, without changes to the proposed text as published in the November 2, 2001, issue of the Texas Register (26 TexReg 8764) and will not republish it.

Section 15.59 is amended to place into rule the department's current business policies regarding alternate methods of conducting driver license renewal and duplicate transactions. Amendments to the section will comply with Tex. H.B. 1762, Acts 2001, 77th Leg., R.S., ch. 866, §2, which authorizes duplicate driver license and identification certificate transactions via alternate methods.

No comments were received regarding adoption of the amendment.

The amendment is adopted pursuant to Texas Government Code, §411.004(3), which authorizes the Public Safety Commission to adopt rules considered necessary for carrying out the department's work and Texas Transportation Code, §521.005.

This agency hereby certifies that the adoption has been reviewed by legal counsel and found to be a valid exercise of the agency's legal authority.

Filed with the Office of the Secretary of State on February 4, 2002.

TRD-200200678

Thomas A. Davis, Jr.

Director

Texas Department of Public Safety

Effective date: February 24, 2002

Proposal publication date: November 2, 2001

For further information, please call: (512) 424-2135


Subchapter D. DRIVER IMPROVEMENT

37 TAC §15.88

The Texas Department of Public Safety adopts new §15.88, relating to Driver Improvement, Surrender of Driver Licenses without changes to the proposed text as published in the November 2, 2001, issue of the Texas Register (26 TexReg 8765) and will not republish it.

The new section promulgates the policies and procedures necessary to address the demand procedure for the surrender of suspended, cancelled, revoked, disqualified, or denied driver licenses. The section further establishes conditions under which an individual may still retain physical possession of a driver license for identification purposes only. The new section is necessary due to the passage of Tex. S.B. 671, Acts 2001, 77th Leg., R.S., ch. 933, §1.

No comments were received regarding adoption of the new section.

The new section is adopted pursuant to Texas Government Code, §411.004(3), which authorizes the Public Safety Commission to adopt rules considered necessary for carrying out the department's work and Texas Transportation Code, §521.005.

This agency hereby certifies that the adoption has been reviewed by legal counsel and found to be a valid exercise of the agency's legal authority.

Filed with the Office of the Secretary of State on February 4, 2002.

TRD-200200679

Thomas A. Davis, Jr.

Director

Texas Department of Public Safety

Effective date: February 24, 2002

Proposal publication date: November 2, 2001

For further information, please call: (512) 424-2135


Chapter 16. COMMERCIAL DRIVERS LICENSE

Subchapter A. LICENSING REQUIREMENTS, QUALIFICATIONS, RESTRICTIONS, AND ENDORSEMENTS

37 TAC §§16.8, 16.9, 16.14

The Texas Department of Public Safety adopts amendments to §16.8, §16.9, and new §16.14, concerning Licensing Requirements, Qualifications, Restrictions, And Endorsements, without changes to the proposed text as published in the November 2, 2001, issue of the Texas Register (26 TexReg 8766) and will not republish them.

Section 16.8 is amended to add the procedure for a commercial driver license (CDL) applicant to apply for a vision or limb waiver exemption from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

Amendment to §16.9 moves the responsibility for the intrastate vision waiver program from the Traffic Law Enforcement (TLE) Motor Carrier Section to the Driver License Division (DLD) License Issuance CDL Section; creates evaluation criteria for an applicant's driver history prior to the issuance of a vision waiver consistent with federal guidelines and methodologies in other states; and eliminates the issuance of a limb waiver by the department.

New §16.14 promulgates the policies and procedures necessary for a commercial driver license applicant to apply for a limb waiver through the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

No comments were received regarding adoption of the amendments or new section.

The amendments and new section are adopted pursuant to Texas Government Code, §411.004(3), which authorizes the Public Safety Commission to adopt rules considered necessary for carrying out the department's work and Texas Transportation Code, §522.005.

This agency hereby certifies that the adoption has been reviewed by legal counsel and found to be a valid exercise of the agency's legal authority.

Filed with the Office of the Secretary of State on February 4, 2002.

TRD-200200680

Thomas A. Davis, Jr.

Director

Texas Department of Public Safety

Effective date: February 24, 2002

Proposal publication date: November 2, 2001

For further information, please call: (512) 424-2135


Subchapter B. APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS AND EXAMINATIONS

37 TAC §16.34

The Texas Department of Public Safety adopts an amendment to §16.34, concerning Application Requirements and Examinations, without changes to the proposed text as published in the November 2, 2001, issue of the Texas Register (26 TexReg 8768) and will not republish it. Section 16.34 is amended to place into rule the Driver License Division's (DLD) current policies regarding the Commercial Driver License (CDL) skills test waiver procedure. The amendment clarifies that the skills waiver test does not apply to an applicant obtaining a "P" endorsement (passenger) and that the skills test must be taken in a bus meeting the requirements of the CDL applied for.

No comments were received regarding adoption of the amendment.

The amendment is adopted pursuant to Texas Government Code, §411.004(3), which authorizes the Public Safety Commission to adopt rules considered necessary for carrying out the department's work and Texas Transportation Code, §522.005.

This agency hereby certifies that the adoption has been reviewed by legal counsel and found to be a valid exercise of the agency's legal authority.

Filed with the Office of the Secretary of State on February 4, 2002.

TRD-200200681

Thomas A. Davis, Jr.

Director

Texas Department of Public Safety

Effective date: February 24, 2002

Proposal publication date: November 2, 2001

For further information, please call: (512) 424-2135


Chapter 21. EQUIPMENT AND VEHICLE STANDARDS

37 TAC §21.6

The Texas Department of Public Safety adopts the repeal of §21.6, concerning Minimum Standards for Scales Not furnished by the Texas Department of Public Safety and Used for Law Enforcement Purposes, without changes to the proposed text as published in the November 2, 2001, issue of the Texas Register (26 TexReg 8769) and will not republish it.

The section is being repealed due to substantial changes being made. The repeal is being adopted simultaneously with the adoption of new §21.6 that clarifies department policy regarding certification procedures for portable, semiportable, and fixed scales not furnished by the Texas Department of Public Safety.

No comments were received regarding adoption of the repeal.

The repeal is adopted pursuant to Texas Government Code, §411.004(3), which authorizes the Public Safety Commission to adopt rules considered necessary for carrying out the department's work and Texas Transportation Code, §621.402.

This agency hereby certifies that the adoption has been reviewed by legal counsel and found to be a valid exercise of the agency's legal authority.

Filed with the Office of the Secretary of State on February 4, 2002.

TRD-200200673

Thomas A. Davis, Jr.

Director

Texas Department of Public Safety

Effective date: February 24, 2002

Proposal publication date: November 2, 2001

For further information, please call: (512) 424-2135


37 TAC §21.6

The Texas Department of Public Safety adopts new §21.6, concerning Minimum Standards for Scales not Furnished by the Texas Department of Public Safety and Used for Law Enforcement Purposes, with changes to the proposed text as published in the November 2, 2001, issue of the Texas Register (26 TexReg 8769) and will republish it.

New §21.6 establishes the minimum standards for scales not furnished by the Texas Department of Public Safety and used for law enforcement purposes. The section further promulgates the minimum standards for portable, semiportable, and fixed scale models, the approval procedures, the list of approved scales, and the procedures for cancellation or suspension of approval.

A change is being made to subsection (b)(1) in order to correct a typographical error.

No comments were received regarding adoption of the new section.

The new section is adopted pursuant to Texas Government Code, §411.004(3), which authorizes the Public Safety Commission to adopt rules considered necessary for carrying out the department's work and Texas Transportation Code, §621.402.

§21.6.Minimum Standards for Scales Not Furnished by the Texas Department of Public Safety and Used for Law Enforcement Purposes.

(a) Portable, semiportable and fixed scale models. Portable, semiportable and fixed scale models evaluated under the National Type Evaluation Program (NTEP) and found to comply with the applicable technical requirements set out in the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Handbook 44, "Specifications, Tolerances, and Other Technical Requirements for Weighing and Measuring Devices," will be approved for law enforcement purposes by the Texas Department of Public Safety and may include only the following exceptions.

(1) Weight readout may be truncated to the next lower increment reading.

(2) Hold mode may hold scale reading until manually released.

(b) Approval procedures.

(1) Portable, semiportable, and fixed scales. Any person, firm or corporation desiring approval shall submit to the Texas Department of Public Safety a properly attested verification affidavit, on a form which will be furnished by the department upon request. The affidavit shall state, in part, that the make and model of the particular portable, semiportable, or fixed scale meets the criteria set forth in subsection (a) of this section. A copy of the NTEP Certificate of Conformance, provided by the National Conference on Weights and Measures (NCWM), shall be submitted with the required affidavit.

(2) List of approved scales. The department will furnish upon request a list of approved makes and models of scales.

(3) Cancellation or suspension of approval. If, at any time, it is determined that any approved scale does not comply with the required specifications, the department will cancel the approval of said make and model; provided, however, that the person, firm, or corporation holding such an approval is entitled to 30 days' notice of such proposed cancellation of approval. During such 30- day period, the holder of the approval shall have an opportunity to submit proof that the make and model number in question does in fact comply with these specifications. Such proof shall include attestation from an independent testing agency that the scale in question complies with the criteria set forth in subsection (a) of this section.

This agency hereby certifies that the adoption has been reviewed by legal counsel and found to be a valid exercise of the agency's legal authority.

Filed with the Office of the Secretary of State on February 4, 2002.

TRD-200200674

Thomas A. Davis, Jr.

Director

Texas Department of Public Safety

Effective date: February 24, 2002

Proposal publication date: November 2, 2001

For further information, please call: (512) 424-2135