DPS announces changes to Driver Responsibility Program fines
March 05, 2010
Tristan Hallman
Houston Chronicle - Texas Politics Blog
The Texas Department of Public Safety announced changes to the Driver Responsibility Program intended to ease fines on low-income individuals.
The changes, proposed in the wake of legislation last year, would reduce charges depending on a person's income level. The qualifying level would be set at 125 percent of the poverty level, and the fines would be progressive depending on how far a person's income is below that level.
The proposed changes also would allow applicants to file for indigent status over the phone or online, and they would have to submit supporting documentation.
If a fine were reduced, the driver would have 90 days, rather than the current 30 days, to pay in full.
The DPS has published the proposed changes in the Texas Register and will accept comments on the changes for 30 days. The changes would not go into effect until the fall of 2011.
