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Abstract: 

The complexity of enacting strong highway safety legislation to control drunk drivers recently was illustrated in Texas where the state legislature passed House Bill 3588 in the last days of its 2003 session. Among other features, that bill established a $1,000 annual license fee surcharge for each of three years for first-time offenders when they reinstate their licenses following their period of suspension for driving under the influence (DUI) or driving while impaired (DWI). For second-time offenders, the annual surcharge is $1,500. This article looks at the questions to ask regarding new legislation and the possible results of the surcharge.

Keywords: driving under the influence (DUI); driving while impaired (DWI); Texas House Bill 3588;

Affiliations:  1: Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation (PIRE).