2StepACTIn honor of active-duty Sgt. Adam
“2Step” H. La Porte
Sgt. Adam ‘2Step’ in his U.S. Army combat uniform during his service
SGT. ADAM “2STEP”U.S. Army Combat Infantry · 1-64 · OIF / OEF
A Gold Star Mother seeking change. For every family.

He couldn’t
stand by.
Neither can we.

Combat veteran. Active-duty soldier. My oldest son. Sgt. Adam “2Step” served our country in war. He was killed in a homicide on U.S. soil while still on active duty. His Gold Star Mother, Tracy “2Step” La Porte, carries his courage forward through 2StepACT: a call for accountability before rental keys are handed over, and protection for every family.

Help protect our communities ↗Verify before the keys
2StepACT · Verify before the keys · Protect lives
Facebook ↗X · @2stepact ↗Sgt. 2Step Foundation ↗
In honor of Sgt. Adam “2Step”For our children. Our families. Every community.
The proposal

One more check.
A safer handoff.

2StepACT advocates for an electronic check of a renter’s driver’s license status through an authorized source before releasing a rental vehicle.

Looking at a physical license is one step. Confirming that the license is currently valid is the next.

We are seeking a nationwide federal requirement, alongside continued work in Texas, because public safety and rental-vehicle misuse cross state lines.

Public safety has no party line. This mission is for everyone: every family, every community, every person who deserves to come home safely.

01

Inspect the license.

Review the renter’s driver’s license at the rental counter.

02

Verify its current status.

Check validity with the issuing authority or an authorized verification provider before handing over the keys.

Family tribute to Sgt. Adam ‘2Step,’ showing his Army service, American flag and Sgt 2Step Foundation emblem
A soldier. A son. A brother.

His service. His life. A mission for everyone.

U.S. Army · Combat Infantry · 1-64 · OIF / OEF

His courage. His mother’s mission.

He spoke up.
Now we must.

U.S. Army Sgt. Adam “2Step” was a combat infantry soldier who served in OIF and OEF. He went to war as a young man and was still on active duty when his life was taken in a homicide at home.

His Gold Star Mother, Tracy “2Step” La Porte, describes a son who witnessed serious illegal activity and could not simply stand by. In her account, Adam spoke up about what he saw, and a rental vehicle became the weapon used to kill him.

That is why this mission reaches beyond the rental counter. A vehicle can become a weapon, or a means to move people, drugs and the proceeds of crime. It concerns the people harmed when vehicles are obtained and used for violence and other criminal activity—and the families left to carry the loss.

Tracy is seeking electronic driver-record verification before rental keys are released. In honor of Adam, she is asking lawmakers and communities to turn concern into action.

Tracy “2Step” La Porte
Gold Star Mother of Sgt. Adam “2Step” & 2StepACT advocate

Media & speaking inquiries ↗
Tracy kissing her son Adam on the cheek while he is in his Army uniform, in a cherished framed family photograph
A mother and her son. A love that carries the mission forward.
From his Gold Star Mother

My oldest son.
Always my child.

Before I was a Gold Star Mother, I was Adam’s mom.

I had to face the knock on the door that no mother should ever receive. My oldest son was gone. The soldier who served our country was still my child.

He was a son and a brother. A young man who went to war, served his country, and came home with more life ahead of him. He was still an active-duty soldier when he was killed.

I remember the courage of a son who could not stand by when he saw wrongdoing. Now I carry that same responsibility: to speak up, to step forward, and to ask what we are going to do to protect the next family.

When I ask for verification before the keys, I am thinking about the lives those keys can touch. The people on our roads. The children in our neighborhoods. The families waiting for someone to come home.

We can’t just stand by. It’s time to do something.

Tracy “2Step” La Porte
Gold Star Mother · In honor of Sgt. Adam “2Step”

Stand with this Gold Star Mother ↗
Why this matters

The danger reaches
every one of us.

A vehicle can carry a family home—or be misused to cause devastating harm. Homicide, trafficking, smuggling, drug transport, fraud and terrorism are among the reasons people stand behind this mission. 2StepACT calls for a specific safeguard: verify the renter’s current driving privileges before releasing the keys.

01

Invalid, suspended or revoked licenses

An electronic status check can reveal a problem that a visual inspection alone may miss.

02

Fraud and false credentials

2StepACT calls for reliable verification rather than relying solely on the appearance of a card.

03

Trafficking, smuggling and border crime

These are among the broader rental-vehicle misuse concerns that motivate the campaign’s focus on accountability.

04

Violent crime and terrorism

The campaign urges policymakers to consider the public safety consequences when vehicles are obtained and used for criminal purposes.

05

Drug trafficking and illegal weapons

The campaign calls attention to rental-vehicle misuse in moving drugs and illegal weapons across communities and state lines.

06

Rental fraud and financial crime

Vehicle theft, identity misuse and money laundering are broader accountability concerns that deserve policymakers’ attention.

07

Fugitives and evasion

Rental vehicles can be part of attempts to travel or evade detection. A license-status query itself does not check for warrants.

08

Lives and families forever changed

Preventing access by drivers without valid driving privileges is the focused goal behind this verification proposal.

Why another check matters

A clerk should have more than a card to look at.

The FBI, DHS and TSA have produced training for rental employees on spotting suspicious behavior, questioning identification and reporting concerns. Their vehicle-rental training scenario shows a clerk examining a temporary license, asking questions, and consulting a manager.

2StepACT’s position is that employee vigilance should be backed by an electronic check of current license status before the vehicle leaves. Looking at a card and checking the issuing authority’s record are different safeguards.

Read the FBI’s training transcript ↗
What supporters are asking for

Make verification a requirement.

2StepACT is seeking a law requiring electronic driver-record verification before rental keys are handed over. Training and company policies serve a different purpose from the legal requirement this campaign is working to establish.

  • Protect road users: identify suspended, revoked or otherwise invalid driving privileges.
  • Strengthen accountability: add a record-based check to the rental handoff.
  • Support prevention: address one point of access before a vehicle can be misused.
  • Help save lives: take a practical step for families, workers and communities.
The proposed license-status check is a targeted safeguard. It is not a criminal-history, fugitive, immigration-status or terrorism screening, and cannot prevent every crime or vehicle-related death.
A Gold Star Mother on the record

She took his story
to the Capitol.

Tracy “2Step” La Porte testified in favor of HB 2949 before the Texas House Business & Industry Committee on April 24, 2023.

The official witness list records her representing herself, Military Moms of Texas, Gold Star Families of Texas and 2StepACT. She brought a mother’s loss and a demand for stronger rental safeguards into the legislative record.

Read the official hearing witness record ↗

The 2023 House and Senate bills are part of this continuing effort. The next step is to advance the safeguard in Texas and seek action nationwide.

HB 2949 · 2023

Filed by Rep. Briscoe Cain. The House committee report proposed checking the validity of a Texas resident renter’s license with DPS or an authorized contracted vendor.

Read the House committee bill text ↗
SB 1323 · 2023

Senate legislation by Sen. Mayes Middleton addressing license-status verification before renting a motor vehicle.

Read the Senate bill text ↗
2023 legislative history · The campaign continues to seek a verification requirement in Texas and nationwide.
Support & the people behind the mission

This mission has
never stood alone.

Veterans. Military families. Police officers. Safety advocates. Lawmakers across party lines. A shared commitment to protecting lives.

Veterans for America First

Standing with Tracy and the 2StepACT mission.

Tracy recognizes Veterans for America First (VFAF) among the supporters standing beside her work to advance 2StepACT.

Campaign updates & acknowledgments ↗
2023 written endorsements
“This is simple, common-sense legislation that will keep our streets safe”

Lieutenant Colonel Allen B. West
U.S. Army, Retired · Former Member of Congress

In his 2023 written endorsement, Lieutenant Colonel Allen B. West explicitly supported both SB 1323 and HB 2949. His words speak to the central purpose of this effort: safer streets and protecting lives.

Dr. Tim Westley’s endorsement

Army veteran Dr. Tim Westley also explicitly endorsed both 2023 bills in the same campaign document, calling for support to honor Adam and help save lives.

Source: 2023 “2Step Act TX Endorsement” document retained in the campaign archive.

On the record: 2023 Texas House support

The April 24, 2023 House Business & Industry hearing recorded the following testimony and registrations in favor of HB 2949.

Veterans & military families

  • Veterans of Foreign Wars — Department of TexasMitch Fuller · testimony in support
  • Military Moms of Texas & Gold Star Families of TexasRepresented by Tracy La Porte · testimony in support
  • Dr. Tim WestleyTestimony in his individual capacity

Police unions & associations

  • Houston Police Officers’ UnionRay Hunt
  • Harris County Deputies’ Organization / FOP Lodge #39Joshua Normand
  • Dallas Police AssociationJames Parnell
  • Texas Municipal Police AssociationJohn Wilkerson

Roadway safety & community

  • Farm&CityDaniel Kavelmam
  • Vision Zero TexasTaylor Sims
  • Individual TexansRon Adams · Steve Koebele · Kimberly Pacheco · Thomas Parkinson

Names and roles reflect the 2023 record. Read the official HB 2949 witness list ↗

The names on the bills · 2023

Legislative leadership

HB 2949 author: Rep. Briscoe Cain
Coauthors: Rep. John H. Bucy III, Rep. Janie Lopez, and Rep. Joe Moody
SB 1323 author: Sen. Mayes Middleton

Official House coauthor record ↗

Insurance & historical collaboration

Tracy’s April 2023 campaign correspondence identifies AAA Texas, alongside Farm&City and Vision Zero Texas, in the earlier support effort. This is preserved as historical campaign correspondence.

Ongoing safety connections

Texas Families for Safe Streets is part of Tracy’s current roadway-safety network. Outreach also includes We Save Lives / Candace Lightner for review and safety input. These connections are distinct from formal bill endorsements.

There is a place for your voice

Help build the next chapter.

We welcome veterans and military families; police, fire and employee associations; insurers; distracted- and impaired-driving prevention advocates; victim and survivor groups; anti-trafficking, border and immigration-policy professionals; businesses; and communities. Offer a support letter, policy expertise, testimony, or help sharing the mission.

Join the effort ↗
The proposal reached the White House · July 27, 2020

A mother’s plea.
A federal referral.

In a letter to Tracy dated July 27, 2020, President Donald Trump honored Adam’s Army service and confirmed that he had shared the 2StepACT proposal with the appropriate federal agency.

That written response is a meaningful part of the record: Adam’s service was honored, his mother was heard, and her proposal was referred for federal attention.

Today, Tracy is asking Congress and the relevant federal agencies to carry that attention forward into a practical nationwide verification requirement.

From the original letter

“Please know that I have shared your proposal, the 2StepACT, with the appropriate Federal agency.”

— President Donald Trump, July 27, 2020

The letter documents acknowledgment and referral. The campaign’s call now is for federal review and legislative action.

Download letter transcript ↓
A nationwide call for action

Every state.
Every family. One responsibility.

This is about everybody. Protecting a life should never depend on a party label.

Why federal review matters

Rental vehicles move across state lines. The people harmed by their misuse live in communities across the country. That is why 2StepACT seeks federal review alongside the work in Texas.

Congress, federal agencies, state licensing authorities, the rental industry and public-safety professionals should examine how to require reliable electronic driver-record verification before keys are released, with clear privacy protections and a workable process.

What we are asking leaders to do

  1. Review the record: Tracy’s testimony, the Texas bill language, support letters and the White House referral.
  2. Develop a nationwide requirement: verify current driving privileges through authorized records before the rental handoff.
  3. Work across party lines: bring the people responsible for implementation together around protecting lives.

In honor of Sgt. Adam “2Step” H. La Porte—and for the family that should never have to receive that knock on the door.

Ask your lawmakers to act ↗
A Gold Star Mother’s call to action

We can’t just
stand by.

Ask state and federal lawmakers to review the record and work across party lines on electronic verification before rental keys are released. Share the mission, request a meeting, or connect with Tracy to support the effort.

  1. 01   Find your Texas lawmakers.
    Use the official Who Represents Me tool ↗
    Find your U.S. representative ↗ · Contact U.S. senators ↗
  2. 02   Ask for electronic verification.
    Use the sample message as a starting point and add your own reasons for supporting the proposal.
  3. 03   Share the mission.
     

A message you can make your own

Dear Representative or Senator,

I am writing to ask you to support legislation requiring electronic verification of a renter’s driver’s license status through an authorized source before a rental vehicle’s keys are released.

The 2StepACT campaign calls for stronger accountability in the rental process. Inspecting a physical license alone does not confirm that the license is currently valid.

Please review Tracy La Porte’s 2023 Texas testimony, HB 2949 and SB 1323, and the July 27, 2020 White House letter referring her proposal to a federal agency. I ask you to consider a nationwide requirement alongside state action.

This is a public-safety issue for every family. Please work across party lines to move it forward.

Please review the proposal, work with the relevant agencies and stakeholders, and help advance a practical verification requirement that protects the public while respecting privacy.

Thank you for your consideration.

[Your name]
[Your city and ZIP code]

Music, remembrance & media

His memory.
A mission carried forward.

Music and public conversations help carry Adam’s story beyond one family—and invite others to stand with this Gold Star Mother.

Music with a mission

“Flag” featuring Billy Ray Cyrus

Tracy’s collaboration with Billy Ray Cyrus brings music into the work of remembrance. Explore “Flag” and her other songs on her official music page.

Visit Tracy’s music page ↗
A tribute shared with the nation

Billy Ray Cyrus honors Adam

Tracy recalls Billy Ray Cyrus wearing Adam’s tribute shirt on Hannity and bringing attention to Adam and 2StepACT. Her public video announcement shares that tribute and his connection to the mission.

View Tracy’s tribute announcement ↗
Questions, answered

Know what
you’re supporting.

Is 2StepACT already a law?

This website advocates for a verification requirement. The 2023 bills linked above are legislative history. The campaign is seeking a nationwide federal requirement and continuing its Texas advocacy. Contact the campaign for the latest filing information.

What would a verification check do?

It would check the current validity of a renter’s license through an authorized source. The exact scope, data access, privacy protections and process would depend on the legislation adopted.

Does it check criminal or immigration records?

No. A driver’s license-status check is not a criminal-record, warrant or immigration screening. Broader public safety concerns help explain the campaign’s motivation, but should not be confused with what the check itself does.

How can I help or request an interview?

Email Tracy at tracylaporte@gmail.com to discuss outreach, legislative support, community events or media interviews.

Does this website collect signatures?

No. This version does not collect petition signatures or store information entered by visitors. Email links open your own email app, and external sites have their own privacy policies.

Connect with the mission

Let’s take the next step.

Tracy “2Step” La Porte · Gold Star Mother · Round Rock, Texas

Email Tracy ↗tracylaporte@gmail.com512-470-3485