Special identification cards issued by the Department of Transportation providing parking privileges for persons with physical disabilities and providing a penalty

What it would have done

Summary by the Legislative Reference Bureau, the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.

Under current law, a person with a disability that limits or impairs the ability to walk may apply for and obtain from the Department of Transportation (DOT) a special identification card (disabled parking card). With limited exceptions, a disabled parking card entitles any motor vehicle parked by or under the direction of the card holder, or any motor vehicle operated by or on behalf of an organization and used to transport a person eligible for a card, to parking privileges. A person or organization may be required to forfeit not less than $50 nor more than $300 if the person or organization sells or lends a disabled parking card knowing that the person purchasing or borrowing the card is not authorized by law to use it or displays a disabled parking card on a vehicle knowing that the vehicle is not authorized to have the card displayed on it. In addition, any person or organization that fraudulently procures, makes, alters, reproduces, or duplicates a disabled parking card must forfeit not less than $200 nor more than $500.

This bill increases the penalty for selling a disabled parking card to an unauthorized user from a potential forfeiture of not less than $50 nor more than $300 to a mandatory forfeiture of not less than $200 nor more than $500. The bill also prohibits fraudulent use of a disabled parking card, which is subject to a potential forfeiture of not less than $50 nor more than $300 if the violator was issued the disabled parking card by DOT and a mandatory forfeiture of not less than $200 nor more than $500 if the violator was not issued the disabled parking card by DOT. The bill also eliminates the requirement that, to constitute a violation for displaying a disabled parking card on a vehicle not authorized to have the card displayed on it, the violator must know that the vehicle is not authorized to have the card displayed on it.

Who's behind it

3 senators are its authors⁠. 2 are Democrats and 1 is a Republican.

13 more lawmakers signed on in support⁠.