PRINTER'S NO. 1979
No. 1624 Session of 1999
INTRODUCED BY MAYERNIK, GEORGE, STABACK, WALKO, CORRIGAN,
DERMODY, DeWEESE, GEIST, GIGLIOTTI, HARHAI, HORSEY, LAUGHLIN,
LEDERER, ORIE, PESCI, RUFFING, J. TAYLOR, WOJNAROSKI AND
TRELLO, JUNE 9, 1999
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION, JUNE 9, 1999
AN ACT
1 Amending Title 75 (Vehicles) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
2 Statutes, further providing for person with disability plate
3 and placard and for additional parking regulations; and
4 making editorial changes.
5 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
6 hereby enacts as follows:
7 Section 1. Section 1338(c) of Title 75 of the Pennsylvania
8 Consolidated Statutes, amended December 21, 1998 (P.L.1126,
9 No.151), is amended to read:
10 § 1338. Person with disability plate and placard.
11 * * *
12 (c) Physician's statement.--
13 (1) Any person applying for a special plate or parking
14 placard for persons with disabilities must present a
15 statement, certified by a physician licensed to practice in
16 this Commonwealth or in a contiguous state, that the person
17 with a disability is disabled as provided in subsection (a).
18 (2) Any person applying for a renewal of registration of
1 a special plate for persons with disabilities must comply
2 with this subsection. Once a person with a disability has
3 been duly certified by a physician as being disabled, as
4 provided in subsection (a), the applicant need not submit a
5 certification for subsequent renewals of registration for a
6 special plate for persons with disabilities. A person who was
7 issued a person with disability plate under this section and
8 no longer qualifies for one shall not be charged a
9 replacement fee for a regular registration plate upon payment
10 of the regular registration fee.
11 [(3) In lieu of a physician's statement, a person
12 applying for a special plate or parking placard may present a
13 statement from a police officer certifying that the person
14 does not have full use of a leg, or both legs, or is blind.]
15 (4) The department shall phase out existing handicapped
16 placards as soon as practicable and issue a new series to
17 persons who comply with this section.
18 * * *
19 Section 2. Section 3354(d) of Title 75 is amended to read:
20 § 3354. Additional parking regulations.
21 * * *
22 (d) [Handicapped persons] Persons with disabilities and
23 disabled veterans.--
24 (1) When a motor vehicle bearing a [handicapped] person
25 with disability or severely disabled veteran plate or
26 displaying a [handicapped] person with disability or severely
27 disabled veteran parking placard as prescribed in this title
28 is being operated by or for the transportation of the
29 [handicapped] person with a disability or severely disabled
30 veteran, the driver shall be relieved of any liability for
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1 parking for a period of 60 minutes in excess of the legal
2 parking period permitted by local authorities except where
3 local ordinances or police regulations provide for the
4 accommodation of heavy traffic during morning, afternoon or
5 evening hours.
6 (2) At the request of any [handicapped] person with a
7 disability or severely disabled veteran whose request
8 includes a statement of a physician and a statement of the
9 chief of police both attesting to the need for a reserved
10 parking place, local authorities [may] shall erect on the
11 highway as close as possible to their place of residence a
12 sign or signs indicating that that place is reserved for the
13 [handicapped] person with a disability or severely disabled
14 veteran, that no parking is allowed there by others, and that
15 any unauthorized person parking there shall be subject to a
16 fine.
17 (3) (i) Except for persons parking vehicles lawfully
18 bearing a [handicapped] person with disability or
19 severely disabled veteran registration plate or
20 displaying a [handicapped] person with disability or
21 severely disabled veteran parking placard when such
22 vehicles are being operated by or for the transportation
23 of a [handicapped] person with a disability or a severely
24 disabled veteran, no person shall park a vehicle on
25 public or private property reserved for a [handicapped]
26 person with a disability or severely disabled veteran
27 which property has been so posted in accordance with
28 departmental regulations which shall require a sign
29 stating the penalty amount indicated in subsection (f), a
30 sign indicating that vehicles in violation of the
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1 subsection may be towed and require that signs be
2 replaced when they become either obsolete or missing with
3 all costs to replace the necessary signs to be borne by
4 the persons responsible for signing the particular
5 location. Any vehicle which is unlawfully parked in a
6 designated [handicapped] person with disability parking
7 area may be removed from that area by towing and may be
8 reclaimed by the vehicle owner upon payment of the towing
9 costs.
10 (ii) Local authorities shall have the power and may,
11 by ordinance or resolution, authorize [handicapped]
12 persons with disabilities and severely disabled veterans
13 to issue statements to violators or violating vehicles
14 for violation of subparagraph (i). The form of the
15 statement shall be as prescribed by the local
16 authorities.
17 * * *
18 Section 3. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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