Maryland 2024 Regular Session

Maryland Senate Bill SB907 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1
2	2
3	3	EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
4	4	[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
5	5	sb0907
6	6
7	7	SENATE BILL 907
8	8	R4 4lr2203
9	9
10	10	By: Senator Augustine
11	11	Introduced and read first time: February 2, 2024
12	12	Assigned to: Judicial Proceedings
13	13
14	14	A BILL ENTITLED
15	15
16	16	AN ACT concerning 1
17	17
18	18	Motor Vehicles – Disability Parking Placards – Photo Identification 2
19	19
20	20	FOR the purpose of requiring the Motor Vehicle Administration, on request, to issue a 3
21	21	disability parking placard with an embedded color photograph of the placard holder; 4
22	22	requiring a parking placard with an embedded color photograph of the placard holder 5
23	23	to include a privacy sleeve that allows a person to freely display or hide the color 6
24	24	photograph; and generally relating to disability parking placards. 7
25	25
26	26	BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 8
27	27	Article – Transportation 9
28	28	Section 13–616.1 10
29	29	Annotated Code of Maryland 11
30	30	(2020 Replacement Volume and 2023 Supplement) 12
31	31
32	32	SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 13
33	33	That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 14
34	34
35	35	Article – Transportation 15
36	36
37	37	13–616.1. 16
38	38
39	39	(a) A person may apply to the Administration for a parking placard on a form 17
40	40	provided by the Administration if the applicant: 18
41	41
42	42	(1) Is a resident of the State; and 19
43	43
44	44	(2) (i) Has a permanent disability as described in § 13–616(b)(1) of this 20
45	45	subtitle and as certified by a licensed physician, licensed physician assistant, licensed 21
46	46	chiropractor, licensed optometrist, licensed podiatrist, or licensed physical therapist, as 22
47	47	defined in § 13–616(a) of this subtitle; or 23
48	48	2 SENATE BILL 907
49	49
50	50
51	51	(ii) Has a permanent disability as described in § 13–616(b)(1)(vi) of 1
52	52	this subtitle and as self–certified as provided by § 13–616(b)(2)(iv) of this subtitle. 2
53	53
54	54	(b) (1) A parking placard for a person with a disability may be issued to an 3
55	55	applicant described in subsection (a) of this section only if the applicant submits proof 4
56	56	satisfactory to the Administration that the applicant is a person with a disability as 5
57	57	described in § 13–616(b) of this subtitle. 6
58	58
59	59	(2) A parent or legal guardian may apply for a special disability parking 7
60	60	placard on behalf of a qualified minor. 8
61	61
62	62	(c) (1) Except as provided in § 13–616(c) of this subtitle, the Administration 9
63	63	may not issue to an applicant: 10
64	64
65	65	(i) More than one placard if the applicant requests one set of special 11
66	66	registration plates under § 13–616 of this subtitle; or 12
67	67
68	68	(ii) More than two placards if the applicant does not request a set of 13
69	69	special registration plates under § 13–616 of this subtitle. 14
70	70
71	71	(2) Except as provided in § 13–616(c) of this subtitle, the Administration 15
72	72	may not issue to a person issued special vehicle registration plates under § 13–616 of this 16
73	73	subtitle a combination of special disability registration plates and placards exceeding two. 17
74	74
75	75	(d) (1) (i) A placard issued under this section to an applicant described in 18
76	76	subsection (a) of this section is valid until the death of the placard holder. 19
77	77
78	78	(ii) On receipt of notification of the death of the placard holder, the 20
79	79	Administration shall mark the record of the placard as expired and shall send notice to the 21
80	80	last known address of the placard holder requesting the return of the placard to the 22
81	81	Administration. 23
82	82
83	83	(2) If a placard is lost, stolen, or damaged, the placard holder may apply 24
84	84	for a replacement placard on an application form and in the manner required by the 25
85	85	Administration. 26
86	86
87	87	(e) (1) A parking placard for a person with a disability shall be issued: 27
88	88
89	89	(i) Except as provided in item (ii) or item (iii) of this paragraph, in 28
90	90	the form of a removable windshield placard capable of being hung from the inside rearview 29
91	91	mirror and of a size and design as determined by the Administration; 30
92	92
93	93	(ii) For a vehicle not equipped with an inside rearview mirror or in 31
94	94	which the inside rearview mirror is not visible from the rear of the vehicle, in the form of a 32
95	95	windshield placard of a size and design as determined by the Administration; or 33
96	96	SENATE BILL 907 3
97	97
98	98
99	99	(iii) For a Class D (motorcycle) vehicle, in the form of a sticker of a 1
100	100	size and design as designated by the Administration. 2
101	101
102	102	(2) A person to whom a parking placard for a person with a disability is 3
103	103	issued shall display the placard described in this section: 4
104	104
105	105	(i) In a Class A (passenger) vehicle or a Class M (multipurpose) 5
106	106	vehicle; 6
107	107
108	108	(ii) On a Class D (motorcycle) vehicle as required by the 7
109	109	Administration; 8
110	110
111	111	(iii) In a Class E (truck) vehicle with a one ton or less manufacturer’s 9
112	112	rated capacity and specially equipped for the transportation of or operation by an individual 10
113	113	with a disability; or 11
114	114
115	115	(iv) In a Class H, I, or J vehicle that is specially equipped for the 12
116	116	transportation of individuals with disabilities and is used exclusively for the transportation 13
117	117	of individuals with disabilities. 14
118	118
119	119	(3) (I) THE ADMINISTRATION , ON THE REQUEST OF TH E PERSON 15
120	120	TO WHOM THE PARKING PLACARD IS ISSUED , SHALL ISSUE A PARKING PLACARD 16
121	121	WITH AN EMBEDDED COL OR PHOTOGRAPH OF THE PERSON. 17
122	122
123	123	(II) A PARKING PLACARD ISSU ED WITH AN EMBEDDED COLOR 18
124	124	PHOTOGRAPH SHALL INCLUDE A PRIV ACY SLEEVE THAT ALLOWS A PERSON TO 19
125	125	FREELY DISPLAY OR HI DE THE COLOR PHOTOGR APH. 20
126	126
127	127	(III) A PERSON SHALL DISPLAY THE EMBEDDED COLOR 21
128	128	PHOTOGRAPH ON A PARKING PLACARD ON THE REQUEST OF : 22
129	129
130	130	1. A POLICE OFFICER , WHILE THE OFFICER IS 23
131	131	DISCHARGING THE OFFI CIAL DUTIES OF A POL ICE OFFICER; OR 24
132	132
133	133	2. ANY OTHER PERSON AUTH ORIZED BY A POLITICA L 25
134	134	SUBDIVISION TO ENFORCE THIS SE CTION, WHILE ACTING WITHIN THE SCOPE OF 26
135	135	THIS AUTHORITY . 27
136	136
137	137	(IV) THE ADMINISTRATION SHALL TAKE A COLOR PHOTOGR APH 28
138	138	EMBEDDED ON A PARKIN G PLACARD IN ACCORDANCE WITH A PROCEDURE THAT THE 29
139	139	ADMINISTRATION REQUIR ES. 30
140	140
141	141	(f) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (3) of this subsection, when displayed 31
142	142	by the person to whom a removable windshield placard is issued, the removable windshield 32
143	143	placard shall be hung from the inside rearview mirror when the vehicle is parked. 33 4 SENATE BILL 907
144	144
145	145
146	146
147	147	(2) A person may not drive a vehicle while a removable windshield placard 1
148	148	described under paragraph (1) of this subsection is hanging from the inside rearview 2
149	149	mirror. 3
150	150
151	151	(3) The removable windshield placard shall be placed inside a vehicle that 4
152	152	is not equipped with an inside rearview mirror, in a position from which the removable 5
153	153	windshield placard can be viewed from the outside of the vehicle through the lower portion 6
154	154	of the windshield on the driver’s side of the vehicle. 7
155	155
156	156	(4) When displayed, the person to whom a removable windshield placard is 8
157	157	issued under this section or under a similar provision of law of any state or country is 9
158	158	accorded the privileges contained in § 13–616(f) of this subtitle. 10
159	159
160	160	(g) When using the parking privileges granted under § 13–616(f) of this subtitle: 11
161	161
162	162	(1) The person shall have in the person’s possession identification issued 12
163	163	by the Administration as proof that parking privileges are being utilized by a person with 13
164	164	a disability as defined in § 13–616(b)(1) of this subtitle; and 14
165	165
166	166	(2) The person shall make the identification available upon the request of: 15
167	167
168	168	(i) A police officer, while the officer is discharging the official duties 16
169	169	of a police officer; or 17
170	170
171	171	(ii) Any other person authorized by a political subdivision to enforce 18
172	172	this section, while acting within the scope of this authority. 19
173	173
174	174	(h) (1) A person may not commit any fraud or make any misrepresentation in 20
175	175	certifying a person’s disability or applying for or using a parking placard for a person with 21
176	176	a disability. 22
177	177
178	178	(2) A person who operates a motor vehicle displaying a parking placard for 23
179	179	a person with a disability may not use the privileges granted under this section, unless the 24
180	180	person is: 25
181	181
182	182	(i) A person with a disability who meets the requirements of § 26
183	183	13–616(b)(1) of this subtitle; or 27
184	184
185	185	(ii) Accompanied by a dependent, or an individual who depends on 28
186	186	the person for transportation, who meets the requirements of § 13–616(b)(1) of this subtitle. 29
187	187
188	188	(3) To determine if the eligibility requirements continue to be met, the 30
189	189	Administration may conduct a review of a parking placard for a person with a disability 31
190	190	that is issued by the Administration under this section and: 32
191	191	SENATE BILL 907 5
192	192
193	193
194	194	(i) If the Administration finds it necessary to review the severity or 1
195	195	permanency of a placard holder’s disability, the Administration may request a review and 2
196	196	recommendations from the Medical Advisory Board established under § 16–118 of this 3
197	197	article; and 4
198	198
199	199	(ii) If the Administration determines that eligibility requirements 5
200	200	are not being met, the Administration may revoke the parking placard for a person with a 6
201	201	disability. 7
202	202
203	203	(i) The Administration shall: 8
204	204
205	205	(1) Administer the removable windshield placard program in accordance 9
206	206	with the provisions of this section; and 10
207	207
208	208	(2) By July 1, 2001, establish an automated system for recording the 11
209	209	issuance, renewal, and expiration of placards in a timely manner to ensure that the 12
210	210	objectives of the placard program are achieved in an efficient and orderly manner. 13
211	211
212	212	(j) In accordance with the provisions of this section, each board for licensed 14
213	213	physicians, licensed physician assistants, licensed chiropractors, licensed optometrists, 15
214	214	licensed podiatrists, or licensed physical therapists shall be responsible for the development 16
215	215	and maintenance of a database system, with which the Administration can interface and 17
216	216	verify licensure. 18
217	217
218	218	SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 19
219	219	October 1, 2024. 20