| 1 | 1 | | S.B. No. 1984 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | AN ACT |
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| 5 | 5 | | relating to certification of a person in certain counties as |
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| 6 | 6 | | eligible for disabled parking privileges. |
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| 7 | 7 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 8 | 8 | | SECTION 1. Section 681.003, Transportation Code, is amended |
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| 9 | 9 | | by amending Subsection (c) and adding Subsection (f) to read as |
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| 10 | 10 | | follows: |
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| 11 | 11 | | (c) Subject to Subsections [Subsection] (e) and (f), the |
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| 12 | 12 | | first application must be accompanied by a notarized written |
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| 13 | 13 | | statement or written prescription of a physician licensed to |
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| 14 | 14 | | practice medicine in this state or a state adjacent to this state, |
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| 15 | 15 | | or authorized by applicable law to practice medicine in a hospital |
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| 16 | 16 | | or other health facility of the United States Department of |
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| 17 | 17 | | Veterans Affairs [Administration], certifying and providing |
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| 18 | 18 | | evidence acceptable to the department that the person making the |
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| 19 | 19 | | application or on whose behalf the application is made is legally |
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| 20 | 20 | | blind or has a mobility problem that substantially impairs the |
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| 21 | 21 | | person's ability to ambulate. The statement or prescription must |
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| 22 | 22 | | include a certification of whether the disability is temporary or |
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| 23 | 23 | | permanent and information acceptable to the department to determine |
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| 24 | 24 | | the type of disabled parking placard for which the applicant is |
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| 25 | 25 | | eligible. The department shall determine a person's eligibility |
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| 26 | 26 | | based on evidence provided by the applicant establishing legal |
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| 27 | 27 | | blindness or mobility impairment. |
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| 28 | 28 | | (f) This subsection applies only to the first application |
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| 29 | 29 | | for a disabled parking placard submitted by a person who resides in |
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| 30 | 30 | | a county with a population of 125,000 or less. The notarized |
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| 31 | 31 | | written statement or prescription may be issued by: |
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| 32 | 32 | | (1) a person acting under the delegation and |
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| 33 | 33 | | supervision of a licensed physician in conformance with Subchapter |
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| 34 | 34 | | B, Chapter 157, Occupations Code; or |
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| 35 | 35 | | (2) a physician assistant licensed to practice in this |
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| 36 | 36 | | state acting as the agent of a licensed physician under Section |
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| 37 | 37 | | 204.202(e), Occupations Code. |
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| 38 | 38 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 39 | 39 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 40 | 40 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 41 | 41 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 42 | 42 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |
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| 43 | 43 | | ______________________________ ______________________________ |
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| 44 | 44 | | President of the Senate Speaker of the House |
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| 45 | 45 | | I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1984 passed the Senate on |
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| 46 | 46 | | May 12, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. |
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| 47 | 47 | | ______________________________ |
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| 48 | 48 | | Secretary of the Senate |
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| 49 | 49 | | I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1984 passed the House on |
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| 50 | 50 | | May 27, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 148, Nays 0, one |
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| 51 | 51 | | present not voting. |
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| 52 | 52 | | ______________________________ |
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| 53 | 53 | | Chief Clerk of the House |
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| 54 | 54 | | Approved: |
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| 55 | 55 | | ______________________________ |
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| 56 | 56 | | Date |
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| 57 | 57 | | ______________________________ |
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| 58 | 58 | | Governor |
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