| 1 | 1 | | 84R1281 JXC-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Fletcher H.B. No. 126 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to parking placards for vehicles of persons with |
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| 8 | 8 | | disabilities. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Sections 681.003(b), (c), and (e), |
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| 11 | 11 | | Transportation Code, are amended to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | (b) An application for a disabled parking placard must be: |
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| 13 | 13 | | (1) on a form furnished by the department; |
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| 14 | 14 | | (2) submitted to the county assessor-collector of the |
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| 15 | 15 | | county in which the person with the disability: |
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| 16 | 16 | | (A) resides if the person has a permanent |
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| 17 | 17 | | disability and is a resident of this state; |
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| 18 | 18 | | (B) resides or is seeking medical treatment if |
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| 19 | 19 | | the person has a temporary disability and is a resident of this |
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| 20 | 20 | | state; or |
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| 21 | 21 | | (C) [in which the applicant] is seeking medical |
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| 22 | 22 | | treatment if the person [applicant] is not a resident of this state; |
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| 23 | 23 | | and |
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| 24 | 24 | | (3) accompanied by a fee of $5 if the application is |
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| 25 | 25 | | for a temporary placard. |
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| 26 | 26 | | (c) Subject to Subsections (e) and (f), the first |
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| 27 | 27 | | application must be accompanied by a notarized written statement or |
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| 28 | 28 | | written prescription of a physician licensed to practice medicine |
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| 29 | 29 | | in this state or a state adjacent to this state, or authorized by |
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| 30 | 30 | | applicable law to practice medicine in a hospital or other health |
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| 31 | 31 | | facility of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, |
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| 32 | 32 | | certifying and providing evidence acceptable to the department that |
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| 33 | 33 | | the person making the application or on whose behalf the |
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| 34 | 34 | | application is made is legally blind or has a mobility problem that |
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| 35 | 35 | | substantially impairs the person's ability to ambulate. The |
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| 36 | 36 | | statement or prescription must include a certification of whether |
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| 37 | 37 | | the disability is temporary or permanent and information acceptable |
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| 38 | 38 | | to the department to determine the type of disabled parking placard |
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| 39 | 39 | | for which the person [applicant] is eligible. The department shall |
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| 40 | 40 | | determine a person's eligibility based on evidence provided by the |
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| 41 | 41 | | applicant establishing legal blindness or mobility impairment. |
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| 42 | 42 | | (e) If a first application for a disabled parking placard |
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| 43 | 43 | | under this section is made by or on behalf of a person with: |
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| 44 | 44 | | (1) a mobility problem caused by a disorder of the |
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| 45 | 45 | | foot, the notarized written statement or written prescription |
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| 46 | 46 | | required by Subsection (c) may be issued by a person licensed to |
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| 47 | 47 | | practice podiatry in this state or a state adjacent to this state; |
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| 48 | 48 | | [or] |
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| 49 | 49 | | (2) a disability caused by an impairment of vision as |
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| 50 | 50 | | provided by Section 681.001(2), the notarized written statement or |
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| 51 | 51 | | written prescription required by Subsection (c) may be issued by a |
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| 52 | 52 | | person licensed to engage in the practice of optometry or the |
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| 53 | 53 | | practice of therapeutic optometry in this state or a state adjacent |
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| 54 | 54 | | to this state; or |
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| 55 | 55 | | (3) a temporary mobility problem that substantially |
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| 56 | 56 | | impairs the person's ability to ambulate, the notarized written |
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| 57 | 57 | | statement or written prescription required by Subsection (c) may be |
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| 58 | 58 | | issued by a person licensed to practice chiropractic, as described |
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| 59 | 59 | | by Section 201.002, Occupations Code, in this state or a state |
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| 60 | 60 | | adjacent to this state. |
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| 61 | 61 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |
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