| 1 | 1 | | By: Blanco S.B. No. 2138 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 5 | 5 | | AN ACT |
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| 6 | 6 | | relating to parking fees charged by public institutions of higher |
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| 7 | 7 | | education to persons with disabilities. |
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| 8 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 9 | 9 | | SECTION 1. Section 681.007, Transportation Code, is amended |
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| 10 | 10 | | to read as follows: |
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| 11 | 11 | | PARKING PRIVILEGES: VEHICLES DISPLAYING INTERNATIONAL |
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| 12 | 12 | | SYMBOL OF ACCESS. |
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| 13 | 13 | | (a) A vehicle may be parked and is exempt from the payment of |
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| 14 | 14 | | a fee or penalty in the same manner as a vehicle that has displayed |
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| 15 | 15 | | on the vehicle special license plates issued under Section 504.201 |
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| 16 | 16 | | or a disabled parking placard as provided by Section 681.006 if |
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| 17 | 17 | | there is displayed on the vehicle a license plate or placard that: |
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| 18 | 18 | | (1) bears the international symbol of access; and |
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| 19 | 19 | | (2) is issued by a state or by a state or province of a |
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| 20 | 20 | | foreign country to the owner or operator of the vehicle for the |
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| 21 | 21 | | transportation of a person with a disability. |
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| 22 | 22 | | (a-1) A vehicle described by Subsection (a) may be parked |
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| 23 | 23 | | for an unlimited period in a parking space or area that is |
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| 24 | 24 | | designated specifically for persons with physical disabilities on |
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| 25 | 25 | | the property of an institution of higher education, as defined by |
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| 26 | 26 | | Section 61.003, Education Code, regardless of whether a permit is |
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| 27 | 27 | | generally required for the use of the space or area. An institution |
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| 28 | 28 | | of higher education may require a vehicle described by Subsection |
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| 29 | 29 | | (a) to display a parking permit issued by the institution |
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| 30 | 30 | | specifically for the purpose of implementing this subsection, but |
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| 31 | 31 | | may not charge a fee for the permit. This subsection does not |
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| 32 | 32 | | entitle a person to park a vehicle described by Subsection (a) in a |
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| 33 | 33 | | parking space or area that has not been designated specifically for |
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| 34 | 34 | | persons with physical disabilities on the property of the |
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| 35 | 35 | | institution if the vehicle has not been granted or assigned a |
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| 36 | 36 | | parking permit required by the institution. |
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| 37 | 37 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |
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