HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1326        FILED ON: 1/13/2009

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 3161

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the Year Two Thousand Nine

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An Act allowing cities and towns the authority to issue temporary parking identification placards to the temporarily disabled..

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1.  Section 2 of Chapter 90 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2004 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after line 319 the following paragraph:—

“In accordance with section 22 of chapter 40, any city or town may also furnish a special temporary parking identification placard, as identified in the preceding paragraph, to any person who has suffered the temporary loss of use of 1 or more limbs, or post surgical debilitation, or any other conditions which may render a person temporarily unable to walk distances greater than those measured from the average handicapped parking space to building entrance or other destination. Said temporary parking identification placard shall be issued by the police department of the city or town where such temporarily disabled person resides and shall be effective for a period of not more than 90 days and renewable for an additional period of 90 days with proper medical documentation and the approval of the issuing department. Unless otherwise deemed by a city or town, the chief of police shall be the local authority designated with the responsibility to promulgate all rules and directives concerning the issuance and oversight of said temporary identification placards within his jurisdiction. Said temporary parking identification placard shall be of such uniform size and design as the registrar of motor vehicles shall determine; provided that such placards can be produced locally and shall verify, in a manner determined acceptable to said registrar, that such person is temporarily handicapped and eligible to receive and use such placard. When used by the bearer, said placard shall be displayed in a manner consistent with the requirements for special parking identification placards described in the preceding paragraph.”

SECTION 2. Section 22A of Chapter 40 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2004 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the word “ninety”, as appearing in line 32 and line 43 the following new text:—

“or the temporary parking identification placard authorized and issued by a city or town in accordance with section 2 of chapter 90”.