FILED ON: 10/13/2017
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2178
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The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninetieth General Court
(2017-2018)
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An Act relative to handicapped parking.
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. The eighth paragraph of section 2 of chapter 90 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2016 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the word “handicapped”, in line 303, the following words:- ; and provided further, that the registrar may, in its discretion, waive the requirement that an agency of the commonwealth prominently display the name of the agency on such vehicle.
SECTION 1A. The ninth paragraph of said section 2 of said chapter 90, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after the seventh sentence the following sentence:- Obstruction of the placard number or expiration date, including the failure to display the placard in a way that makes the placard number or expiration date readily visible through the windshield, or the failure to follow instructions printed on the placard shall be subject to a fine of $50.
SECTION 2. Said ninth paragraph of said section 2 of said chapter 90, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by inserting after the eighth sentence the following sentence:- The registrar may require documents or information from an applicant to verify information contained in an application for a handicapped plate or placard and may refuse to process the application until such documentation or information is provided to the registrar by the applicant.
SECTION 3. Said section 2 of said chapter 90, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by striking out, in line 328, the word “in”, the first time it appears, and inserting in place thereof the following words:- , including the use or display of a handicapped plate or placard belonging to a deceased person, in.
SECTION 4. Said section 2 of said chapter 90, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by striking out, in line 335, the figure “30” and inserting in place thereof the following figure:- 60.
SECTION 5. Said section 2 of said chapter 90, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by striking out, in line 336, the figure “90” and inserting in place thereof the following figure:- 120.
SECTION 6. The ninth paragraph of said section 2 of said chapter 90, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after the twelfth sentence the following 6 sentences:- The registrar may investigate allegations that an individual has falsely obtained a handicapped plate or placard or is using a handicapped plate or placard without meeting eligibility requirements. The registrar may, upon a finding of ineligibility or that a handicapped plate or placard was falsely obtained, revoke the handicapped plate or placard in addition to any other penalties allowed by this chapter. An application for a handicapped plate or placard or report of a lost or stolen handicapped plate or placard shall be made under the penalties of perjury. A person who intentionally makes a false statement related to their eligibility in an application for a handicapped plate or placard, including for the renewal of a handicapped plate or placard or when reporting a handicapped plate or placard lost or stolen shall be subject to a fine of $500 for a first offense and $1,000 for a second or subsequent offense. The registrar shall require the return of a handicapped plate or placard that has been revoked or canceled. Failure to return a handicapped plate or placard that has been revoked or canceled shall be subject to a fine of $100.
SECTION 6A. Section 13 of said chapter 90, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 4, the word “or”, the first time it appears, and inserting in place thereof the following words:- , including the display of a handicap identification placard during such operation, or.
SECTION 6B. Said section 13 of said chapter 90, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after the first sentence the following sentence:- The display of a handicap parking identification placard in such a manner as to interfere with or impede the proper operation of a vehicle shall be enforced by law enforcement agencies only when an operator of a motor vehicle has been stopped for an unrelated violation of the motor vehicle laws or some other offense
SECTION 7. Said section 24B of said chapter 90, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by inserting after the word “vehicles”, in line 30, the following words:- , a special parking identification disability placard.
SECTION 8. Said section 24B of said chapter 90, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by inserting after the word “vehicles”, in line 32, the following words:- , special parking identification disability placard.
SECTION 9. Said section 24B of said chapter 90, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by inserting after the word “operate”, in line 34, the following words:- , special parking identification disability placards.
SECTION 10. Said section 24B of said chapter 90, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by inserting after the word “vehicles”, in lines 45 and 50, each time it appears, the following words:- or special parking identification disability placard.
SECTION 11. Said section 24B of said chapter 90, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by inserting after the word “license”, in line 48, the following words:- , permit or placard.
SECTION 12. The registrar of motor vehicles shall conduct a feasibility study to examine the current process to issue a handicapped placard to an applicant under section 2 of chapter 90 of the General Laws and the efficiencies that can be obtained by transitioning to a new information technology system. The study shall include: (i) methods to reduce the wait time for an applicant to receive a determination on a submitted application; (ii) methods for posting online information related to the number of individual applications received, including the average time to process an application after the date it is received and the number of applicants that did not receive a determination within 30 days after the date their applications were received; and (iii) a procedure to contact individuals who have not received a determination on their application within 30 days after the date their applications were received. The registrar shall submit a report to the chairs of the joint committee on transportation not later than February 1, 2018.