HBA-MPM, NIK H.B. 1070 76(R)BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1070 By: Merritt Transportation 8/17/1999 Enrolled BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Prior to the 76th Legislature, Section 681.008, Transportation Code, exempted disabled veterans who are issued special license plates from the payment of a parking fee, including a fee collected through a parking meter, charged by a governmental authority other than a branch of the federal government; however, this section did not allow a disabled veteran to park in a space designed specifically for persons with physical disabilities. H.B. 1070 allows certain disabled veterans who have received a "Disabled Vet" license plate to park in a space designated specifically for persons with physical disabilities. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 681.008, Transportation Code, as follows: Sec. 681.008. PARKING PRIVILEGES: VETERANS WITH DISABILITIES; CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENTS. Authorizes a vehicle to be parked for an unlimited period in a parking space or area designated for persons with physical disabilities if the vehicle is operated by or for the transportation of the person who registered the vehicle under Section 502.254(a) (Veterans With Disabilities), Transportation Code, or a person described by Section 502.254(b), Transportation Code, if the vehicle is registered under that subsection; and there are displayed on the vehicle special license plates issued under that section. Provides that this section does not permit a vehicle to be parked at a time when or a place where parking is prohibited. Section 502.254(a) entitles a veteran of the United States armed forces to register, for the person's own use, one passenger car or light truck without payment of a registration fee if the person has suffered, as a result of military service, at least a 60 percent service-connected disability or a 40 percent service-connected disability because of the amputation of a lower extremity; and receives compensation from the United States because of the disability. Section 502.254(b) authorizes an organization to register a motor vehicle without payment of a registration fee if the vehicle is used exclusively to transport veterans of the United States armed forces who have suffered, as a result of military service, a service-connected disability and the veterans are not charged for the transportation. SECTION 2. Amends Sections 681.011 (a) and (b), Transportation Code, to include the parking of a vehicle displaying license plates issued when Section 502.254 (Veterans With Disabilities), Transportation Code, in a parking space or area in which such vehicle is not authorized to park by Section 681.006 (Parking Privileges: Persons With Disabilities), 681.007 (Parking Privileges: Vehicles Displaying International Symbol of Access), or 681.008 (Parking Privileges: Veterans With Disabilities; Congressional Medal of Honor Recipients), Transportation Code, as a condition constituting an offense, rather than providing that a person commits an offense by parking in disabled space when that person does not have a disability and is not transporting a person with a disability. Makes a conforming change. SECTION 3.Effective date: September 1, 1999. SECTION 4.Emergency clause.