HBA-MSH H.B. 1933 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1933 By: Elkins Transportation 4/19/2001 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The federal Americans with Disabilities Act requires at least one van-accessible parking space in a parking lot for use by a person with a disability. A van-accessible space is required to be eight feet wide and have an additional eight foot wide access aisle. Under current law, it is an offense to park in a space designated for a person with a disability without displaying the proper license plate or parking placard. However, it is not an offense to block the access aisle of a van-accessible space and peace officers are not authorized to tow vehicles that block access. Some store managers are reluctant to have vehicles of their customers towed. House Bill 1933 provides an offense for blocking an access aisle and authorizes specified persons to have such a vehicle towed. 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. ANALYSIS House Bill 1933 amends the Transportation Code to provide that a person who parks a vehicle in such a way as to prevent a person with a disability from entering or exiting a vehicle parked in a van-accessible parking space commits an offense. The bill authorizes a peace officer, a person designated by a political subdivision to enforce parking regulations, or a security officer employed by the owner of private property to authorize the towing and storage of a vehicle parked in such a manner by a towing company. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001.