Brief Description: Adding porphyria to the list of disabilities for special parking privileges.

Sponsors: By Representatives Kessler, Kagi, Wallace, Moeller, B. Sullivan, Wood, Warnick and Ormsby.

House Committee on Transportation
Senate Committee on Transportation

Background:

Porphyria refers to a group of at least eight inheritable metabolic disorders characterized by the build up of porphyrins or porphyrin precursors in the body due to the lack of enzymes necessary to metabolize these chemicals. In many of these disorders, the accumulation of porphyrin in the skin can cause burning, blistering, swelling, and scarring of sun-exposed areas.

The Department of Licensing is required to grant special parking privileges to any person who has a disability that limits or impairs the ability to walk and meets one of the following criteria, as determined by a licensed physician or an advanced nurse practitioner:

• cannot walk further than 200 feet without stopping to rest;
• is severely limited in the ability to walk due to arthritic, neurological, or orthopedic condition;
• is so severely disabled that the person cannot walk without an assistive device;
• uses portable oxygen;
• is restricted by lung disease to a particular extent;
• is impaired by cardiovascular disease or cardiac condition to a particular extent; or
• has a disability resulting from acute sensitivity to automobile emissions that impairs the ability to walk.

Summary:

The description of individuals to whom the Department of Licensing is required to grant special parking privileges is expanded to include any person who has a disability that involves acute sensitivity to light and meets one of the additional criteria, as determined by a licensed physician or advanced registered nurse practitioner. The list of additional criteria is expanded to include an individual who is restricted by a form of porphyria to the extent that the applicant would significantly benefit from a decrease in exposure to light.

Votes on Final Passage:

House   97   0
Senate   47   0

Effective: July 22, 2007

Partial Veto Summary: The governor vetoed the emergency clause which allowed the act to take effect on July 1, 2007. The act will instead go into effect on July 22, 2007.