BILL REQ. #:  H-2062.1 

READ FIRST TIME 03/08/05.   

     AN ACT Relating to parking places for persons with disabilities; amending RCW 46.61.581, 46.16.381, 46.16.385, and 46.16.390; and reenacting and amending RCW 46.55.113 and 73.04.110.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1   RCW 46.61.581 and 1998 c 294 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
     A parking space or stall for a ((disabled)) person with a disability shall be indicated by a vertical sign, between thirty-six and eighty-four inches off the ground, with the international symbol of access, whose colors are white on a blue background, described under RCW 70.92.120 ((and the notice "State disabled parking permit required.")). The sign may include additional language such as, but not limited to, an indication of the amount of the monetary penalty defined in RCW 46.16.381 for parking in the space without a valid permit.
     Failure of the person owning or controlling the property where required parking spaces are located to erect and maintain the sign is a class 2 civil infraction under chapter 7.80 RCW for each parking space that should be so designated. The person owning or controlling the property where the required parking spaces are located shall ensure that the parking spaces are not blocked or made inaccessible, and failure to do so is a class 2 civil infraction.

Sec. 2   RCW 46.16.381 and 2004 c 222 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The director shall 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 registered nurse practitioner licensed under chapter 18.79 RCW:
     (a) Cannot walk two hundred feet without stopping to rest;
     (b) Is severely limited in ability to walk due to arthritic, neurological, or orthopedic condition;
     (c) Is so severely disabled, that the person cannot walk without the use of or assistance from a brace, cane, another person, prosthetic device, wheelchair, or other assistive device;
     (d) Uses portable oxygen;
     (e) Is restricted by lung disease to such an extent that forced expiratory respiratory volume, when measured by spirometry is less than one liter per second or the arterial oxygen tension is less than sixty mm/hg on room air at rest;
     (f) Impairment by cardiovascular disease or cardiac condition to the extent that the person's functional limitations are classified as class III or IV under standards accepted by the American Heart Association; or
     (g) Has a disability resulting from an acute sensitivity to automobile emissions which limits or impairs the ability to walk. The personal physician or advanced registered nurse practitioner of the applicant shall document that the disability is comparable in severity to the others listed in this subsection.
     (2) The applications for ((disabled)) parking permits for persons with disabilities and ((temporary disabled)) parking permits for persons with temporary disabilities are official state documents. Knowingly providing false information in conjunction with the application is a gross misdemeanor punishable under chapter 9A.20 RCW. The following statement must appear on each application form immediately below the physician's or advanced registered nurse practitioner's signature and immediately below the applicant's signature: "A ((disabled)) parking permit for a person with disabilities may be issued only for a medical necessity that severely affects mobility (RCW 46.16.381). Knowingly providing false information on this application is a gross misdemeanor. The penalty is up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $5,000 or both."
     (3) Persons who qualify for special parking privileges are entitled to receive from the department of licensing a removable windshield placard bearing the international symbol of access and an individual serial number, along with a special identification card bearing the name and date of birth of the person to whom the placard is issued, and the placard's serial number. The special identification card shall be issued no later than January 1, 2000, to all persons who are issued parking placards, including those issued for temporary disabilities, and special ((disabled)) parking license plates for persons with disabilities. The department shall design the placard to be displayed when the vehicle is parked by suspending it from the rearview mirror, or in the absence of a rearview mirror the card may be displayed on the dashboard of any vehicle used to transport the ((disabled)) person with disabilities. Instead of regular motor vehicle license plates, ((disabled)) persons with disabilities are entitled to receive special license plates under this section or RCW 46.16.385 bearing the international symbol of access for one vehicle registered in the ((disabled person's)) name of the person with disabilities. ((Disabled)) Persons with disabilities who are not issued the special license plates are entitled to receive a second special placard upon submitting a written request to the department. Persons who have been issued the parking privileges and who are using a vehicle or are riding in a vehicle displaying the placard or special license plates issued under this section or RCW 46.16.385 may park in places reserved for ((mobility disabled)) persons with physical disabilities. The director shall adopt rules providing for the issuance of special placards and license plates to public transportation authorities, nursing homes licensed under chapter 18.51 RCW, boarding homes licensed under chapter 18.20 RCW, senior citizen centers, private nonprofit agencies as defined in chapter 24.03 RCW, and vehicles registered with the department as cabulances that regularly transport ((disabled)) persons with disabilities who have been determined eligible for special parking privileges provided under this section. The director may issue special license plates for a vehicle registered in the name of the public transportation authority, nursing home, boarding home((s)), senior citizen center, private nonprofit agency, or cabulance service if the vehicle is primarily used to transport persons with disabilities described in this section. Public transportation authorities, nursing homes, boarding homes, senior citizen centers, private nonprofit agencies, and cabulance services are responsible for insuring that the special placards and license plates are not used improperly and are responsible for all fines and penalties for improper use.
     (4) Whenever the ((disabled)) person with disabilities transfers or assigns his or her interest in the vehicle, the special license plates shall be removed from the motor vehicle. If another vehicle is acquired by the ((disabled)) person with disabilities and the vehicle owner qualifies for a special plate, the plate shall be attached to the vehicle, and the director shall be immediately notified of the transfer of the plate. If another vehicle is not acquired by the ((disabled)) person with disabilities, the removed plate shall be immediately surrendered to the director.
     (5) The special license plate shall be renewed in the same manner and at the time required for the renewal of regular motor vehicle license plates under this chapter. No special license plate may be issued to a person who is temporarily disabled. A person who has a condition expected to improve within six months may be issued a temporary placard for a period not to exceed six months. If the condition exists after six months a new temporary placard shall be issued upon receipt of a new certification from the ((disabled)) person's physician. The permanent parking placard and identification card of a ((disabled)) person with disabilities shall be renewed at least every five years, as required by the director, by satisfactory proof of the right to continued use of the privileges. In the event of the permit holder's death, the parking placard and identification card must be immediately surrendered to the department. The department shall match and purge its ((disabled permit)) data base of parking permits issued to persons with disabilities with available death record information at least every twelve months.
     (6) Each person with disabilities who has been issued a permanent ((disabled)) parking permit on or before July 1, 1998, must renew the permit no later than July 1, 2003, subject to a schedule to be set by the department, or the permit will expire.
     (7) Additional fees shall not be charged for the issuance of the special placards or the identification cards. No additional fee may be charged for the issuance of the special license plates except the regular motor vehicle registration fee and any other fees and taxes required to be paid upon registration of a motor vehicle.
     (8) Any unauthorized use of the special placard, special license plate issued under this section or RCW 46.16.385, or identification card is a traffic infraction with a monetary penalty of two hundred fifty dollars.
     (9) It is a parking infraction, with a monetary penalty of two hundred fifty dollars for a person to make inaccessible the access aisle located next to a space reserved for ((physically disabled)) persons with physical disabilities. The clerk of the court shall report all violations related to this subsection to the department.
     (10) It is a parking infraction, with a monetary penalty of two hundred fifty dollars for any person to park a vehicle in a parking place provided on private property without charge or on public property reserved for ((physically disabled)) persons with physical disabilities without a placard or special license plate issued under this section or RCW 46.16.385. If a person is charged with a violation, the person shall not be determined to have committed an infraction if the person produces in court or before the court appearance the placard or special license plate issued under this section or RCW 46.16.385 required under this section. A local jurisdiction providing nonmetered, on-street parking places reserved for ((physically disabled)) persons with physical disabilities may impose by ordinance time restrictions of no less than four hours on the use of these parking places. A local jurisdiction may impose by ordinance time restrictions of no less than four hours on the use of nonreserved, on-street parking spaces by vehicles displaying the special parking placards or special license plates issued under this section or RCW 46.16.385. All time restrictions must be clearly posted.
     (11) The penalties imposed under subsections (9) and (10) of this section shall be used by that local jurisdiction exclusively for law enforcement. The court may also impose an additional penalty sufficient to reimburse the local jurisdiction for any costs it may have incurred in removal and storage of the improperly parked vehicle.
     (12) Except as provided by subsection (2) of this section, it is a traffic infraction with a monetary penalty of two hundred fifty dollars for any person willfully to obtain a special license plate issued under this section or RCW 46.16.385, placard, or identification card in a manner other than that established under this section.
     (13)(a) A law enforcement agency authorized to enforce parking laws may appoint volunteers, with a limited commission, to issue notices of infractions for violations of this section or RCW 46.61.581. Volunteers must be at least twenty-one years of age. The law enforcement agency appointing volunteers may establish any other qualifications the agency deems desirable.
     (b) An agency appointing volunteers under this section must provide training to the volunteers before authorizing them to issue notices of infractions.
     (c) A notice of infraction issued by a volunteer appointed under this subsection has the same force and effect as a notice of infraction issued by a police officer for the same offense.
     (d) A police officer or a volunteer may request a person to show the person's identification card or special parking placard when investigating the possibility of a violation of this section. If the request is refused, the person in charge of the vehicle may be issued a notice of infraction for a violation of this section.
     (14) For second or subsequent violations of this section, in addition to a monetary fine, the violator must complete a minimum of forty hours of:
     (a) Community restitution for a nonprofit organization that serves ((the disabled community or)) persons having disabilities or disabling diseases; or
     (b) Any other community restitution that may sensitize the violator to the needs and obstacles faced by persons who have disabilities.
     (15) The court may not suspend more than one-half of any fine imposed under subsection (8), (9), (10), or (12) of this section.

Sec. 3   RCW 46.16.385 and 2004 c 222 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The department shall design and issue ((disabled parking emblem)) versions of special license plates including the international symbol of access described in RCW 70.92.120 for plates issued under (a) RCW 46.16.301; (b) RCW 46.16.305, except those plates issued under RCW 46.16.305 (1) and (2); (c) RCW 46.16.324; (d) RCW 46.16.745; (e) RCW 73.04.110; (f) RCW 73.04.115; or (g) RCW 46.16.301(1) (a), (b), or (c), as it existed before amendment by section 5, chapter 291, Laws of 1997. The ((disabled parking emblem)) version of the special plate ((must display)) including the ((universal)) international symbol of access ((that)) may be used in lieu of the parking placard issued to persons who qualify for special parking privileges under RCW 46.16.381. The department may not charge an additional fee for the issuance of the special ((disabled parking emblem)) license plate including the international symbol of access, except the regular motor vehicle registration fee, the fee associated with the particular special plate, and any other fees and taxes required to be paid upon registration of a motor vehicle. The ((emblem)) international symbol of access must be incorporated into the design of the special license plate in a manner to be determined by the department, and under existing vehicular licensing procedures and existing laws.
     (2) Persons who qualify for special parking privileges under RCW 46.16.381, and who have applied and paid the appropriate fee for any of the special license plates listed in subsection (1) of this section, are entitled to receive from the department a special ((disabled parking emblem)) license plate including the international symbol of access. The special ((disabled parking emblem)) license plate including the international symbol of access may be used for one vehicle registered in the ((disabled person's)) name of the person with the disability. Persons who have been issued the parking privileges or who are using a vehicle displaying the special ((disabled parking emblem)) license plate including the international symbol of access may park in places reserved for ((mobility disabled)) persons with physical disabilities.
     (3) ((The)) Special ((disabled parking emblem)) license plates including the international symbol of access must be administered in the same manner as ((the)) plates issued under RCW 46.16.381.
     (4) The department shall adopt rules to implement this section.

Sec. 4   RCW 46.16.390 and 1991 c 339 s 22 are each amended to read as follows:
     A special license plate or card issued by another state or country that indicates an occupant of the vehicle ((is disabled)) has disabilities, entitles the vehicle on or in which it is displayed and being used to transport the ((disabled)) person with disabilities to lawfully park in a parking place reserved for ((physically disabled)) persons with physical disabilities pursuant to chapter 70.92 RCW or authority implemental thereof.

Sec. 5   RCW 46.55.113 and 2003 c 178 s 1 and 2003 c 177 s 1 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:
     (1) Whenever the driver of a vehicle is arrested for a violation of RCW 46.61.502, 46.61.504, 46.20.342, or 46.20.345, the vehicle is subject to summary impoundment, pursuant to the terms and conditions of an applicable local ordinance or state agency rule at the direction of a law enforcement officer.
     (2) In addition, a police officer may take custody of a vehicle, at his or her discretion, and provide for its prompt removal to a place of safety under any of the following circumstances:
     (a) Whenever a police officer finds a vehicle standing upon the roadway in violation of any of the provisions of RCW 46.61.560, the officer may provide for the removal of the vehicle or require the driver or other person in charge of the vehicle to move the vehicle to a position off the roadway;
     (b) Whenever a police officer finds a vehicle unattended upon a highway where the vehicle constitutes an obstruction to traffic or jeopardizes public safety;
     (c) Whenever a police officer finds an unattended vehicle at the scene of an accident or when the driver of a vehicle involved in an accident is physically or mentally incapable of deciding upon steps to be taken to protect his or her property;
     (d) Whenever the driver of a vehicle is arrested and taken into custody by a police officer;
     (e) Whenever a police officer discovers a vehicle that the officer determines to be a stolen vehicle;
     (f) Whenever a vehicle without a special license plate, ((card)) placard, or decal indicating that the vehicle is being used to transport a ((disabled)) person with disabilities under RCW 46.16.381 is parked in a stall or space clearly and conspicuously marked under RCW 46.61.581 which space is provided on private property without charge or on public property;
     (g) Upon determining that a person is operating a motor vehicle without a valid driver's license in violation of RCW 46.20.005 or with a license that has been expired for ninety days or more;
     (h) When a vehicle is illegally occupying a truck, commercial loading zone, restricted parking zone, bus, loading, hooded-meter, taxi, street construction or maintenance, or other similar zone where, by order of the director of transportation or chiefs of police or fire or their designees, parking is limited to designated classes of vehicles or is prohibited during certain hours, on designated days or at all times, if the zone has been established with signage for at least twenty-four hours and where the vehicle is interfering with the proper and intended use of the zone. Signage must give notice to the public that a vehicle will be removed if illegally parked in the zone.
     (3) When an arrest is made for a violation of RCW 46.20.342, if the vehicle is a commercial vehicle and the driver of the vehicle is not the owner of the vehicle, before the summary impoundment directed under subsection (1) of this section, the police officer shall attempt in a reasonable and timely manner to contact the owner of the vehicle and may release the vehicle to the owner if the owner is reasonably available, as long as the owner was not in the vehicle at the time of the stop and arrest and the owner has not received a prior release under this subsection or RCW 46.55.120(1)(a)(ii).
     (4) Nothing in this section may derogate from the powers of police officers under the common law. For the purposes of this section, a place of safety may include the business location of a registered tow truck operator.

Sec. 6   RCW 73.04.110 and 2004 c 223 s 6 and 2004 c 125 s 1 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:
     Any person who is a veteran as defined in RCW 41.04.007 who submits to the department of licensing satisfactory proof of a service-connected disability rating from the veterans administration or the military service from which the veteran was discharged and:
     (1) Has lost the use of both hands or one foot;
     (2) Was captured and incarcerated for more than twenty-nine days by an enemy of the United States during a period of war with the United States;
     (3) Has become blind in both eyes as the result of military service; or
     (4) Is rated by the veterans administration or the military service from which the veteran was discharged and is receiving service-connected compensation at the one hundred percent rate that is expected to exist for more than one year;
is entitled to regular or special license plates issued by the department of licensing. The special license plates shall bear distinguishing marks, letters, or numerals indicating that the motor vehicle is owned by a ((disabled)) veteran with disabilities or former prisoner of war. This license shall be issued annually for one personal use vehicle without payment of any license fees or excise tax thereon. Whenever any person who has been issued license plates under the provisions of this section applies to the department for transfer of the plates to a subsequently acquired motor vehicle, a transfer fee of ten dollars shall be charged in addition to all other appropriate fees. The department may periodically verify the one hundred percent rate as provided in subsection (4) of this section.
     Any person who has been issued free motor vehicle license plates under this section prior to July 1, 1983, shall continue to be eligible for the annual free license plates.
     For the purposes of this section, "blind" means the definition of "blind" used by the state of Washington in determining eligibility for financial assistance to the blind under Title 74 RCW.
     Any unauthorized use of a special plate is a gross misdemeanor.