Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman CAROL A. MURPHY
District 7 (Burlington)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblymen Wirths, Space, Freiman, Assemblywomen Lampitt, Piperno and Eulner
SYNOPSIS
Clarifies disabled veterans and Purple Heart recipients are not required to own vehicle to be exempt from municipal parking meter fees.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning disabled veterans and Purple Heart recipients parking at municipal parking meters and amending P.L.2015, c.218.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 1 of P.L.2015, c.218 (C.39:4-207.10) is amended to read as follows:
1. a. A person who is a disabled veteran or a recipient of the Purple Heart is exempt from the payment of municipal parking meter fees when a motor vehicle owned or leased by the disabled veteran or the Purple Heart recipient displays a disabled veteran's or Purple Heart license [plates] plate issued by the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission pursuant to the provisions of Title 39 of the Revised Statutes or a motor vehicle displays a disabled veteran or Purple Heart placard issued by the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission pursuant to the provisions of Title 39 of the Revised Statutes, unless the vehicle has been parked in one location for more than 24 hours. The exemption provided under this subsection shall apply only when the disabled veteran or recipient of the Purple Heart to whom the special license [plates] plate or [placards have] placard has been issued is either the driver, or a passenger, of the vehicle.
b. The Chief Administrator of the Motor Vehicle Commission shall promulgate such rules and regulations as may be necessary to effectuate the provisions of subsection a. of this section, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), and shall include provisions for the issuance of disabled veteran's or Purple Heart recipient's placards.
(cf: P.L.2015, c.218, s.1)
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill clarifies that a disabled veteran or Purple Heart recipient is not required to own the motor vehicle for which a disabled veteran or Purple Heart recipient license plate or placard is issued in order to be exempt from paying municipal parking meter fees. Under current law, in order to be exempt from payment of municipal parking meter fees, a disabled veteran or Purple Heart recipient is required to own the vehicle being parked at the municipal parking meter.
This bill allows disabled veterans and Purple Heart recipients that display a disabled veteran or Purple Heart recipient placard to park at a municipal parking meter free of charge regardless of who owns the vehicle, provided that the placard is displayed and the disabled veteran or Purple Heart recipient is the driver or passenger of the vehicle. The bill further clarifies that the disabled veteran or Purple Heart recipient may lease the motor vehicle for which a disabled veteran or Purple Heart license plate is issued in order to be exempt from paying municipal parking meter fees, provided that the disabled veteran or Purple Heart recipient is the driver or passenger of the motor vehicle.