Sponsored by:
Assemblyman DANIEL R. BENSON
District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)
Assemblyman STERLEY S. STANLEY
District 18 (Middlesex)
Assemblywoman ANGELA V. MCKNIGHT
District 31 (Hudson)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblyman Wimberly, Assemblywomen Lampitt, Speight and Lopez
SYNOPSIS
Allows certain caregivers of person with intellectual disability to make use of reserved parking zones when transporting person with intellectual disability.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning reserved parking for caregivers of persons with intellectual disabilities and amending P.L.1984, c.50.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 2 of P.L.1984, c.50 (39:4-207.3) is amended to read as follows:
2. a. The Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission shall issue a special insignia upon the application of a federal, State, county or municipal entity or a public or private nonprofit organization incorporated under the laws of this State for motor vehicles owned or operated by the applicant and used to transport persons with intellectual disabilities. The insignia shall be of a design and shall be posted or attached to the motor vehicle in a place and manner to be determined by the chief administrator. The fee for the issuance of an insignia shall be determined by the chief administrator and the insignia shall be renewable annually by the chief administrator at the time fixed for the annual registration of the vehicle.
b. The chief administrator may also issue to an applicant for a special insignia pursuant to subsection a. of this section and subsection d. of this section, at the expense of the State, special vehicle identification cards to be carried by the operators of motor vehicles used to transport a person with an intellectual disability or persons with intellectual disabilities. The cards shall be renewable annually by the chief administrator at the time fixed for the annual registration of the vehicles.
c. The chief administrator may also issue to an applicant for a special insignia pursuant to subsection a. of this section and subsection d. of this section a placard to be displayed on the motor vehicle.
d. The chief administrator shall issue a special insignia upon application of a primary caregiver, a parent, or an immediate family member of a person with an intellectual disability for motor vehicles owned or operated by the primary caregiver, parent, or immediate family member and used to transport the person with an intellectual disability. The insignia shall be of a design and shall be posted or attached to the motor vehicle in a place and manner to be determined by the chief administrator. The fee for the issuance of an insignia shall be determined by the chief administrator and the insignia shall be renewable annually by the chief administrator at the time fixed for the annual registration of the vehicle.
(cf: P.L.2010, c.50, s.64)
2. Section 3 of P.L.1984, c.50 (39:4-207.4) is amended to read as follows:
3. A motor vehicle owned or operated by a federal, State, county or municipal entity, owned or operated by a primary caregiver, a parent, or an immediate family member of a person with an intellectual disability, or owned or operated by a public or private nonprofit organization incorporated under the laws of this State and used to transport a person with an intellectual disability or persons with intellectual disabilities, and which is properly identified in accordance with the provisions of section 1 of P.L.1984, c.50 (C.39:4-207.2), is authorized to park in a space appropriately marked for vehicles for persons with physical disabilities pursuant to law whenever the vehicle is being used to transport a person with an intellectual disability or persons with intellectual disabilities.
(cf: P.L.2013, c.3, s.5)
3. This act shall take effect on the first day of the seventh month next following the date of enactment, but the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission may take any anticipatory administrative action in advance thereof as shall be necessary for the implementation of this act.
STATEMENT
This bill amends current law to require the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) to issue a special insignia for motor vehicles owned or operated by the parent, primary caregiver, or immediate family member of a person with an intellectual disability and used to transport the person with an intellectual disability. Additionally, the bill allows the parent, primary caregiver, or immediate family member of a person with an intellectual disability to receive a special identification card and a placard. The bill permits a motor vehicle owned or operated by a parent, primary caregiver, or immediate family member of a person with an intellectual disability to park in spaces marked for vehicles for persons with physical disabilities when transporting a person with an intellectual disability.
Under current law, only certain motor vehicles that transport a person with an intellectual disability are authorized to receive an insignia, a special vehicle identification card, and a placard, and to park in a space reserved for vehicles transporting persons with a physical disability. These motor vehicles are ones that are owned or operated by a federal, State, county or municipal entity or a public or private nonprofit organization incorporated under the laws of New Jersey.