SRC-TNM C.S.S.B. 1762 75(R)BILL ANALYSIS Senate Research CenterC.S.S.B. 1762 By: Moncrief Intergovernmental Relations 4-7-97 Committee Report (Substituted) DIGEST Currently, officials from law enforcement agencies, volunteer handicap parking enforcement programs, and tax offices have observed a substantial amount of misuse of handicap parking placards. Many handicap license plates and hang tags have been obtained by applicants filing false doctor's signatures to receive handicap license plates or hang tags. People have also been observed using another person's license plate or hang tag to park in spaces reserved for handicap parking. Because there is no statewide database to verify to whom the hang tag belongs, laws are difficult to enforce. C.S.S.B. 1762 would require doctors to sign notarized written statements to certify a person's eligibility to obtain handicap parking license plates or hang tags in an attempt to reduce the filing of applications with false signatures. PURPOSE As proposed, C.S.S.B. 1762 outlines provisions regarding enforcement of laws relating to parking by persons with disabilities. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY This bill does not grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Chapter 681.006, Transportation Code, by adding Subsection (e), to provide that this section does not permit the owner of a vehicle to be exempt from payment of fees or penalties imposed by governmental units for parking in parking garages or other parking lots located within the boundaries of municipal airports. SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 1997. SECTION 3. Emergency clause. SUMMARY OF COMMITTEE CHANGES SECTION 1. Amends Chapter 681.006, Transportation Code, to delete proposed Section 521.0411, Transportation Code, regarding disabled parking placard records; Section 681.003(c), regarding an application for disabled parking; and Section 681.0031, regarding an applicant's driver's license number. Renumbers remaining sections accordingly.