1-1 By: Zaffirini, Nelson S.B. No. 21 1-2 (In the Senate - Filed November 10, 1998; January 26, 1999, 1-3 read first time and referred to Committee on State Affairs; 1-4 March 8, 1999, reported adversely, with favorable Committee 1-5 Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 6, Nays 0; March 8, 1999, 1-6 sent to printer.) 1-7 COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 21 By: Brown 1-8 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-9 AN ACT 1-10 relating to the issuance of specialty license plates or disabled 1-11 parking placards to certain institutions, facilities, and 1-12 retirement communities that transport persons with a disability. 1-13 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-14 SECTION 1. Subchapter F, Chapter 502, Transportation Code, 1-15 is amended by adding Section 502.2531 to read as follows: 1-16 Sec. 502.2531. ISSUANCE OF DISABLED PLATES TO CERTAIN 1-17 INSTITUTIONS. (a) The department shall provide for the issuance 1-18 of the specially designed license plates under Section 502.253 for 1-19 a van or bus operated by an institution, facility, or residential 1-20 retirement community for the elderly in which a person described by 1-21 Section 502.253(b) resides, including an institution licensed under 1-22 Chapter 242, Health and Safety Code, and a facility licensed under 1-23 Chapter 246 or 247 of that code. 1-24 (b) The application for registration must be made in the 1-25 manner provided by Section 502.253(d) and be accompanied by a 1-26 written statement signed by the administrator or manager of the 1-27 institution, facility, or retirement community certifying to the 1-28 department that the institution or facility regularly transports, 1-29 as a part of the services that the institution, facility, or 1-30 retirement community provides, one or more persons described by 1-31 Section 502.253(b) who reside in the institution, facility, or 1-32 retirement community. The department shall determine the 1-33 eligibility of the institution, facility, or retirement community 1-34 on the evidence the applicant provides. 1-35 SECTION 2. Chapter 681, Transportation Code, is amended by 1-36 adding Section 681.0032 to read as follows: 1-37 Sec. 681.0032. ISSUANCE OF DISABLED PARKING PLACARDS TO 1-38 CERTAIN INSTITUTIONS. (a) The department shall provide for the 1-39 issuance of disabled parking placards described by Section 681.002 1-40 for a van or bus operated by an institution, facility, or 1-41 residential retirement community for the elderly in which a person 1-42 described by Section 502.253(b) resides, including an institution 1-43 licensed under Chapter 242, Health and Safety Code, and a facility 1-44 licensed under Chapter 246 or 247 of that code. 1-45 (b) The application for a disabled parking placard must be 1-46 made in the manner provided by Section 681.003(b) and be 1-47 accompanied by a written statement signed by the administrator or 1-48 manager of the institution, facility, or retirement community 1-49 certifying to the department that the institution, facility, or 1-50 retirement community regularly transports, as a part of the 1-51 services that the institution, facility, or retirement community 1-52 provides, one or more persons described by Section 502.253(b) who 1-53 reside in the institution, facility, or retirement community. The 1-54 department shall determine the eligibility of the institution, 1-55 facility, or retirement community on the evidence the applicant 1-56 provides. 1-57 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999. 1-58 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the 1-59 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 1-60 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 1-61 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 1-62 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended. 1-63 * * * * *