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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to certification of a person as eligible for disabled |
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parking privileges, including an expectant or new mother. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 681.001, Transportation Code, is amended |
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by amending Subdivision (2) and adding Subdivision (3-a) to read as |
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follows: |
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(2) "Disability" means a condition in which a person |
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[has]: |
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(A) has mobility problems that substantially |
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impair the person's ability to ambulate; |
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(B) has visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the |
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better eye with correcting lenses; [or] |
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(C) has visual acuity of more than 20/200 but |
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with a limited field of vision in which the widest diameter of the |
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visual field subtends an angle of 20 degrees or less; or |
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(D) is an expectant or new mother. |
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(3-a) "Expectant or new mother" means a person during |
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the period extending from the 30th day before the person is due to |
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give birth to the 90th day after the person is due to give birth. |
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SECTION 2. Section 681.003, Transportation Code, is amended |
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by amending Subsection (c) and adding Subsection (f) to read as |
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follows: |
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(c) Subject to Subsections [Subsection] (e) and (f), the |
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first application must be accompanied by a notarized written |
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statement or written prescription of a physician licensed to |
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practice medicine in this state or a state adjacent to this state[,] |
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or authorized by applicable law to practice medicine in a hospital |
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or other health facility of the Veterans Administration or an |
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advanced practice nurse or physician assistant acting under the |
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delegation and supervision of a licensed physician in conformance |
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with Subchapter B, Chapter 157, Occupations Code, certifying and |
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providing evidence acceptable to the department that the person |
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making the application or on whose behalf the application is made is |
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legally blind or has a mobility problem that substantially impairs |
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the person's ability to ambulate. The statement or prescription |
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must include a certification of whether the disability is temporary |
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or permanent and information acceptable to the department to |
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determine the type of disabled parking placard for which the |
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applicant is eligible. The department shall determine a person's |
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eligibility based on evidence provided by the applicant |
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establishing legal blindness or mobility impairment. |
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(f) An application for a disabled parking placard by an |
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expectant or new mother must be accompanied by evidence of the date |
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the person is due to give birth provided by the person's physician. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |