SB2100 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB095 19059 RCE 45244 b

95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2007 and 2008
SB2100

Introduced 2/14/2008, by Sen. A. J. Wilhelmi

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

15 ILCS 335/4	from Ch. 124, par. 24
625 ILCS 5/3-616	from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 3-616

Amends the Illinois Identification Card Act and the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that an optometrist may determine visual disability for purposes of issuing a Disabled Person Identification Card or disability license plates or decals.

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning disabilities.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Illinois Identification Card Act is amended by changing Section 4 as follows:

(15 ILCS 335/4) (from Ch. 124, par. 24)

Sec. 4. Identification Card.

(a) The Secretary of State shall issue a standard Illinois Identification Card to any natural person who is a resident of the State of Illinois who applies for such card, or renewal thereof, or who applies for a standard Illinois Identification Card upon release as a committed person on parole, mandatory supervised release, final discharge, or pardon from the Department of Corrections by submitting an identification card issued by the Department of Corrections under Section 3-14-1 of the Unified Code of Corrections, together with the prescribed fees. No identification card shall be issued to any person who holds a valid foreign state identification card, license, or permit unless the person first surrenders to the Secretary of State the valid foreign state identification card, license, or permit. The card shall be prepared and supplied by the Secretary of State and shall include a photograph of the applicant. The applicant, upon receipt of a card and prior to its use for any purpose, shall affix his signature thereon in the space provided therefor. The Illinois Identification Card may be used for identification purposes in any lawful situation only by the person to whom it was issued. As used in this Act, "photograph" means any color photograph or digitally produced and captured image of an applicant for an identification card. As used in this Act, "signature" means the name of a person as written by that person and captured in a manner acceptable to the Secretary of State.

(b) The Secretary of State shall issue a special Illinois Identification Card, which shall be known as an Illinois Disabled Person Identification Card, to any natural person who is a resident of the State of Illinois, who is a disabled person as defined in Section 4A of this Act, who applies for such card, or renewal thereof. No Disabled Person Identification Card shall be issued to any person who holds a valid foreign state identification card, license, or permit unless the person first surrenders to the Secretary of State the valid foreign state identification card, license, or permit. The Secretary of State shall charge no fee to issue such card. The card shall be prepared and supplied by the Secretary of State, and shall include a photograph of the applicant, a designation indicating that the card is an Illinois Disabled Person Identification Card, and shall include a comprehensible designation of the type and classification of the applicant's disability as set out in Section 4A of this Act. If the applicant so requests, the card shall include a description of the applicant's disability and any information about the applicant's disability or medical history which the Secretary determines would be helpful to the applicant in securing emergency medical care. The applicant, upon receipt of such a card and prior to its use for any purpose, shall have affixed thereon in the space provided therefor his signature or mark. If a mark is used in lieu of a signature, such mark shall be affixed to the card in the presence of two witnesses who attest to the authenticity of the mark. The Illinois Disabled Person Identification Card may be used for identification purposes in any lawful situation by the person to whom it was issued.

The Illinois Disabled Person Identification Card may be used as adequate documentation of disability in lieu of a physician's determination of disability, a determination of disability from a physician assistant who has been delegated the authority to make this determination by his or her supervising physician, a determination of disability from an advanced practice nurse who has a written collaborative agreement with a collaborating physician that authorizes the advanced practice nurse to make this determination, or any other documentation of disability whenever any State law requires that a disabled person provide such documentation of disability, however an Illinois Disabled Person Identification Card shall not qualify the cardholder to participate in any program or to receive any benefit which is not available to all persons with like disabilities. Notwithstanding any other provisions of law, an Illinois Disabled Person Identification Card, or evidence that the Secretary of State has issued an Illinois Disabled Person Identification Card, shall not be used by any person other than the person named on such card to prove that the person named on such card is a disabled person or for any other purpose unless the card is used for the benefit of the person named on such card, and the person named on such card consents to such use at the time the card is so used.

An optometrist's determination of a visual disability under Section 4A of this Act is acceptable as documentation for the purpose of issuing an Illinois Disabled Person Identification Card.

When medical information is contained on an Illinois Disabled Person Identification Card, the Office of the Secretary of State shall not be liable for any actions taken based upon that medical information.

(c) Beginning January 1, 1986, the Secretary of State shall provide that each original or renewal Illinois Identification Card or Illinois Disabled Person Identification Card issued to a person under the age of 21, shall be of a distinct nature from those Illinois Identification Cards or Illinois Disabled Person Identification Cards issued to individuals 21 years of age or older. The color designated for Illinois Identification Cards or Illinois Disabled Person Identification Cards for persons under the age of 21 shall be at the discretion of the Secretary of State.

(c-1) Beginning January 1, 2003, each original or renewal Illinois Identification Card or Illinois Disabled Person Identification Card issued to a person under the age of 21 shall display the date upon which the person becomes 18 years of age and the date upon which the person becomes 21 years of age.

(d) The Secretary of State may issue a Senior Citizen discount card, to any natural person who is a resident of the State of Illinois who is 60 years of age or older and who applies for such a card or renewal thereof. The Secretary of State shall charge no fee to issue such card. The card shall be issued in every county and applications shall be made available at, but not limited to, nutrition sites, senior citizen centers and Area Agencies on Aging. The applicant, upon receipt of such card and prior to its use for any purpose, shall have affixed thereon in the space provided therefor his signature or mark.

(Source: P.A. 92-240, eff. 1-1-02; 92-689, eff. 1-1-03; 93-182, eff. 7-11-03; 93-895, eff. 1-1-05.)

Section 10. The Illinois Vehicle Code is amended by changing Section 3-616 as follows:

(625 ILCS 5/3-616) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 3-616)

Sec. 3-616. Disability license plates.

(a) Upon receiving an application for a certificate of registration for a motor vehicle of the first division or for a motor vehicle of the second division weighing no more than 8,000 pounds, accompanied with payment of the registration fees required under this Code from a person with disabilities or a person who is deaf or hard of hearing, the Secretary of State, if so requested, shall issue to such person registration plates as provided for in Section 3-611, provided that the person with disabilities or person who is deaf or hard of hearing must not be disqualified from obtaining a driver's license under subsection 8 of Section 6-103 of this Code, and further provided that any person making such a request must submit a statement, certified by a licensed physician, by a physician assistant who has been delegated the authority to make this certification by his or her supervising physician, or by an advanced practice nurse who has a written collaborative agreement with a collaborating physician that authorizes the advanced practice nurse to make this certification, to the effect that such person is a person with disabilities as defined by Section 1-159.1 of this Code, or alternatively provide adequate documentation that such person has a Class 1A, Class 2A or Type Four disability under the provisions of Section 4A of the Illinois Identification Card Act. For purposes of this Section, an Illinois Disabled Person Identification Card issued pursuant to the Illinois Identification Card Act indicating that the person thereon named has a disability shall be adequate documentation of such a disability.

(b) The Secretary shall issue plates under this Section to a parent or legal guardian of a person with disabilities if the person with disabilities has a Class 1A or Class 2A disability as defined in Section 4A of the Illinois Identification Card Act or is a person with disabilities as defined by Section 1-159.1 of this Code, and does not possess a vehicle registered in his or her name, provided that the person with disabilities relies frequently on the parent or legal guardian for transportation. Only one vehicle per family may be registered under this subsection, unless the applicant can justify in writing the need for one additional set of plates. Any person requesting special plates under this subsection shall submit such documentation or such physician's, physician assistant's, or advanced practice nurse's statement as is required in subsection (a) and a statement describing the circumstances qualifying for issuance of special plates under this subsection. An optometrist may certify a Class 2A Visual Disability, as defined in Section 4A of the Illinois Identification Card Act, for the purpose of qualifying a person with disabilities for special plates under this subsection.

(c) The Secretary may issue a parking decal or device to a person with disabilities as defined by Section 1-159.1 without regard to qualification of such person with disabilities for a driver's license or registration of a vehicle by such person with disabilities or such person's immediate family, provided such person with disabilities making such a request has been issued a Disabled Person Identification Card indicating that the person named thereon has a Class 1A or Class 2A disability, or alternatively, submits a statement certified by a licensed physician, or by a physician assistant or an advanced practice nurse as provided in subsection (a), to the effect that such person is a person with disabilities as defined by Section 1-159.1. An optometrist may certify a Class 2A Visual Disability as defined in Section 4A of the Illinois Identification Card Act for the purpose of qualifying a person with disabilities for a parking decal or device under this subsection.

(d) The Secretary shall prescribe by rules and regulations procedures to certify or re-certify as necessary the eligibility of persons whose disabilities are other than permanent for special plates or parking decals or devices issued under subsections (a), (b) and (c). Except as provided under subsection (f) of this Section, no such special plates, decals or devices shall be issued by the Secretary of State to or on behalf of any person with disabilities unless such person is certified as meeting the definition of a person with disabilities pursuant to Section 1-159.1 or meeting the requirement of a Type Four disability as provided under Section 4A of the Illinois Identification Card Act for the period of time that the physician, or the physician assistant or advanced practice nurse as provided in subsection (a), determines the applicant will have the disability, but not to exceed 6 months from the date of certification or recertification.

(e) Any person requesting special plates under this Section may also apply to have the special plates personalized, as provided under Section 3-405.1.

(f) The Secretary of State, upon application, shall issue disability registration plates or a parking decal to corporations, school districts, State or municipal agencies, limited liability companies, nursing homes, convalescent homes, or special education cooperatives which will transport persons with disabilities. The Secretary shall prescribe by rule a means to certify or re-certify the eligibility of organizations to receive disability plates or decals and to designate which of the 2 person with disabilities emblems shall be placed on qualifying vehicles.

(g) The Secretary of State, or his designee, may enter into agreements with other jurisdictions, including foreign jurisdictions, on behalf of this State relating to the extension of parking privileges by such jurisdictions to permanently disabled residents of this State who display a special license plate or parking device that contains the International symbol of access on his or her motor vehicle, and to recognize such plates or devices issued by such other jurisdictions. This State shall grant the same parking privileges which are granted to disabled residents of this State to any non-resident whose motor vehicle is licensed in another state, district, territory or foreign country if such vehicle displays the international symbol of access or a distinguishing insignia on license plates or parking device issued in accordance with the laws of the non-resident's state, district, territory or foreign country.

(Source: P.A. 93-182, eff. 7-11-03; 94-619, eff. 1-1-06.)