SB2285enr 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SB2285 Enrolled LRB100 15521 AXK 30567 b

AN ACT concerning transportation.

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

Section 5. The Illinois Vehicle Code is amended by changing Sections 11-1301.2, 11-1301.4, and 11-1301.5 as follows:

(625 ILCS 5/11-1301.2) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 11-1301.2)

Sec. 11-1301.2. Special decals for parking; persons with disabilities.

(a) The Secretary of State shall provide for, by administrative rules, the design, size, color, and placement of a person with disabilities motorist decal or device and shall provide for, by administrative rules, the content and form of an application for a person with disabilities motorist decal or device, which shall be used by local authorities in the issuance thereof to a person with temporary disabilities, provided that the decal or device is valid for no more than 90 days, subject to renewal for like periods based upon continued disability, and further provided that the decal or device clearly sets forth the date that the decal or device expires. The application shall include the requirement of an Illinois Identification Card number or a State of Illinois driver's license number or, if the applicant does not have an identification card or driver's license number, then the applicant may use a valid identification number issued by a branch of the U.S. military or a federally issued Medicare or Medicaid identification number. This decal or device may be used by the authorized holder to designate and identify a vehicle not owned or displaying a registration plate as provided in Sections 3-609 and 3-616 of this Act to designate when the vehicle is being used to transport said person or persons with disabilities, and thus is entitled to enjoy all the privileges that would be afforded a person with disabilities licensed vehicle. Person with disabilities decals or devices issued and displayed pursuant to this Section shall be recognized and honored by all local authorities regardless of which local authority issued such decal or device.

The decal or device shall be issued only upon a showing by adequate documentation that the person for whose benefit the decal or device is to be used has a disability as defined in Section 1-159.1 of this Code and the disability is temporary.

(b) The local governing authorities shall be responsible for the provision of such decal or device, its issuance and designated placement within the vehicle. The cost of such decal or device shall be at the discretion of such local governing authority.

(c) The Secretary of State may, pursuant to Section 3-616(c), issue a person with disabilities parking decal or device to a person with disabilities as defined by Section 1-159.1. Any person with disabilities parking decal or device issued by the Secretary of State shall be registered to that person with disabilities in the form to be prescribed by the Secretary of State. The person with disabilities parking decal or device shall not display that person's address. One additional decal or device may be issued to an applicant upon his or her written request and with the approval of the Secretary of State. The written request must include a justification of the need for the additional decal or device.

(c-5) Beginning January 1, 2014, the Secretary shall provide by administrative rule for the issuance of a separate and distinct parking decal or device for persons with disabilities as defined by Section 1-159.1 of this Code and who meet the qualifications under this subsection. The authorized holder of a decal or device issued under this subsection (c-5) shall be exempt from the payment of fees generated by parking in a metered space, a parking area subject to paragraph (10) of subsection (a) of Section 11-209 of this Code, or a publicly owned parking area.

The Secretary shall issue a meter-exempt decal or device to a person with disabilities who: (i) has been issued registration plates under subsection (a) of Section 3-609 or Section 3-616 of this Code or a special decal or device under this Section, (ii) holds a valid Illinois driver's license, and (iii) is unable to do one or more of the following:

(1) manage, manipulate, or insert coins, or obtain tickets or tokens in parking meters or ticket machines in parking lots, due to the lack of fine motor control of both hands;

(2) reach above his or her head to a height of 42 inches from the ground, due to a lack of finger, hand, or upper extremity strength or mobility;

(3) approach a parking meter due to his or her use of a wheelchair or other device for mobility; or

(4) walk more than 20 feet due to an orthopedic, neurological, cardiovascular, or lung condition in which the degree of debilitation is so severe that it almost completely impedes the ability to walk.

The application for a meter-exempt parking decal or device shall contain a statement certified by a licensed physician, physician assistant, or advanced practice registered nurse attesting to the permanent nature of the applicant's condition and verifying that the applicant meets the physical qualifications specified in this subsection (c-5).

Notwithstanding the requirements of this subsection (c-5), the Secretary shall issue a meter-exempt decal or device to a person who has been issued registration plates under Section 3-616 of this Code or a special decal or device under this Section, if the applicant is the parent or guardian of a person with disabilities who is under 18 years of age and incapable of driving.

(d) Replacement decals or devices may be issued for lost, stolen, or destroyed decals upon application and payment of a $10 fee. The replacement fee may be waived for individuals that have claimed and received a grant under the Senior Citizens and Persons with Disabilities Property Tax Relief Act.

(e) A person classified as a veteran under subsection (e) of Section 6-106 of this Code that has been issued a decal or device under this Section shall not be required to submit evidence of disability in order to renew that decal or device if, at the time of initial application, he or she submitted evidence from his or her physician or the Department of Veterans' Affairs that the disability is of a permanent nature. However, the Secretary shall take reasonable steps to ensure the veteran still resides in this State at the time of the renewal. These steps may include requiring the veteran to provide additional documentation or to appear at a Secretary of State facility. To identify veterans who are eligible for this exemption, the Secretary shall compare the list of the persons who have been issued a decal or device to the list of persons who have been issued a vehicle registration plate for veterans with disabilities under Section 3-609 of this Code, or who are identified as a veteran on their driver's license under Section 6-110 of this Code or on their identification card under Section 4 of the Illinois Identification Card Act.

(Source: P.A. 99-143, eff. 7-27-15; 100-513, eff. 1-1-18.)

(625 ILCS 5/11-1301.4) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 11-1301.4)

Sec. 11-1301.4. Reciprocal agreements with other jurisdictions; temporary decal.

(a) 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 residents of this State with disabilities 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 residents of this State with disabilities 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.

(b) The Secretary may issue a one-time decal or device to any non-resident of this State who is a person with disabilities and who is displaced from another jurisdiction due to a national disaster as declared by the federal government. The person shall provide the Secretary proof that he or she is residing at an Illinois residence for the duration of his or her time in this State and proof of disability, including, but not limited to, a device or decal issued by another jurisdiction, a designation on a driver's license or identification card issued by another jurisdiction, or a medical certification by an Illinois licensed physician, physician assistant, or advanced practice registered nurse. A device or decal issued under this subsection (b) shall be valid for a period not to exceed 6 months.

(Source: P.A. 99-143, eff. 7-27-15.)

(625 ILCS 5/11-1301.5)

Sec. 11-1301.5. Fictitious or unlawfully altered disability license plate or parking decal or device.

(a) As used in this Section:

"Fictitious disability license plate or parking decal or device" means any issued disability license plate or parking decal or device, or any license plate issued to a veteran with a disability under Section 3-609 of this Code, that has been issued by the Secretary of State or an authorized unit of local government that was issued based upon false information contained on the required application.

"False information" means any incorrect or inaccurate information concerning the name, date of birth, social security number, driver's license number, military identification number, Medicaid or Medicare identification number, physician certification, or any other information required on the Persons with Disabilities Certification for Plate or Parking Placard, on the Application for Replacement Disability Parking Placard, or on the application for license plates issued to veterans with disabilities under Section 3-609 of this Code, that falsifies the content of the application.

"Unlawfully altered disability license plate or parking permit or device" means any disability license plate or parking permit or device, or any license plate issued to a veteran with a disability under Section 3-609 of this Code, issued by the Secretary of State or an authorized unit of local government that has been physically altered or changed in such manner that false information appears on the license plate or parking decal or device.

"Authorized holder" means an individual issued a disability license plate under Section 3-616 of this Code or an individual issued a parking decal or device under Section 11-1301.2 of this Code, or an individual issued a license plate for veterans with disabilities under Section 3-609 of this Code.

(b) It is a violation of this Section for any person:

(1) to knowingly possess any fictitious or unlawfully altered disability license plate or parking decal or device;

(2) to knowingly issue or assist in the issuance of, by the Secretary of State or unit of local government, any fictitious disability license plate or parking decal or device;

(3) to knowingly alter any disability license plate or parking decal or device;

(4) to knowingly manufacture, possess, transfer, or provide any documentation used in the application process whether real or fictitious, for the purpose of obtaining a fictitious disability license plate or parking decal or device;

(5) to knowingly provide any false information to the Secretary of State or a unit of local government in order to obtain a disability license plate or parking decal or device;

(6) to knowingly transfer a disability license plate or parking decal or device for the purpose of exercising the privileges granted to an authorized holder of a disability license plate or parking decal or device under this Code in the absence of the authorized holder; or

(7) who is a physician, physician assistant, or advanced practice registered nurse to knowingly falsify a certification that a person is a person with disabilities as defined by Section 1-159.1 of this Code.

(c) Sentence.

(1) Any person convicted of a violation of paragraph (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), or (7) of subsection (b) of this Section shall be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor and fined not less than $1,000 for a first offense and shall be guilty of a Class 4 felony and fined not less than $2,000 for a second or subsequent offense. Any person convicted of a violation of subdivision (b)(6) of this Section is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor and shall be fined not less than $1,000 for a first offense and not less than $2,000 for a second or subsequent offense. The circuit clerk shall distribute one-half of any fine imposed on any person who is found guilty of or pleads guilty to violating this Section, including any person placed on court supervision for violating this Section, to the law enforcement agency that issued the citation or made the arrest. If more than one law enforcement agency is responsible for issuing the citation or making the arrest, one-half of the fine imposed shall be shared equally.

(2) Any person who commits a violation of this Section or a similar provision of a local ordinance may have his or her driving privileges suspended or revoked by the Secretary of State for a period of time determined by the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State may suspend or revoke the parking decal or device or the disability license plate of any person who commits a violation of this Section.

(3) Any police officer may seize the parking decal or device from any person who commits a violation of this Section. Any police officer may seize the disability license plate upon authorization from the Secretary of State. Any police officer may request that the Secretary of State revoke the parking decal or device or the disability license plate of any person who commits a violation of this Section.

(Source: P.A. 99-143, eff. 7-27-15; 100-513, eff. 1-1-18.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect January 1, 2019.