SENIOR ASSEMBLY PROPOSAL NO. 15

INTRODUCED BY SENIOR ASSEMBLY MEMBER PURCELL

(COAUTHOR: SENIOR ASSEMBLY MEMBER KIRWIN)

(COAUTHOR: SENIOR SENATOR JONES)
 

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AP 15: DISABLED PERSONS’ AND DISABLED VETERANS’ PARKING SPACES: WIDTH AND AVAILABILITY.

UNDER EXISTING LAW, IT IS UNLAWFUL FOR ANY PERSON TO PARK ANY VEHICLE, INCLUDING A VEHICLE DISPLAYING A PLACARD ISSUED TO A DISABLED PERSON OR DISABLED VETERAN, ON THE LINES MARKING THE BOUNDARIES OF A PARKING STALL OR SPACE DESIGNATED FOR DISABLED PERSONS OR DISABLED VETERANS, OR IN ANY AREA OF THE PAVEMENT ADJACENT TO A PARKING STALL OR SPACE DESIGNATED FOR DISABLED PERSONS OR DISABLED VETERANS THAT IS MARKED BY CROSSHATCHED LINES AND IS THEREBY DESIGNATED, PURSUANT TO ANY LOCAL ORDINANCE, FOR THE LOADING AND UNLOADING OF VEHICLES PARKED IN THE STALL OR SPACE. A VIOLATION OF THIS PROVISION IS PUNISHABLE BY A PENALTY OR FINE OF UP TO $1000.

THIS MEASURE WOULD MEMORIALIZE THE LEGISLATURE AND THE GOVERNOR TO ENACT LEGISLATION THAT WOULD ENSURE THAT MORE DISABLED PERSONS’ AND DISABLED VETERANS’ PARKING SPACES ARE AVAILABLE TO SATISFY THE NEEDS OF AGING BABY BOOMERS AND INJURED VETERANS, AND THAT DISABLED PERSONS’ AND DISABLED VETERANS’ PARKING SPACES ARE AT LEAST 10 FEET WIDE TO PERMIT A DRIVER TO SAFELY DISEMBARK HIMSELF, HERSELF, AND HIS OR HER PASSENGER, WITHOUT BREAKING THE LAW.

VOTE: MAJORITY.

AP 15: RELATING TO DISABLED PERSONS’ AND DISABLED VETERANS’ PARKING SPACES

WHEREAS, CALIFORNIA STATE SERVICES TO THE ELDERLY, POOR, AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY REDUCED IN RECENT YEARS DUE TO MULTIPLE STATE BUDGET DEFICITS. IN ORDER TO MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR STATE’S ELDERS, CHILDREN, DISABLED, AND POOR, WE NEED TO LEVERAGE EVERY RESOURCE THAT IS AVAILABLE; AND

WHEREAS, IN ORDER TO POSITION A CAR FOR THE SAFE DISEMBARKATION OF A PASSENGER WITH A WALKER OR OTHER MOBILITY DEVICE, A DRIVER IS FREQUENTLY REQUIRED TO PARK ON OR OVER THE BOUNDARY LINE OF A DISABLED PERSON’S OR DISABLED VETERAN’S PARKING SPACE, INCLUDING INTO THE NO PARKING OR LOADING AREA DENOTED BY A BORDER AND CROSS HATCHED LINES; AND

WHEREAS, THIS IS ESPECIALLY THE CASE WHEN A CAR PARKED NEXT TO THE DISABLED PERSON’S OR DISABLED VETERAN’S PARKING SPACE IS ITSELF ON OR OVER THE BOUNDARY LINE OF THE DISABLED PERSON’S OR DISABLED VETERAN’S PARKING SPACE; AND

WHEREAS, WHEN THE NO PARKING OR LOADING AREA ADJACENT TO THE DISABLED PERSON’S OR DISABLED VETERAN’S PARKING SPACE IS ON THE PASSENGER’S SIDE, THERE IS INSUFFICIENT SPACE TO SAFELY DISEMBARK ON THE DRIVER’S SIDE WITH A WALKER; AND

WHEREAS, A DRIVER MAY NEED THE DOOR TO BE FULLY OPENED IN ORDER TO SAFELY DISEMBARK WITH A WALKER, AND WITH THE DISABLED PERSON’S OR DISABLED VETERAN’S PARKING SPACE ONLY SEVEN OR EIGHT FEET WIDE, THERE MAY NOT BE ENOUGH ROOM FOR A DRIVER TO SAFELY DISEMBARK WITH A WALKER; AND

WHEREAS, IN A SURVEY OF 35 DISABLED DRIVERS, CONDUCTED BY THE AUTHOR, NOT ONE PERSON KNEW THAT HE OR SHE COULD NOT PARK ON OR SLIGHTLY OVER THE BOUNDARY LINE OF A DISABLED PERSON’S OR DISABLED VETERAN’S PARKING SPACE, EVEN FOR SAFETY REASONS; AND

WHEREAS, THE BABY BOOMER GENERATION IS STARTING TO TURN 65 YEARS OF AGE AND MORE PEOPLE WILL NEED DISABLED PERSONS’ PARKING SPACES AND THUS THE NUMBER OF DISABLED PERSONS’ PARKING SPACES WILL NEED TO BE INCREASED; AND

WHEREAS, MORE INJURED VETERANS ARE RETURNING FROM DUTY AND THUS THERE WILL BE A NEED FOR MORE DISABLED VETERANS’ PARKING SPACES; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT

RESOLVED, BY THE SENIOR ASSEMBLY AND THE SENIOR SENATE, JOINTLY, THAT THE SENIOR LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA AT ITS 2010 REGULAR SESSION, A MAJORITY OF THE MEMBERS VOTING THEREFOR, HEREBY PROPOSES THAT STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT SHOULD ENSURE THAT MORE DISABLED PERSONS’ AND DISABLED VETERANS’ PARKING SPACES ARE AVAILABLE TO SATISFY THE NEEDS OF AGING BABY BOOMERS AND INJURED VETERANS; AND BE IT FURTHER

RESOLVED, THAT STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT SHOULD ENSURE THAT DISABLED PERSONS’ AND DISABLED VETERANS’ PARKING SPACES ARE AT LEAST 10 FEET WIDE TO PERMIT A DRIVER TO SAFELY DISEMBARK HIMSELF, HERSELF, AND HIS OR HER PASSENGER, WITHOUT BREAKING THE LAW; AND BE IT FURTHER

RESOLVED, THAT THE SENIOR LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA RESPECTFULLY MEMORIALIZES THE LEGISLATURE AND THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA TO ENACT APPROPRIATE LEGISLATION THAT WOULD ADDRESS THE CONCERNS SET FORTH IN THIS MEASURE; AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED,

THAT A COPY OF THIS MEASURE BE TRANSMITTED TO THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY, THE PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE OF THE SENATE, AND THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.

RN 10 13499

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