ASSEMBLY, No. 1913

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

INTRODUCED MAY 6, 1996

By Assemblymen LeFEVRE and BLEE

An Act concerning parking spaces for handicapped motorists and supplementing chapter 4 of Title 39 of the Revised Statutes.

    Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

    1. a. A person who owns or controls a parking area which is open to the public or to which the public is invited and which contains special parking spaces for the use of persons who have been issued a placard or wheelchair symbol license plates pursuant to P.L.1949, c.280 (C.39:4-204 et seq.) shall be responsible for assuring that snow or ice removed from the parking area does not obstruct access to these special parking spaces.

    b. A person who violates this act shall be liable for a penalty of not less than $200 nor more than $500, imprisonment for a term not to exceed 15 days, or both.

    2. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

    This bill addresses a seasonal dilemma faced by handicapped motorists who use the parking lots of shopping centers and other facilities. Under State law, these persons may obtain special license plates or placards which entitle them to use designated reserved parking places in these lots. However, during the winter these reserved parking spaces are made inaccessible at times by snow that has been plowed from the parking lot. Such obstruction poses a hardship for handicapped motorists and negates the purpose of the law granting them special parking privileges.

    The bill makes the person who owns or controls a parking area responsible for assuring parking spaces reserved for handicapped motorists are not blocked by snow. A violation of this provision would be subject to a penalty of not less than $200 nor more than $500, imprisonment for a term not to exceed 15 days, or both.

Prohibits snow obstruction of parking spaces reserved for handicapped motorists.