Bill Text: IA HF431 | 2017-2018 | 87th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: A bill for an act relating to drivers who are hearing impaired, and making a penalty applicable.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 17-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-02-23 - Introduced, referred to Transportation. H.J. 459. [HF431 Detail]

Download: Iowa-2017-HF431-Introduced.html

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House File 431 - Introduced




                                 HOUSE FILE       
                                 BY  KACENA, R. SMITH,
                                     BROWN=POWERS, MASCHER,
                                     THEDE, HUNTER, HANSON,
                                     ANDERSON, NIELSEN,
                                     T. TAYLOR, OURTH,
                                     BEARINGER, MEYER,
                                     PRICHARD, WOLFE,
                                     GASKILL, and LENSING

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act relating to drivers who are hearing impaired, and making
  2    a penalty applicable.
  3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
    TLSB 2246YH (3) 87
    ns/nh

PAG LIN



  1  1    Section 1.  Section 321.34, Code 2017, is amended by adding
  1  2 the following new subsection:
  1  3    NEW SUBSECTION.  14A.  Hearing impaired special plates.
  1  4    a.  An owner referred to in subsection 12 may, upon written
  1  5 application to the department, order special registration
  1  6 plates with a hearing impaired processed emblem designed by
  1  7 the department bearing the international symbol of access
  1  8 for hearing loss. The special registration plates with a
  1  9 hearing impaired processed emblem shall only be issued if the
  1 10 application is accompanied by a statement from a physician
  1 11 licensed under chapter 148 or an audiologist licensed under
  1 12 chapter 154F, written on the physician's or audiologist's
  1 13 stationery, stating the nature of the applicant's hearing loss
  1 14 and such additional information as required by rules adopted
  1 15 by the department. If the application is approved by the
  1 16 department, the special registration plates with a hearing
  1 17 impaired processed emblem shall be issued to the applicant.
  1 18 There shall be no fee in addition to the regular annual
  1 19 registration fee for the special registration plates with a
  1 20 hearing impaired processed emblem. The authorization for
  1 21 special registration plates with a hearing impaired processed
  1 22 emblem shall not be renewed without the applicant furnishing
  1 23 evidence to the department that the owner of the vehicle is
  1 24 still hearing impaired.
  1 25    b.  When special registration plates with a hearing impaired
  1 26 processed emblem are issued to an applicant, the department
  1 27 shall also furnish to the applicant at no cost three stickers
  1 28 bearing the international symbol of access for hearing loss.
  1 29 The applicant shall place one sticker in the upper left corner
  1 30 of the vehicle's windshield, one sticker in the upper left
  1 31 corner of the vehicle's driver's side window, and one sticker,
  1 32 which shall be treated with a reflective material according to
  1 33 specifications adopted by the department, in the upper left
  1 34 corner of the vehicle's rear window.
  1 35                           EXPLANATION
  2  1 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
  2  2 the explanation's substance by the members of the general assembly.
  2  3    This bill permits the owner of a vehicle to, upon written
  2  4 application to the department of transportation (DOT), order
  2  5 special registration plates with a hearing impaired processed
  2  6 emblem designed by the DOT bearing the international symbol
  2  7 of access for hearing loss. The bill provides that special
  2  8 registration plates with a hearing impaired processed emblem
  2  9 shall only be issued if the application is accompanied by a
  2 10 statement from a physician or audiologist, written on the
  2 11 physician's or audiologist's stationery, stating the nature of
  2 12 the applicant's hearing loss. If the application is approved
  2 13 by the DOT, the special registration plates with a hearing
  2 14 impaired processed emblem shall be issued to the applicant.
  2 15 There shall be no fee in addition to the regular annual
  2 16 registration fee for the special registration plates with a
  2 17 hearing impaired processed emblem. The bill prohibits the
  2 18 authorization for special registration plates with a hearing
  2 19 impaired processed emblem from being renewed without the
  2 20 applicant furnishing evidence to the DOT that the owner of the
  2 21 vehicle is still hearing impaired.
  2 22    The bill also provides that when special registration plates
  2 23 with a hearing impaired processed emblem are issued to an
  2 24 applicant, the DOT shall also furnish to the applicant at no
  2 25 cost three stickers bearing the international symbol of access
  2 26 for hearing loss. The bill requires the applicant to place one
  2 27 sticker in the upper left corner of the vehicle's windshield,
  2 28 one sticker in the upper left corner of the vehicle's driver's
  2 29 side window, and one sticker, which shall be treated with a
  2 30 reflective material, in the upper left corner of the vehicle's
  2 31 rear window. By operation of law, a violation of the bill is
  2 32 punishable by a scheduled fine of $20.
       LSB 2246YH (3) 87
       ns/nh