Bill Text: NJ S2431 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Permits persons who are hearing impaired to apply for vehicle identification placards.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-29 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Transportation Committee [S2431 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-S2431-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator JAMES BEACH
District 6 (Burlington and Camden)
SYNOPSIS
Permits persons who are hearing impaired to apply for vehicle identification placards.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning vehicle identification placards for persons with certain disabilities and supplementing Title 39 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. Upon application by any person who has been issued a driver's license with a numerical code designating hearing-impairment pursuant to section 1 of P.L.1983, c.493 (C.39:3-11a), the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission shall issue a corresponding windshield placard for use on a vehicle owned or operated by the applicant. The windshield placard shall bear the international symbol of the deaf and shall be posted or attached to the motor vehicle in a place and manner to be determined by the chief administrator. The commission shall not charge a fee for the issuance of the windshield placard.
b. Nothing in this section shall permit a person who uses the windshield placard, issued pursuant to this section, to receive parking privileges reserved for persons with disabilities, unless the person is otherwise eligible to receive those parking privileges and has received a placard or license plate, issued in accordance with P.L.1949, c.280 (C.39:4-204 et seq.).
c. Notwithstanding the provisions of R.S.39:3-74 or any other law, rule, regulation, or order to the contrary, no citation for a violation of law shall be issued and no penalty or fine shall be assessed for operating a motor vehicle with a valid windshield placard, issued pursuant to this section, that is posted or attached in a manner prescribed by the chief administrator.
2. This act shall take effect on the first day of the thirteenth month after the date of enactment and the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission may take such administrative action in advance as may be necessary for the timely implementation of this act.
STATEMENT
This bill permits any person who has been issued a driver's license with the numerical code designating hearing-impairment to apply to the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (chief administrator) for a corresponding windshield placard for use on a vehicle owned or operated by the applicant. The windshield placard is to bear the international symbol of the deaf, be posted or attached to the motor vehicle in a place and manner to be determined by the chief administrator, and be free of charge to applicants. Under the bill, a person who uses the windshield placard is not permitted to receive parking privileges reserved for persons with disabilities, unless the person is otherwise qualified and authorized to receive those parking privileges. The bill also provides that a citation for a violation of law is not to be issued and a penalty or fine is not to be assessed for operating a motor vehicle with a valid windshield placard, issued pursuant to this bill.
