BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                       



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                                 THIRD READING


          Bill No:  AB 463
          Author:   Huffman (D)
          Amended:  5/24/07 in Senate
          Vote:     21

           
           SEN. TRANSPORTATION & HOUSING COMMITTEE :  11-0, 6/12/07
          AYES:  Lowenthal, McClintock, Ashburn, Cedillo, Corbett,  
            Dutton, Harman, Kehoe, Simitian, Torlakson, Yee

           ASSEMBLY FLOOR  :  59-15, 5/3/07 - See last page for vote


           SUBJECT  :    Parking of vehicles with lifts, ramps, or  
          assistive equipment

           SOURCE  :     Californians for Disability Rights


           DIGEST :    This bill allows a vehicle equipped with a lift,  
          ramp, or assistive equipment used to load a disabled person  
          to park across two stalls on a street or in a private  
          off-street parking facility when no suitability-sized  
          parking space is available.

           ANALYSIS :    Existing law provides that a vehicle equipped  
          with a side-loading lift or ramp used to load a disabled  
          person may park across two stalls in a public off-street  
          parking facility when loading or unloading disabled persons  
          if there is no suitable single parking space immediately  
          available.  

          This bill applies these provisions to on-street and private  
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                                                                AB 463
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          2

          off-street parking facilities and makes some additional  
          changes.  Specifically, the bill:

          1.Expands the law to cover vehicles with any types of  
            lifts, ramps, or assistive equipment used to load a  
            disabled person, as opposed to only side-loading lifts or  
            ramps.

          2.Requires the vehicle to be identified by a disabled  
            license plate or parking placard.

          3.Allows a vehicle equipped with such equipment to park  
            across two stalls on a street or in a private off-street  
            parking facility when no suitably-sized parking space is  
            available.

          4.Clarifies that the vehicle may remain parked across two  
            stalls for the duration of the stay if the equipment has  
            been or will be used for loading or unloading a disabled  
            person.

           FISCAL EFFECT  :    Appropriation:  No   Fiscal Com.:  No    
          Local:  No

           SUPPORT  :   (Verified  6/14/07)

          Californians for Disability Rights (source)
          National Multiple Sclerosis Society


           ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT  :    According to the author's office,  
          there are currently two types of parking spaces reserved  
          specifically for persons with disabilities: regular and  
          van-accessible.  Van-accessible parking spots may, and  
          often are, occupied by standard automobiles displaying a  
          disabled placard or license plate.  In public parking lots,  
          disabled drivers of vans may occupy two adjacent stalls if  
          the van-accessible stalls are full.  In private parking  
          lots (e.g., grocery store and movie theater parking lots),  
          however, disabled drivers of vans cannot legally occupy two  
          adjacent stalls.  Without the additional room to use the  
          lift, a driver who uses a lift cannot exit his or her  
          vehicle.








                                                                AB 463
                                                                Page  
          3

          This bill extends the law to streets and private off-street  
          parking facilities, thereby allowing vehicles with lifts  
          and ramps to occupy adjacent parking places when  
          van-accessible spaces are taken.  This bill creates a  
          consistent state policy and ensures that disabled drivers  
          who use such loading equipment can enter and exit their  
          vehicle without fear of a ticket.


           ASSEMBLY FLOOR  : 
          AYES:  Aghazarian, Bass, Beall, Benoit, Berg, Berryhill,  
            Blakeslee, Brownley, Caballero, Charles Calderon, Carter,  
            Cook, Coto, Davis, De La Torre, De Leon, DeSaulnier,  
            Dymally, Emmerson, Eng, Evans, Feuer, Galgiani, Garcia,  
            Hancock, Hayashi, Hernandez, Horton, Houston, Huffman,  
            Jones, Karnette, Krekorian, La Malfa, Laird, Leno,  
            Levine, Lieber, Lieu, Ma, Mendoza, Mullin, Nakanishi,  
            Nava, Parra, Plescia, Portantino, Price, Richardson,  
            Salas, Saldana, Silva, Solorio, Strickland, Swanson,  
            Torrico, Tran, Wolk, Nunez
          NOES:  Adams, Anderson, DeVore, Duvall, Fuller, Gaines,  
            Garrick, Huff, Jeffries, Keene, Maze, Niello, Smyth,  
            Villines, Walters
          NO VOTE RECORDED:  Arambula, Sharon Runner, Ruskin, Soto,  
            Spitzer, Vacancy


          JJA:do  6/14/07   Senate Floor Analyses 

                         SUPPORT/OPPOSITION:  SEE ABOVE

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