Bill Text: NH SB151 | 2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Relative to accessible parking permit verification and fraud prevention.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 8-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2025-02-20 - Committee Report: Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2025-0497s, 03/06/2025; Vote 5-0; Consent Calendar; Senate Calendar 11 [SB151 Detail]
Download: New_Hampshire-2025-SB151-Introduced.html
SB 151-FN - AS INTRODUCED
2025 SESSION
25-1092
11/09
SENATE BILL 151-FN
AN ACT relative to accessible parking permit verification and fraud prevention.
SPONSORS: Sen. Abbas, Dist 22; Sen. Innis, Dist 7; Sen. Gannon, Dist 23; Sen. Avard, Dist 12; Sen. Lang, Dist 2; Sen. Rochefort, Dist 1; Rep. Panek, Hills. 1; Rep. Tenczar, Hills. 1
COMMITTEE: Transportation
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ANALYSIS
This bill requires that walking disability placards contain certain driver's license information, creates a penalty for a disabled driver who parks in a restricted parking space without displaying their placard, and increases fines for parking in restricted spaces without a placard.
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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
25-1092
11/09
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Five
AN ACT relative to accessible parking permit verification and fraud prevention.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 Parking Place; Walking Disability; Fines. Amend RSA 265:69, I(j)-(m) to read as follows:
(j) In any parking place, whether on public or private property, specially designated for a person with a walking disability by means of a sign as required by RSA 265:73-a stating that the space is reserved for a person with a walking disability or displaying the international accessibility symbol, unless that person has a special plate or placard issued or recognized pursuant to RSA 261:86 or RSA 261:88, and the person who qualifies for the plate or placard is being transported to or from the parking place. Notwithstanding the provisions of title LXII or any other provision of law, a person who violates the provisions of this subparagraph shall be fined a minimum of [$250] $500 plus penalty assessment of which [20] 50 percent is payable to the town or city where the violation occurred;
(k) On any controlled access highway;
(l) In the area between roadways of a divided highway, including crossovers;
(m) In or overlapping into any access aisle. Notwithstanding the provisions of title LXII or any other provision of law, a person who violates the provisions of this subparagraph shall be fined a minimum of [$50] $100 for a first offense and a minimum of [$100] $200 for each subsequent offense.
2 Enforcement; Walking Disability Designated Spaces and Aisles; Fine. Amend RSA 265:69-a, II to read as follows:
II. Upon receipt of testimony under paragraph I by the appropriate law enforcement agency, such agency shall fine the violator a minimum of [$250] $500 plus penalty assessment pursuant to RSA 265:69, I(j).
3 Walking Disability; Parking Privileges; Fines. Amend RSA 265:74 to read as follows:
265:74 Parking Privileges for Persons With Walking Disability.
I. Any motor vehicle carrying the special plates or hanging windshield placard issued to a person with a walking disability under RSA 261:88, or a similar license plate displaying the international accessibility symbol shall be allowed free parking in any city or town, including any state or municipal parking facility where a fee is charged. Each city or town shall have the discretion to set the time periods using guidelines which shall be provided by the governor's commission on disability. The free parking shall only be allowed if the person who qualifies for the special plates or hanging placard is being transported in the vehicle to or from the parking place. Parking places designated for persons with walking disabilities shall be utilized only if a person with a walking disability is being transported in the vehicle to or from the parking place.
II. Notwithstanding the provisions of any local ordinance which has been adopted to regulate parking in places designated for persons with walking disabilities, any person who is convicted under this section shall be guilty of a violation and fined [$250] $500 plus penalty assessment of which [20] 50 percent is payable to the town or city where the violation occurred.
III. A person shall display a hanging windshield placard in such a manner that it may be viewed from the front and rear of the vehicle by hanging it from the front windshield rearview mirror of a vehicle when utilizing a parking space reserved for persons with disabilities. When there is no rearview mirror, the placard shall be visibly displayed on the dashboard. A motor vehicle operator who fails to comply with the terms of this paragraph shall be fined $100 plus penalty assessment of which 50 percent is payable to the town or city where the violation occurred.
4 New Paragraph; Design of Hanging Windshield Placard. Amend RSA 261:88 by inserting after paragraph VI the following new paragraph:
VI-a. A hanging windshield placard issued under this section shall bear on one side the applicant's driver's license or non-driver identification card number, identical photograph to that on the driver's license or non-driver identification card, and a warning that the applicant must have the license or identification card with them at all times while using the placard.
5 Effective Date. This act shall take effect January 1, 2026.
25-1092
1/15/25
SB 151-FN- FISCAL NOTE
AS INTRODUCED
AN ACT relative to accessible parking permit verification and fraud prevention.
FISCAL IMPACT: This bill does not provide funding.
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Estimated State Impact | ||||||
| FY 2025 | FY 2026 | FY 2027 | FY 2028 | ||
Revenue | $0 | Indeterminable Increase (Less than $10K Per Year) | ||||
Revenue Fund(s) | Highway Fund | |||||
Expenditures* | $0 | Placard Replacement Costs $31,000 Increase in FY 2026
DMV System Upgrades and Printer(s) Indeterminable Increase Each Year | ||||
Funding Source(s) | Restricted - Highway Fund Cost of Collections - Per the state constitution, costs associated with the collection/administration of highway fund revenue by the Department of Safety is deducted prior to funds being credited as unrestricted highway fund revenue | |||||
Appropriations* | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | ||
Funding Source(s) | None | |||||
*Expenditure = Cost of bill *Appropriation = Authorized funding to cover cost of bill | ||||||
METHODOLOGY:
This bill requires that walking disability placards contain certain driver's license information, creates a penalty for a disabled driver who parks in a restricted parking space without displaying their placard, and increases fines for parking in restricted spaces without a placard.
Division of Motor Vehicles Costs
To replace all the existing placards, as required by this bill, the Department of Safety states it would incur a one-time cost of around $31,000 in FY 2026 (approximately 132,000 permanent placards @ $0.23 and 3,700 temporary placards @ $0.25). In addition, the Department states there is a likely high indeterminable cost on state expenditures for system upgrades and printers to be able to print the License or ID card number on the placard as well as an image. Currently, the system used to issue placards does not interface with the program used to capture license photos nor does it store them. This would likely be a project that would have to go through the RFP process for bids. The Department has not provided a cost estimate.
Violation Fine Revenue
Based on information provided by the Department of Safety and Judicial Branch, this bill is likely to result in an increase in fine revenue of less than $10,000 per year.
AGENCIES CONTACTED:
Department of Safety and Judicial Branch
