The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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DEVAL L. PATRICK GOVERNOR TIMOTHY P. MURRAY LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR

Executive Department State House  ·  Boston 02133 (617) 725-4000

August 15, 2007.

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives:

   I am filing for your consideration the attached legislative proposal, entitled, “An Act Relative to Disability Placards.”

The rights of disabled persons to work, shop and enjoy recreational activities are vital to ensuring their full participation in society and enjoyment of life.  Unfortunately, some of our citizens with the mobility and means to use general parking spaces have been denying the disabled community their rights by unlawfully using disabled placards.  After a year-long investigation in downtown Boston, the Inspector General has concluded that nearly 50 people regularly use disability placards registered to deceased individuals and 300 placards appear to be used by someone other than the disabled applicant.  The need for disabled parking will continue to increase as our population grows older, injured veterans return from combat and more people are diagnosed with debilitating illnesses.

Today I am filing legislation to strengthen the penalties for those who exploit the disabled parking program in the state.  This legislation would punish whoever falsely makes or uses a disabled placard with a fine of not more than five hundred dollars or by imprisonment in the state prison for not more than five years or in jail or house of correction for not more than two years.

Accordingly, I urge your early and favorable consideration of this bill.

Respectfully submitted,

                                                                                       DEVAL L. PATRICK,

                                                                                       Governor.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the Year Two Thousand and Seven.

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An Act relative to disability placards.

        Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

SECTION 1.  Section 24B of chapter 90 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2006 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the words “eight E”, in line 4, the words “a disability placard”.

SECTION 2.  Section 24B of said chapter 90, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after the words “eight E”, in lines 13 to 14, the words “disability placard”.