An Act To Clarify Handicapped Parking Status for Disabled Veterans
Maine Legislature, Session 121, LD 0739
Committee: Transportation
Sponsors: McKEE, TREAT, COWGER, LA VERRIERE-BOUCHER, LORING, SA VIELLO, THOMPSON, WHEELER
Amends: 29-A MRSA §521, 30-A MRSA §3009

Legislative Document 
No. 739 
H.P.545 
House of Representatives, February 14, 2003 
An Act To Clarify Handicapped Parking Status for Disabled 
Veterans 
(EMERGENCY) 
Reference to the Committee on Transportation suggested and ordered printed. 
Presented by Representative McKEE of Wayne. 
Cosponsored by Senator TREAT of Kennebec and 
/Jl~frJ.~ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Representatives: COWGER of Hallowell, LA VERRIERE-BOUCHER of Biddeford, LORING 
of the Penobscot Nation, McLAUGHLIN of Cape Elizabeth, SA VIELLO of Wilton, 
THOMPSON of China, WHEELER of Kittery. 
Printed on recycled paper 
Emergency preamble. Whereas. Acts of the Legislature do not 
become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted 
as emergencies; and 
Whereas, it is a hardship for out-of-state disabled veterans 
to contact the Secretary of State to obtain a placard in order to 
be able to park in a handicapped parking space; and 
Whereas. the tourist season will have started before the 90 
days have passed for this legislation to take effect; and 
Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, 
these facts 
create an emergency within the meaning of the Constitution of 
Maine 
and 
require 
the 
following 
legislation 
as 
immediately 
necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and 
safety; now, therefore, 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 29-A MRS A §521. sub-§II, as amended by PL 2001, c. 77, 
§l, is further amended to read: 
11. 
Violation. 
A 
person 
other 
than 
a 
person 
with 
a 
dis-ability 
or 
an 
organization 
transporting 
a 
person with 
a 
disability using a set of disability registration plates or a 
windshield placard or a person other than a disabled veteran from 
another state that has special designating plates that bear the 
words 
"Disabled Veteran" 
commits 
a 
traffic infraction and 
1S 
subject to a penalty of not less than $100 nor more than $500. 
The 
disability 
registration 
plates 
or 
removable 
windshield 
placard may be suspended for improper use. 
Sec. 2. 29-A MRSA §521. sub-§12. as enacted by PL 
2001, 
c. 
151, §1, is amended to read: 
12. 
Parking at meters. 
Pursuant to Title 30-A, 
section 
3009, subsection 1, paragraph C, subparagraph (4), a vehicle that 
exhibits 
a 
permanent 
placard, 
a 
temporary 
placard 
9J;'.L 
a 
disability registration plate or 
an out-of-state registration 
plate that bears the words 
"Disabled Veteran" 
may park at 
a 
parking area with a meter without a charge and may park a length 
of time that does not exceed twice the limit otherwise allowed. 
Sec. 3. 30-A MRSA §3009. sub-§I, 1JC, as amended by PL 2001, c. 
151, §2, is further amended to read: 
C. 
The municipal officers may regulate the parking of motor 
vehicles 
on 
any 
public 
way 
or 
public 
parking 
area, 
inCluding, 
but 
not 
limited 
to, 
providing 
for 
the 
installation of parking meters, providing the fact that any 
-
vehicle is illegally parked or is in a metered space when 
the 
time 
signal 
on 
the 
parking 
meter 
for 
that 
space 
indicates no parking permitted without the deposit of a coin 
or coins is prima facie evidence that the vehicle has been 
parked illegally by the person in whose name the vehicle is 
registered, and establishing reasonable charges for metered 
parking. 
(1) 
Illegal parking of a vehicle in violation of any 
ordinance 
authorized 
by 
this 
paragraph 
is 
a 
civil 
violation. 
(2) 
The municipal officers may establish a method by 
which persons charged with the violation of parking 
regulations may waive all court action by payment of 
specified fees within stated periods of time. 
( 3 ) 
used: 
The revenue collected from parking meters must be 
(a) 
To purchase, maintain and police the meters; 
(b) 
To construct and maintain public ways; 
(c) 
To acquire, construct, maintain and operate 
public parking areas; and 
(d) 
For no other purpose. 
(4) 
A vehicle that exhibits a 
permanent placard, 
a 
temporary placard or 
a disability registration plate 
issued under Title 29-A, section 521 or an out-of-state 
registration 
plate 
that 
bears 
the 
words 
"Disabled 
Veteran" 
may 
park 
at 
a 
parking area with 
a 
meter 
without a charge and may park a length of time that 
does not exceed twice the time limit otherwise allowed. 
Emergency clause. 
In view of the emergency cited in the 
preamble, this Act takes effect July 1, 2003. 
SUMMARY 
This bill clarifies that a disabled veteran who resides out 
of state and has a motor vehicle that has a license plate that 
bears the words 
"Disabled Veteran" may park in a 
handicapped 
parking area without having to obtain a special placard from the 
Secretary of State.