§ 31-28-7.3 - Disability parking enforcement program.

SECTION 31-28-7.3

   § 31-28-7.3  Disability parking enforcementprogram. – (a) The state police, department of environmental management, airportcorporation, capitol police, department of mental health, retardation andhospitals, and the state operated colleges shall establish a disability parkingenforcement enhancement programs no later than January 1, 2000. The programwill be designed to improve enforcement of disability parking laws onstate-owned property and in parking facilities serving space leased or owned bythe state, including state departments, agencies, boards, commissions, andquasi-governmental corporations. Citations issued in conjunction with thisprogram shall be submitted to the traffic tribunal or its successor entity forcollection pursuant to §§ 31-28-7 and 31-28-7.1 and the finescollected through shall be paid over to the state agency or college that issuedthe citation.

   (b) The several cities and towns shall establish disabilityparking enforcement enhancement programs. Citations issued in conjunction withlocal enforcement programs shall be submitted to the municipal court, whereestablished, or to the traffic tribunal or its successor entity. Finescollected through citations issued in accordance with local enforcement programspecifications shall be paid over to the city or town or pursuant to§§ 31-28-7 and 31-28-7.1.

   (1) The state police, department of environmental management,airport corporation, capitol police, department of mental health, retardationand hospitals, and the state operated colleges shall submit a disabilityparking enforcement enhancement plan to the governor's commission ondisabilities.

   (2) Cities and towns shall submit a disability parkingenforcement enhancement plan to the governor's commission on the disability.

   (3) The disability parking enforcement enhancement plansshall describe the enforcement program which the state police, department ofenvironmental management, airport corporation, capitol police, department ofmental health, retardation and hospitals, the state operated colleges or themunicipality intends to establish.

   (4) The disability parking enforcement enhancement plan shallbe reviewed by governor's commission on disabilities within sixty (60) days ofreceipt and suggest improvements to the disability parking enforcementenhancement plans, that shall not be construed as required amendments.

   (d) Beginning January 1, 2001 and on each January 1thereafter, cities and towns and the state police, department of environmentalmanagement, airport corporations, capitol police, department of mental health,retardation and hospitals, and the state operated colleges shall be required tosubmit to the governor's commission on disabilities an annual progress reportchronicling the collections of fines, procedures used, convictions, and anyproblems or successes which result from the disability parking enforcementenhancement program. Following receipt of an annual program report, thegovernor's commission on disabilities may suggest improvements to a disabilityparking enforcement enhancement program.

   (e) The types of disability parking enforcement enhancementprograms which may be put in place in each municipality, and by the statepolice, department of environmental management, airport corporation, capitolpolice, department of mental health, retardation and hospitals, and the stateoperated colleges, may include, but shall not be limited to:

   (1) Enforcement programs which utilize persons deputized forthe purpose of the disability parking enforcement enhancement program. Thedisability parking enforcement deputies shall be required to complete a minimumof four (4) hours training in parking enforcement before being assigned to theprogram. Each municipality and the state police, department of environmentalmanagement, airport corporation, capitol police, department of mental health,retardation and hospitals, and the state operated colleges shall provideadequate training and shall assume all liability associated with disabilityparking enforcement.

   (2) Enforcement programs which specifically designate paidand trained personnel as staff for the disability parking enforcementenhancement program. These personnel are not limited to on-duty policeofficers, but may also include officers to be paid overtime, auxiliarypersonnel, special forces, retired personnel, and other paid employee deemed bythe responsible authority to be competent and qualified.