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SB 274 West Virginia Senate · 2025 Regular Session

Prohibiting parking fee for accessible parking space bearing international symbol of access

SB 274 prohibits public entities in West Virginia from charging people with mobility impairments a fee for using accessible parking spaces at metered locations, provided they display the required international symbol placard. It directly affects individuals certified by a licensed healthcare provider as having a mobility impairment (e.g., unable to walk 200 feet without resting, requiring assistive devices, or having certain cardiac/lung conditions). The bill requires public entities to waive parking meter fees for these spaces and specifies that placards (red for temporary, blue for permanent) must be visibly displayed. It also prohibits citations for violations and makes false certification of disability a punishable offense.
Issues: ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationRemoves fees for accessible parking, enhancing transportation accessibility and safety for mobility-impaired individuals within transportation infrastructure.95% confidence
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2025
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Feb 12, 2025 Last action Mar 18, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced Version → Committee Substitute · 7 edits
MODERATE
The bill was substantially rewritten from a simple prohibition on parking meters in accessible spaces to a comprehensive new framework that defines mobility impairment, creates new definitions for public entities and facilities, establishes specific accessibility requirements, and adds detailed enforcement procedures with graduated fines. This represents a major expansion of the law's scope and operational details.
Scope change
The bill's scope expanded from a simple prohibition on parking meters to include comprehensive definitions, accessibility standards, enforcement procedures, and provisions for both public and private facilities.
DEFINITION

Added detailed definitions for 'mobility impairment', 'public entity', 'public facility', 'place of public accommodation', 'commercial facility', 'accessible parking', 'parking enforcement personnel', and 'parking certification'.

Modified the definition of 'removable windshield placard' to include a new requirement for the seal or identifying symbol of the issuing authority.

REQUIREMENT

Added specific requirements for accessible parking space dimensions, access aisle markings, and sign placement standards based on ADA guidelines.

Added new subsection (s) allowing public entities to require payment for accessible parking if the driver has a mobility impairment but is unable to walk, requiring a medical certification displayed in the windshield.

ENFORCEMENT

Added detailed enforcement procedures including graduated fines ($200, $300, $500 for repeat offenses), volunteer programs for enforcement, and provisions for issuing citations when drivers are not present.

Added provisions for false certification penalties, including fines up to $700 per fraudulent placard or identification card.

TECHNICAL

Added provisions for issuing identification cards to applicants and requirements for public notice of new provisions.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
6
Key actions
1
Committee
2
Mar 18, 2025
Committee
To Finance
upper
Mar 18, 2025
Upper · Passed
Committee substitute reported, but first to Finance
upper
Feb 12, 2025
Introduced
Introduced in Senate
upper
0 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

No sponsor information available.