Date: 02/18/2015
Final
BILL SUMMARY for HB15-1026
HOUSE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION & ENERGY
| Votes: View--> | Action Taken: |
| Refer House Bill 15-1026 to the Committee on Finan | PASS |
01:33 PM
Representative Tyler, Chair, called the committee to order. A quorum was present.
01:33 PM -- HB 15-1026
Representative Roupe came to the table to present House Bill 15-1026. Under current law, a military veteran who meets the statutory requirements for physical impairment may be issued either a "handicap disabled veteran" special license plate or a "disabled veteran" special license plate. The "handicap disabled veteran" special license plate allows the plate holder to utilize reserved parking for people with disabilities (PWD), while the "disabled veteran" special license plate comes without parking privileges. Disabled veterans without "handicap disabled veteran" special license plates may still utilize PWD reserved parking, if eligible, by displaying a rearview mirror placard issued by the Department of Revenue (DOR). HB15-1026 allows the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) within the DOR to create and issue a PWD version for each of the 36 other military special license plates. The DMV will also create a PWD version of each of the 36 military motorcycle special license plates. In total, 72 new PWD military veterans license plates will be created. This bill applies to license plates issued on or after January 1, 2016.
01:35 PM -- Chuck Broerman, representing El Paso County, and Frank McCurdy, representing the United Veterans Committee (UVC), spoke in favor of the bill. Mr. Broerman explained that his county is home to roughly 60,000 military veterans. He said that the bill would honor military veterans with disabilities. Mr. McCurdy stated that the UVC is a not-for-profit coalition of veterans organizations in the state, which represents over 400,000 veterans in the state. He stated that the bill would allow a veteran to choose to be identified, by license plate, with his or her branch of service or honors he or she may have received.
01:41 PM -- Chris Hines, representing the Council for Persons with Disabilities (CPD), spoke in favor of the bill. Mr. Hines stated that the bill does not create new disabled parking eligibility for veterans with disabilities, but allows increased access to the type of special license plate that a disabled veteran would like to choose. He also mentioned that the CPD is looking to increase funding for education related to disabled parking.
01:44 PM
Representative Roupe made her closing comments on the bill.
 | |
| BILL: | HB15-1026 | |
| TIME: | 01:44:39 PM |
| MOVED: | Buck |
| MOTION: | Refer House Bill 15-1026 to the Committee on Finance. The motion passed on a vote of 12-0. |
| SECONDED: | Neville P. |
| VOTE |
| Becker J. | Yes |
| Buck | Yes |
| Carver | Yes |
| Coram | Yes |
| Esgar | Yes |
| Kraft-Tharp | Yes |
| Melton | Yes |
| Moreno | Excused |
| Neville P. | Yes |
| Nordberg | Yes |
| Winter | Yes |
| Mitsch Bush | Yes |
| Tyler | Yes |
| | |
YES: 12 NO: 0 EXC: 1 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS |