§ 31-28-7.3. Disability parking enforcement program. (a) The state police, department of environmental management, airport corporation, capitol police, department of behavioral healthcare, developmental disabilities and hospitals, and the state operated colleges shall establish a disability parking enforcement enhancement programs no later than January 1, 2000. The program will be designed to improve enforcement of disability parking laws on state-owned property and in parking facilities serving space leased or owned by the state, including state departments, agencies, boards, commissions, and quasi-governmental corporations. Citations issued in conjunction with this program shall be submitted to the traffic tribunal or its successor entity for collection pursuant to §§ 31-28-7 and 31-28-7.1 and the fines collected through shall be paid over to the state agency or college that issued the citation.

(b) The several cities and towns shall establish disability parking enforcement enhancement programs. Citations issued in conjunction with local enforcement programs shall be submitted to the municipal court, where established, or to the traffic tribunal or its successor entity. Fines collected through citations issued in accordance with local enforcement program specifications shall be paid over to the city or town or pursuant to §§ 31-28-7 and 31-28-7.1.

(c) Disability parking enforcement enhancement plans.

(1) The state police, department of environmental management, airport corporation, capitol police, department of behavioral healthcare, developmental disabilities and hospitals, and the state operated colleges shall submit a disability parking enforcement enhancement plan to the governor's commission on disabilities.

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

(3) The disability parking enforcement enhancement plans shall describe the enforcement program which the state police, department of environmental management, airport corporation, capitol police, department of behavioral healthcare, developmental disabilities and hospitals, the state operated colleges or the municipality intends to establish.

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

(d) The types of disability parking enforcement enhancement programs which may be put in place in each municipality, and by the state police, department of environmental management, airport corporation, capitol police, department of behavioral healthcare, developmental disabilities and hospitals, and the state operated colleges, may include, but shall not be limited to:

(1) Enforcement programs which utilize persons deputized for the purpose of the disability parking enforcement enhancement program. The disability parking enforcement deputies shall be required to complete a minimum of four (4) hours training in parking enforcement before being assigned to the program. Each municipality and the state police, department of environmental management, airport corporation, capitol police, department of behavioral healthcare, developmental disabilities and hospitals, and the state operated colleges shall provide adequate training and shall assume all liability associated with disability parking enforcement.

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

History of Section. (P.L. 1999, ch. 283, § 1; P.L. 2000, ch. 109, § 41; P.L. 2011, ch. 213, § 1; P.L. 2011, ch. 235, § 1.)