S 2815 New Jersey Senate · 2024-2025 Regular Session

Allows holders of disabled veteran license plates or placards and certain holders of Purple Heart license plates or placards to park in parking spots reserved for persons with disability.*

New Jersey Senate Bill S2815 allows disabled veterans and Purple Heart recipients who hold state-issued disabled veteran or Purple Heart license plates to park in designated disability parking spots without needing additional permits. The bill amends existing law to recognize these specific license plates as valid for accessing disability parking, removing the requirement for holders to obtain standard disability placards or identification cards. It directly affects veterans and Purple Heart recipients certified by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or awarded the Purple Heart, who already possess these plates. The change takes immediate effect, simplifying parking access for this group in all public and private parking zones reserved for people with disabilities.

Issues: ✓ Veterans

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2024

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Feb 22, 2024 Last action Sep 30, 2024

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What changed between versions

Introduced Version → Reprint STR 9/30/24 1R · 4 edits

MODERATE

The Senate Transportation Committee narrowed the parking rights of Purple Heart recipients. Previously, any holder of a Purple Heart license plate or placard could automatically park in disability-designated spaces. Now, Purple Heart recipients must also have a physician-certified determination that their walking ability is limited or impaired to qualify. Disabled veterans retain their automatic right without additional medical certification.

Scope change

The bill's scope was narrowed for Purple Heart recipients: they now require a medical certification of mobility impairment in addition to their Purple Heart status to use disability parking spaces, while disabled veterans retain their prior automatic eligibility without additional documentation.

ELIGIBILITY

Purple Heart recipients can no longer automatically use disability parking spaces based solely on their Purple Heart status. They must now also possess a medical certification from a physician, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner confirming their walking ability is limited or impaired to the extent they qualify as a person with a disability under C.39:4-204.

New section 1(d) creates a separate eligibility category for Purple Heart license plate or placard holders whose walking ability is certified as limited or impaired by a qualified medical professional.

REQUIREMENT

Purple Heart recipients using disability parking spaces must now possess the medical certification while parked and must provide it to law enforcement upon request. This documentation requirement does not apply to disabled veterans.

SCOPE

Section 2a (the general parking provision) was narrowed to cover only disabled veterans, removing Purple Heart recipients from that subsection. A new section 2b was created specifically for Purple Heart recipients with the added medical certification requirement.

Floor votes

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Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Sep 30, 2024

Committee

Referred to Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee

upper

Sep 30, 2024

Upper · Passed

Reported out of Senate Committee with Amendments, 2nd Reading

upper

Feb 22, 2024

Introduced

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Transportation Committee

upper

2 primary · 1 co-sponsor