HB 1739: Persons with disabilities

Summary

• Creates an Accessible Communities Account (Account) to be administered by the Commissioner of the Employment Security Division.
• Permits moneys in the Account to be used to reimburse the state agency that provides administrative support to the Governor's Committee on Disability and Employment for costs associated with implementing the act.
• Requires the Governor's Committee on Disability Issues and Employment to determine eligibility of Accessible Community Advisory Committees (Advisory Committee) for reimbursement or for grant funding and to solicit proposals for projects to improve disability awareness.
• Allows counties that have established active Advisory Committees for promotion of accessible communities to be reimbursed for travel and other expenses incurred for the Advisory Committees' meetings.
• Increases parking infraction penalties for blocking or otherwise making inaccessible the access aisle located next to a space reserved for persons with physical disabilities or for parking in a parking place reserved for persons with developmental disabilities and requires that a portion of the penalties collected for parking infractions are to be deposited into the Account.
• Requires the Governor's office, under supervision of the Governor's Emergency Management Council, to facilitate a state and local work group to develop a planning template for local emergency management jurisdictions to identify and respond to the needs of persons with disabilities when there is a disaster.

From the House Bill Report (HB 1739), written by the Legislature's nonpartisan staff. Read the full report ↗