CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.

House Bill 1707

Florida House of Representatives - 1997 HB 1707 By Representative Culp 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to handicapped accessibility; 3 amending s. 316.1955, F.S.; conforming state 4 provisions with respect to handicapped parking 5 spaces to federal requirements of the Americans 6 with Disabilities Act; amending s. 553.504, 7 F.S.; providing that curb ramps, or curb cuts, 8 landings on ramps and handrails on ramps must 9 conform to federal requirements; providing an 10 effective date. 11 12 WHEREAS, it is necessary to amend chapters 316 and 553, 13 Florida Statutes, to conform existing statutory requirements 14 to requirements set forth in the appendix to 36 C.F.R. Part 15 1191, titled ADA Accessibility Guidelines for Buildings and 16 Facilities, which implements the Americans with Disabilities 17 Act, 42 U.S.C. 12181 (1966), to provide consistent application 18 to places of public accommodation and commercial facilities, 19 NOW, THEREFORE, 20 21 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 22 23 Section 1. Paragraph (c) of subsection (3) and 24 subsection (4) of section 316.1955, Florida Statutes, 1996 25 Supplements, are amended to read: 26 316.1955 Parking spaces for persons who have 27 disabilities.-- 28 (3) The following minimum number of such parking 29 spaces must be provided: 30 (c) Parking facilities that are intended for public 31 use but are not subject to paragraph (a) must provide for 1 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. Florida House of Representatives - 1997 HB 1707 569-127-97 1 persons who have disabilities a minimum number of parking 2 spaces as set forth in the following table; however, the 3 number of parking spaces for persons who have disabilities 4 must be increased on the basis of demonstrated and documented 5 need: 6 7 Total Parking in Lot Required Number of 8 Accessible Spaces 9 10 Up to 25....................................... 1 11 26 to 50....................................... 2 12 51 to 75....................................... 3 13 76 to 100...................................... 4 14 101 to 150..................................... 5 15 151 to 200..................................... 6 16 201 to 300..................................... 7 17 301 to 400..................................... 8 18 401 to 500..................................... 9 19 501 to 1000.............................. 2% of total 20 over 1000......................... 20 plus 1 for each 21 100 over 1000 22 23 24 Accessible parking spaces at outpatient facilities and 25 facilities that specialize in the treatment of persons with 26 mobility impairments shall allocate the number of accessible 27 spaces specified in s. 4.1.2 of the Americans with 28 Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines. 29 (4) Such parking spaces must be designed and located 30 as follows: 31 2 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. Florida House of Representatives - 1997 HB 1707 569-127-97 1 (a) All spaces must have accessible thereto a 2 curb-ramp or curb-cut, when necessary to allow access to the 3 building served, and must be located on an accessible route no 4 less than 44 inches wide so that users will not be compelled 5 to walk or wheel behind parked vehicles. 6 (b) Each space must be located on the shortest safely 7 accessible route from the parking space to an accessible 8 entrance. If there are multiple entrances or multiple retail 9 stores, the parking spaces must be dispersed to provide 10 parking at the nearest accessible entrance. If a theme park 11 or an entertainment complex as defined in s. 509.013(9) 12 provides parking in several lots or areas from which access to 13 the theme park or entertainment complex is provided, a single 14 lot or area may be designated for parking by persons who have 15 disabilities, if the lot or area is located on the shortest 16 safely accessible route to an accessible entrance to the theme 17 park or entertainment complex or to transportation to such an 18 accessible entrance. 19 (c) Each parking space must be no less than 96 inches 20 12 feet wide. Parking access aisles must be no less than 5 21 feet wide and must be part of an accessible route to the 22 building or facility entrance. The parking access aisles are 23 reserved for the use of persons who have disabled parking 24 permits, and violators are subject to the same penalties that 25 are imposed for illegally parking in parking spaces that are 26 designated for persons who have disabilities. Two accessible 27 parking spaces may share a common access aisle. The access 28 aisle must be striped diagonally to designate it as a 29 no-parking zone. Any provision of this subsection to the 30 contrary notwithstanding, a theme park or an entertainment 31 complex as defined in s. 509.013(9) in which are provided 3 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. Florida House of Representatives - 1997 HB 1707 569-127-97 1 continuous attendant services for directing individuals to 2 marked accessible parking spaces or designated lots for 3 parking by persons who have disabilities, the park or complex 4 may, in lieu of universal spaces, provide parking spaces that 5 comply with either of the alternatives specified in s. 4.6.3 6 of the Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility 7 Guidelines. 8 (d) Parallel parking spaces must be located either at 9 the beginning or end of a block or adjacent to alley 10 entrances. Curbs adjacent to such spaces must be of a height 11 that will not interfere with the opening and closing of motor 12 vehicle doors. 13 (e) Perpendicular and diagonal parking spaces and 14 access aisles for persons who have disabilities must be even 15 with surface slopes and must not exceed a slope of 1 to 50 in 16 any direction. Parallel parking spaces must be even with 17 surface slopes, may match the grade of the adjacent travel 18 lane, and must not exceed a cross slope of 1 to 50, where 19 feasible. 20 (f) Curb ramps must be located outside of the disabled 21 parking spaces and access aisles. 22 (e)(g) Each parking space must conform with the 23 requirements of this section no later than October 1, 1997. 24 (f)(h)1. The removal of architectural barriers from a 25 parking facility in accordance with 28 C.F.R. s. 36.304 or 26 with s. 553.508 must comply with this section unless 27 compliance would cause the barrier removal not to be readily 28 achievable. If compliance would cause the barrier removal not 29 to be readily achievable, a facility may provide alternative 30 parking spaces for persons who have disabilities and provide 31 appropriate signage directing persons who have disabilities to 4 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. Florida House of Representatives - 1997 HB 1707 569-127-97 1 the alternative parking spaces. The facility may not reduce 2 the required number or dimensions of those spaces, nor may it 3 unreasonably increase the length of the accessible route from 4 a parking space to the facility. The removal of an 5 architectural barrier must not create a significant risk to 6 the health or safety of a person who has a disability or to 7 that of others. 8 2. A facility that is making alterations under s. 9 553.507(2)(b) must comply with this section to the maximum 10 extent feasible. If compliance is not feasible, a facility 11 may provide alternative parking spaces for persons who have 12 disabilities and provide appropriate signage directing persons 13 who have a disability to alternative parking spaces. The 14 facility may not reduce the required number or dimensions of 15 those spaces, nor may it unnecessarily increase the length of 16 the accessible route from a parking space to the facility. 17 The alteration must not create a significant risk to the 18 health or safety of a person who has a disability or to that 19 of others. 20 Section 2. Subsections (4) and (5) of section 553.504, 21 Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 22 553.504 Exceptions to applicability of the 23 guidelines.--Notwithstanding the adoption of the Americans 24 with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines in s. 553.503, 25 all buildings, structures, and facilities in this state shall 26 meet the following additional requirements: 27 (4) In addition to the requirements in reference 4.8.4 28 of the guidelines, all landings on ramps shall be not less 29 than 60 inches clear, and the bottom of each ramp shall have 30 not less than 72 inches of straight and level clearance. 31 5 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. Florida House of Representatives - 1997 HB 1707 569-127-97 1 (5) All curb ramps shall be designed and constructed 2 so that, in accordance with the following requirements: 3 (a) In addition to the other requirements in reference 4 4.7.1 of the guidelines, curb ramps or curb cuts from parking 5 areas that are privately owned, to the walkway level, shall be 6 provided and, if more than one is provided, it shall be spaced 7 along such walkways at intervals of no more than 100 feet and 8 such ramps or curb cuts shall be located as close as practical 9 to main entrances and exits to buildings. 10 (b) Notwithstanding the requirements of reference 11 4.8.5.2 of the guidelines, handrails on ramps which are not 12 continuous shall extend not less than 18 inches beyond the 13 sloped segment at both the top and bottom, and shall be 14 parallel to the floor or ground surface. 15 (c) Notwithstanding the requirements of references 16 4.3.3 and 4.8.3 of the guidelines, curb ramps that are part of 17 a required means of egress shall be not less than 44 inches 18 wide. 19 (d) notwithstanding the requirements of reference 20 4.7.5 of the guidelines, curb ramps located where pedestrians 21 must use them and all curb ramps which are not protected by 22 handrails or guardrails shall have flared sides with a slope 23 not exceeding a ratio of 1 to 12. 24 Section 3. This act shall take effect upon becoming a 25 law. 26 27 28 29 30 31 6 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. Florida House of Representatives - 1997 HB 1707 569-127-97 1 ***************************************** 2 HOUSE SUMMARY 3 Revises a provision of law dealing with handicapped 4 parking spaces and a provision of law in the Florida Americans With Disabilities Accessibility Implementation 5 Act to conform to federal guidelines with respect to parking spaces and public accommodations. See bill for 6 details. 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 7