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A bill to be entitled |
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An act relating to disabled parking permits; amending s. |
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320.0848, F.S.; revising requirements for certification of |
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disability; removing certain restrictions on certification |
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of disability by an advanced registered nurse practitioner |
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or a physician assistant; providing for disciplinary |
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action for violation by certain certifying practitioners; |
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providing an effective date. |
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
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|
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Section 1. Paragraphs (b) and
(c) of subsection (1) and |
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subsection (9) of section 320.0848, Florida Statutes, are |
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amended to read: |
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320.0848 Persons who have
disabilities; issuance of |
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disabled parking permits; temporary permits; permits for certain
|
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providers of transportation services to persons who have |
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disabilities.-- |
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(1) |
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(b)1. The person must be
currently certified as being |
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legally blind or as having any of the following disabilities |
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that render him or her unable to walk 200 feet without stopping |
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to rest: |
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a. Inability to walk without
the use of or assistance from |
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a brace, cane, crutch, prosthetic device, or other assistive |
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device, or without the assistance of another person. If the |
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assistive device significantly restores the person's ability to |
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walk to the extent that the person can walk without severe |
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limitation, the person is not eligible for the exemption parking
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permit. |
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b. The need to permanently
use a wheelchair. |
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c. Restriction by lung
disease to the extent that the |
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person's forced (respiratory) expiratory volume for 1 second, |
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when measured by spirometry, is less than 1 liter, or the |
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person's arterial oxygen is less than 60 mm/hg on room air at |
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rest. |
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d. Use of portable
oxygen. |
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e. Restriction by cardiac
condition to the extent that the |
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person's functional limitations are classified in severity as |
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Class III or Class IV according to standards set by the American
|
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Heart Association. |
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f. Severe limitation in the
person's ability to walk due |
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to an arthritic, neurological, or orthopedic condition. |
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2. The certification of
disability which is required under |
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subparagraph 1. must be provided by a physician licensed under |
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chapter 458, chapter 459, or chapter 460, by a podiatric |
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physician licensed under chapter 461, by an optometrist licensed
|
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under chapter 463, by an advanced registered nurse practitioner |
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licensed under chapter 464 in a facility operated by the United
|
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States Department of Veterans Affairs under the protocol of a
|
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licensed physician as stated in this subparagraph, by a |
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physician assistant licensed under chapter 458 or chapter 459
in |
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a facility operated by the United States Department of Veterans
|
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Affairs, by the Adjudication Office of the United States |
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Department of Veterans Affairs or its predecessor, or by a
|
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similarly licensed physician from another state if the |
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application is accompanied by documentation of the physician's |
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licensure in the other state and a form signed by the out-of- |
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state physician verifying his or her knowledge of this state's |
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eligibility guidelines. |
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(c) The certificate of
disability must include, but need |
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not be limited to: |
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1. The disability of the
applicant; the certifying |
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practitioner's physician's name and address; the
practitioner's |
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physician's certification number; the eligibility criteria for
|
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the permit; the penalty for falsification by either the |
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certifying practitioner physician or the applicant; the
duration |
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of the condition that entitles the person to the permit; and |
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justification for the additional placard pursuant to subsection |
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(2). |
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2. The statement, in bold
letters: "A disabled parking |
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permit may be issued only for a medical necessity that severely |
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affects mobility." |
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3. The signatures of: |
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a. The applicant's physician
or other certifying |
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practitioner.; |
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b. The applicant or the
applicant's parent or guardian.; |
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and |
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c. The employee of the
department's authorized agent which |
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employee is processing the application. |
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(9) A violation of this
section is grounds for |
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disciplinary action under s. 458.331, s. 459.015, s. 460.413,
or |
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s. 461.013, s. 463.016, or s. 464.018, as applicable. |
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Section 2. This act shall
take effect upon becoming a law. |