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Committee advances bills to help drivers identify deaf vehicle owners and increase accessible parking
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Summary
The committee adopted HD1 on HB 1993 (deaf designation on vehicle records) and passed HB 2442 (increase accessible parking minimums) with amendments; advocates pushed for broader language and technical fixes drawn from a New Jersey model for deaf designation.
The committee advanced two accessibility-focused bills on Feb. 12.
HB 1993 would allow motor-vehicle owners to designate a vehicle as owned by a deaf individual so that law enforcement would see that designation when accessing vehicle information. Disability advocates including the Disability Rights Center and attorney/advocate Peter Fritz supported the bill and proposed amendments to expand wording to "deaf and hard of hearing" and to adopt a medical threshold used in New Jersey. Fritz offered to provide the New Jersey statute as a model.
HB 2442 would increase the minimum number of accessible and van-accessible parking spaces in larger parking facilities (proposing a 4% floor rather than formulas that reduce the minimum in very large lots). The Disability and Communication Access Board (DCAB) and the Hawaii Association of the Blind supported the measure and urged the committee to use ADA-consistent terminology ("parking facility"). DCAB cited survey data showing lack of available accessible spaces as the top barrier reported by permittees.
The committee adopted HD1 for HB 1993 with the proposed clarifications and passed HB 2442 with amendments; the committee deferred effective dates and asked staff to note the New Jersey reference and related technical edits in the committee report.
