Bill Sponsors
Representative Arthur J. Corvese
Committee
House State Government & Elections
Summary
Select
This legislation updates the state's disability parking enforcement laws to include a mandatory reporting requirement. Starting January 1, 2027, cities, towns, and various state agencies (including the State Police and state colleges) must submit an annual progress report to the Governor’s Commission on Disabilities. These reports must detail the number of fines collected, procedures used, and convictions regarding disability parking violations. Additionally, the bill gives the Governor’s Commission on Disabilities a formal role in reviewing and suggesting improvements to enforcement programs starting in July 2026.
Sponsor
Analysis
Pros for Progressives
- Increases accountability and transparency regarding how disability rights are enforced across the state, ensuring that accessibility laws are not just on paper but in practice.
- Empowers the Governor’s Commission on Disabilities to oversee and suggest improvements to local enforcement plans, centralizing advocacy for the disability community.
- Identifies gaps in enforcement through data collection, potentially leading to better protections and access for individuals with disabilities in underserved areas.
Cons for Progressives
- Relies heavily on punitive enforcement and policing measures (ticketing) rather than emphasizing education or infrastructure improvements to solve accessibility issues.
- Creates an administrative burden without allocating specific funding or resources to help agencies and towns compile the required data.
- May encourage a quota-driven approach where agencies aggressively ticket to demonstrate "success" in their annual reports, potentially affecting low-income drivers disproportionately.
Pros for Conservatives
- Reinforces the rule of law by ensuring that existing statutes regarding parking privileges are actively monitored and enforced.
- Allows for the use of auxiliary personnel, retired officers, or special forces for enforcement, which is a more cost-effective use of manpower than using active-duty police officers.
- Ensures that fines collected through enforcement remain with the local municipality or agency issuing the citation, supporting local revenue streams.
Cons for Conservatives
- Imposes new bureaucratic reporting mandates on cities and towns, increasing the administrative size and scope of local government.
- Expands the oversight authority of an unelected state commission (Governor’s Commission on Disabilities) over local municipal operations.
- Represents a "top-down" state approach that interferes with how local jurisdictions choose to manage their own parking enforcement priorities.
Constitutional Concerns
None Likely
Impact Overview
Groups Affected
- People with disabilities
- Municipal police departments
- State agencies
- Town administrators
- Vehicle owners
Towns Affected
All
Cost to Taxpayers
Amount unknown
Revenue Generated
None
BillBuddy Impact Ratings
Importance
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Freedom Impact
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Public Services
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Regulatory
Estimated regulatory burden imposed on the subject(s) of the bill.
Clarity of Bill Language
How clear the language of the bill is. Higher ambiguity equals a lower score.
Enforcement Provisions
Measures enforcement provisions and penalties for non-compliance (if applicable).
Environmental Impact
Impact the bill will have on the environment, positive or negative.
Privacy Impact
Impact the bill is likely to have on the privacy of individuals.
Bill Status
Current Status
Held
Comm Passed
Floor Passed
Law
History
• 01/07/2026 Introduced, referred to House State Government & Elections
Bill Text
SECTION 1. Section 31-28-7.3 of the General Laws in Chapter 31-28 entitled "Parking Facilities and Privileges" is hereby amended to read as follows:
31-28-7.3. Disability parking enforcement program.
(a) The state police, department of environmental management, airport corporation, capitol police, department of behavioral healthcare, developmental disabilities and hospitals, governor’s commission on disabilities, and the state operated colleges shall establish a disability parking enforcement enhancement programs no later than January 1, 2000. On or after July 1, 2026, the governor's commission on disabilities shall have input for any amendments, changes or updates to the disability parking enforcement program. The program will be designed to improve enforcement of disability parking laws on state-owned property and in parking facilities serving space leased or owned by the state, including state departments, agencies, boards, commissions, and quasi- governmental corporations. Citations issued in conjunction with this program shall be submitted to the traffic tribunal or its successor entity for collection pursuant to §§ 31-28-7 and 31-28-7.1 and the fines collected through shall be paid over to the state agency or college that issued the citation.
(b) The several cities and towns shall establish disability parking enforcement enhancement programs. Citations issued in conjunction with local enforcement programs shall be submitted to the municipal court, where established, or to the traffic tribunal or its successor entity. Fines collected through citations issued in accordance with local enforcement program specifications shall be paid over to the city or town or pursuant to §§ 31-28-7 and 31-28-7.1.
(c) Disability parking enforcement enhancement plans.
(1) The state police, department of environmental management, airport corporation, capitol police, department of behavioral healthcare, developmental disabilities and hospitals, and the state operated colleges shall submit a disability parking enforcement enhancement plan to the governor’s commission on disabilities.
(2) Cities and towns shall submit a disability parking enforcement enhancement plan to the governor’s commission on the disability.
(3) The disability parking enforcement enhancement plans shall describe the enforcement program which the state police, department of environmental management, airport corporation, capitol police, department of behavioral healthcare, developmental disabilities and hospitals, governor’s commission on disabilities, the state operated colleges or the municipality intends to establish.
(4) The disability parking enforcement enhancement plan shall be reviewed by governor’s commission on disabilities within sixty (60) days of receipt and suggest improvements to the disability parking enforcement enhancement plans, that shall not be construed as required amendments.
(d) The types of disability parking enforcement enhancement programs which may be put in place in each municipality, and by the state police, department of environmental management, airport corporation, capitol police, department of behavioral healthcare, developmental disabilities and hospitals, governor’s commission on disabilities, and the state operated colleges, may include, but shall not be limited to:
(1) Enforcement programs which utilize persons deputized for the purpose of the disability parking enforcement enhancement program. The disability parking enforcement deputies shall be required to complete a minimum of four (4) hours training in parking enforcement before being assigned to the program. Each municipality and the state police, department of environmental management, airport corporation, capitol police, department of behavioral healthcare, developmental disabilities and hospitals, governor’s commission on disabilities, and the state operated colleges shall provide adequate training and shall assume all liability associated with disability parking enforcement.
(2) Enforcement programs which specifically designate paid and trained personnel as staff for the disability parking enforcement enhancement program. These personnel are not limited to on-duty police officers, but may also include officers to be paid overtime, auxiliary personnel, special forces, retired personnel, and other paid employee deemed by the responsible authority to LC003563 - Page 2 of 4 be competent and qualified.
(e) Beginning January 1, 2027 and on each January 1 thereafter, cities and towns and the state police, department of environmental management, airport corporation, capitol police, department of behavioral healthcare, developmental disabilities and hospitals, and the state operated colleges shall be required to submit to the governor’s commission on disabilities an annual progress report chronicling the collections of fines, procedures used, convictions, and any problems or successes which result from the disability parking enforcement enhancement program. Following receipt of an annual program report, the governor’s commission on disabilities may suggest improvements to a disability parking enforcement enhancement program.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.
31-28-7.3. Disability parking enforcement program.
(a) The state police, department of environmental management, airport corporation, capitol police, department of behavioral healthcare, developmental disabilities and hospitals, governor’s commission on disabilities, and the state operated colleges shall establish a disability parking enforcement enhancement programs no later than January 1, 2000. On or after July 1, 2026, the governor's commission on disabilities shall have input for any amendments, changes or updates to the disability parking enforcement program. The program will be designed to improve enforcement of disability parking laws on state-owned property and in parking facilities serving space leased or owned by the state, including state departments, agencies, boards, commissions, and quasi- governmental corporations. Citations issued in conjunction with this program shall be submitted to the traffic tribunal or its successor entity for collection pursuant to §§ 31-28-7 and 31-28-7.1 and the fines collected through shall be paid over to the state agency or college that issued the citation.
(b) The several cities and towns shall establish disability parking enforcement enhancement programs. Citations issued in conjunction with local enforcement programs shall be submitted to the municipal court, where established, or to the traffic tribunal or its successor entity. Fines collected through citations issued in accordance with local enforcement program specifications shall be paid over to the city or town or pursuant to §§ 31-28-7 and 31-28-7.1.
(c) Disability parking enforcement enhancement plans.
(1) The state police, department of environmental management, airport corporation, capitol police, department of behavioral healthcare, developmental disabilities and hospitals, and the state operated colleges shall submit a disability parking enforcement enhancement plan to the governor’s commission on disabilities.
(2) Cities and towns shall submit a disability parking enforcement enhancement plan to the governor’s commission on the disability.
(3) The disability parking enforcement enhancement plans shall describe the enforcement program which the state police, department of environmental management, airport corporation, capitol police, department of behavioral healthcare, developmental disabilities and hospitals, governor’s commission on disabilities, the state operated colleges or the municipality intends to establish.
(4) The disability parking enforcement enhancement plan shall be reviewed by governor’s commission on disabilities within sixty (60) days of receipt and suggest improvements to the disability parking enforcement enhancement plans, that shall not be construed as required amendments.
(d) The types of disability parking enforcement enhancement programs which may be put in place in each municipality, and by the state police, department of environmental management, airport corporation, capitol police, department of behavioral healthcare, developmental disabilities and hospitals, governor’s commission on disabilities, and the state operated colleges, may include, but shall not be limited to:
(1) Enforcement programs which utilize persons deputized for the purpose of the disability parking enforcement enhancement program. The disability parking enforcement deputies shall be required to complete a minimum of four (4) hours training in parking enforcement before being assigned to the program. Each municipality and the state police, department of environmental management, airport corporation, capitol police, department of behavioral healthcare, developmental disabilities and hospitals, governor’s commission on disabilities, and the state operated colleges shall provide adequate training and shall assume all liability associated with disability parking enforcement.
(2) Enforcement programs which specifically designate paid and trained personnel as staff for the disability parking enforcement enhancement program. These personnel are not limited to on-duty police officers, but may also include officers to be paid overtime, auxiliary personnel, special forces, retired personnel, and other paid employee deemed by the responsible authority to LC003563 - Page 2 of 4 be competent and qualified.
(e) Beginning January 1, 2027 and on each January 1 thereafter, cities and towns and the state police, department of environmental management, airport corporation, capitol police, department of behavioral healthcare, developmental disabilities and hospitals, and the state operated colleges shall be required to submit to the governor’s commission on disabilities an annual progress report chronicling the collections of fines, procedures used, convictions, and any problems or successes which result from the disability parking enforcement enhancement program. Following receipt of an annual program report, the governor’s commission on disabilities may suggest improvements to a disability parking enforcement enhancement program.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.