A bill supported by disability rights groups passed the Senate this week after unanimous approval in the Iowa House last year. House File 588 will help ensure parking spots for disabled Iowans are available to them by reducing fraudulent use of parking placards.
Currently, Iowa offers a temporary windshield placard valid for up to six months for those with a short-term need for disabled parking. The state also issues a non-expiring placard for folks with longer-term needs.
House File 588 replaces the non-expiring placard with one that expires after five years.
A license plate designated for persons with disabilities has an easily identifiable and trackable number that is tied to a vehicle owner. On the other hand, a placard is meant to be portable, allowing disabled Iowans to move them among vehicles they ride in.
A placard should be turned in to the state when the person it was issued to no longer needs it. However, that doesn’t always happen. Sometimes these placards fall into the hands of unauthorized people who park in spots that should be available to disabled Iowans.
Requiring placard renewal will better ensure proper use. This bill applies to new placards issued starting in 2017. All non-expiring placards issued before then will be grandfathered in.