FILE ART- VA in San Diego, California. (Photo by Charles Ommanney/Getty Images)
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - A California lawmaker is trying to make it easier for disabled veterans to get parking perks.
State Sen. Jerry McNerney, D-Pleasanton, on Wednesday introduced SB 1034, otherwise known as the Parking Equity for Disabled Veterans Act.
The bill aims to reform state law so that disabled veterans no longer are forced to meet stricter medical eligibility requirements than other disabled Californians to access parking benefits.
"California prides itself for how it takes care of veterans, especially those who were seriously injured while defending our country or are disabled," said McNerney, who is a member of the Senate Military and Veterans Affairs Committee. "But current California law discriminates against disabled veterans by making it tougher for them to access parking benefits."
Current California law includes more obstacles for disabled veterans than other disabled people in the state when it comes to getting a disabled parking placard, according to McNerney's office.
For instance, disabled veterans who want to get a special disabled veterans license plate – known as a DV plate – must meet tougher medical eligibility standards than disabled non-veterans who want to get a disabled persons license plate, known as a DP plate, McNerney's office explained.
California rules for who qualifies as a disabled veteran for the purposes of accessing a DV plate are also stricter than federal disability standards, according to McNerney.
The bill is sponsored by the Department of California Disabled American Veterans, a nonprofit that advocates for disabled veterans.