Advocacy alert: Bad Accessible Parking Bill

Right now, there is a bad accessible parking bill at the TN General Assembly. HB 1457/ SB 1684 was supposed to be heard two weeks ago by the House Transportation Committee but was rolled until next week. The bill is now scheduled to be heard in the House Transportation Committee on Tuesday, March 3rd at 10:30am CT. It is also scheduled to be heard by the Senate Transportation and Safety Committee on Wednesday, March 4th at 9:30am CT.

UPDATE: The following amendment to the language of the bill has been proposed. It does not resolve our concerns about the bill.

Temporary placards may be issued under this part to persons who are temporarily disabled by a nonambulatory or semi-ambulatory condition due to surgery, bone fracture or breakage, or similar condition, and whose temporary disabling condition and the estimated duration of the condition is noted on the physician’s statement.

Temporary placards may also be issued to a female who is in her second or third trimester of pregnancy or who has a pregnancy certified to be high risk by her physician.

Temporary placards must be issued for the estimated duration of the condition, but not in excess of six (6) months, at a cost of ten dollars ($10.00). Temporary placards may be issued for a similar period at the same cost. Temporary placards must be of a different design and color than permanent placards and must prominently note the expiration date.

About the the bill:

The Tennessee Code Annotated (TCA) Section 55-21-102 defines the term “disabled driver” for the purposes of obtaining a temporary or permanent accessible parking permit. The definition includes individuals who meet any of the following criteria:

• Physical Disability: Persons disabled by paraplegia, amputation, or loss of use of a leg, foot, or both hands.
• Equal Mobility Difficulty: Those with conditions certified by a licensed physician as resulting in a degree of disability that makes it difficult to move about, specifically if they cannot walk 200 feet without stopping to rest.
• Vision Impairment: Owners of a motor vehicle with vision not exceeding 20/200 with correcting glasses in both eyes.

HB 1457/SB 1684 would expand this definition to also include individuals in their second or third trimester of pregnancy, or those with a certified high-risk pregnancy.

This is unnecessary. Any pregnant woman whose physical condition meets the standards currently in the law is eligible for a temporary permit.

Allowing individuals who do not need to use accessible parking to have access as a matter of convenience creates serious access issues for those who NEED accessible parking in order to access the community.

Demand for accessible parking already outstrips the supply, not to mention the challenges of illegal use of accessible parking further limiting its availability.

This legislation is a copy of a Florida law that passed in 2025. That law is facing a federal lawsuit based on violations of the ADA and Section 5024.

More information about the bill is online at: https://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/Default?BillNumber=HB1457

Advocacy Alert: Contact the bill sponsors and members of the House Transportation Committee before they discuss the bill on Tuesday and the Senate Transportation and Safety Committee on Wednesday. This bill is bad for the disability community and not needed for pregnant people who experience disability during their pregnancy.

Contact information:

Bill Sponsors:

• Senator Bill Powers: email: [email protected]  Phone: 615-741-2374
• Representative Gino Bulso:  email: [email protected]  Phone: 615-741-6808

House Transportation Committee:

Rep. Dan Howell (Chair) – [email protected]
Rep. Ed Butler (Vice-Chair) – [email protected]

Rep. Rebecca K. Alexander – [email protected]
Rep. Fred Atchley – [email protected]
Rep. Aftyn Behn – [email protected]
Rep. Elaine Davis – [email protected]
Rep. Ronnie Glynn – [email protected]
Rep. Torrey C. Harris – [email protected]
Rep. David B. Hawk – [email protected]
Rep. Aron Maberry – [email protected]
Rep. Pat Marsh – [email protected]
Rep. Jake McCalmon – [email protected]
Rep. Michele Reneau – [email protected]
Rep. Tim Rudd – [email protected]
Rep. Lowell Russell – [email protected]
Rep. Paul Sherrell – [email protected]
Rep. Robert Stevens – [email protected]
Rep. Chris Todd – [email protected]
Rep. Joe Towns, Jr. – [email protected]
Rep. Greg Vital – [email protected]
Rep. Dave Wright – [email protected]

Senate Transportation and Safety Committee:

Senator Becky Duncan Massey – Chair – [email protected]
Senator Mark Pody – Vice-Chair – [email protected]
Senator Brent Taylor – 2nd Vice-Chair – [email protected]
Senator Paul Bailey – [email protected]
Senator Richard Briggs – [email protected]
Senator Heidi Campbell – [email protected]
Senator Tom Hatcher – [email protected]
Senator Bill Powers – [email protected]
Senator Jessie Seal – [email protected]