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COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY, JUSTICE AND PUBLIC SAFETY BILL NO. 35-0046 Thirty-Fifth Legislature of the Virgin Islands February 27, 2023 An Act amending title 20 Virgin Islands Code, part II, chapter 43, subchapter I to establish parking for expectant mothers or mothers with newborns PROPOSED BY: Senator Franklin D. Johnson Be it enacted by the Legislature of the Virgin Islands: 1 SECTION 1. Title 20 Virgin Islands Code, part II, chapter 43, subchapter I is 2 amended by adding Section 497g. to read as follows: 3 “§ 497g. Reserved parking for expectant and new mothers. 4 (a)(1) Any individual, business entity, or other organization and the 5 Government of the Virgin Islands, including semi-autonomous instrumentalities, 6 transacting business with the public, which owns or leases a parking lot that has 50 7 or more parking spaces, must reserve at least one parking space, located as closely 8 as possible to parking spaces designated for persons with disabilities, for the 9 exclusive use by expectant and new mothers. The Police Commissioner shall 10 designate the total number of parking spaces which must be reserved for expectant 11 and new mothers parking in all parking lots that are subject to this section. 12 (2) The parking spaces designated for expectant and new mothers parking 13 must have a clearly visible sign erected and marked “Reserved for Expectant and 14 New Mothers, Parking by Permit Only, $500.00 Minimum Fine.” 15 2 (b) The Director of the Bureau of Motor Vehicles (“Director”) shall issue an 1 Expectant and New Mother Parking Permit Placard (“Parking Permit”) upon 2 payment of the applicable fee established by the Director. 3 (c) To qualify for a Parking Permit, an expectant or new mother must submit 4 an application, as prescribed and furnished by the Director, and a written statement 5 from a medical professional that verifies that she is pregnant and provides an 6 expected due date or the certified birth certificate of her infant who is under one 7 year of age. The Parking Permit may not exceed one year post-pregnancy and the 8 Parking Permit must clearly state the expiration date. For pregnant women, the 9 Director shall establish the expiration date for the Parking Permit by adding 12 10 months from the expected due date indicated by the medical professional who is 11 treating the expectant mother. For new mothers, the Director shall establish the 12 expiration date for the Parking Permit by adding 12 months from the date she gave 13 birth. 14 (d) The Parking Permit must be prominently displayed by placing the 15 Parking Permit on the front windshield rearview mirror when that vehicle is parked 16 in a space reserved for expectant and new mothers’ parking. 17 (e) A vehicle parked in a space reserved for expectant and new mothers 18 parking must either be operated by or occupied by the holder of the Parking Permit. 19 (f) Any person who parks in a parking space designated for expectant and 20 new mothers without a Parking Permit affixed to the vehicle is subject to a 21 minimum fine of $500. 22 SECTION 2. Title 20 Virgin Islands Code, part II, chapter 43, subchapter I, 23 section 512 is amended by inserting after the line for “T 20, 497(d), Parking in 24 handicapped zone” a line that reads: “T 20, 497g, Parking in space for expectant 25 and new mothers-1st FEE - $500.00; 2nd FEE and 3rd FEE – Must appear in Court.” 26 3 SECTION 3. Title 20 Virgin Islands Code, chapter 43, subchapter I, section 1 513 is amended by adding a paragraph (5) that reads as follows: 2 “(5) Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, all fines collected 3 pursuant to section 497g of this subchapter must be distributed as follows: 25 4 percent to the Women’s Coalition of St. Croix, 25% to the Family Resource Center, 5 Inc. and 50% to the Superior Court of the Virgin Islands.” 6 SECTION 4. This act takes effect 90 days after enactment.” 7 BILL SUMMARY 8 This bill amends title 20 Virgin Islands Code, chapter 43, subchapter I by adding a section 9 497g which requires the Government of the Virgin Islands, including semi-autonomous 10 instrumentalities; and any individual, business entity, or other organization transacting business 11 with the public; that owns or leases a parking lot that has 50 or more parking spaces, to have at 12 least one parking space, located as closely as possible to parking spaces designated for persons 13 with disabilities, reserved for the exclusive use by expectant and new mothers. The parking 14 spaces designated for expectant and new mothers’ parking will have a clearly visible sign 15 erected and marked “Reserved for Expectant and New Mothers, Parking by Permit Only, $500 16 Minimum Fine.” 17 The Director of the Bureau of Motor Vehicles will issue an Expectant and New Mother 18 Parking Permit upon payment of the applicable fee established by the Director. To qualify for 19 a Parking Permit, an individual must submit an application, as prescribed and furnished by the 20 Director, and a written statement from a medical professional that verifies the female is 21 pregnant and providing an expected due date or within the first year of post-pregnancy. The 22 Parking Permit cannot exceed one-year post-pregnancy and the Parking Permit must clearly 23 state the expiration date. The Parking Permit must be prominently displayed on the vehicle 24 and a vehicle parked in a space reserved for expectant and new mothers parking must either be 25 operated by or occupied by the holder of the Parking Permit. 26 4 Any person who parks in a parking space designated for expectant and new mothers 1 without a Parking Permit affixed to the vehicle will be subject to a minimum fine of $500. The 2 fines collected pursuant to this section will be distributed as follows: 25% to the Women’s 3 Coalition of St. Croix, 25% to the Family Resource Center, Inc. and 50% to the Superior Court 4 of the Virgin Islands.” 5 BR23-0360/February 22, 2023/GC 6