It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
SECTION 1. Section 31-28-7.1 of the General Laws in Chapter 31-28 entitled "Parking Facilities and Privileges" is hereby amended to read as follows:
{ADD 31-28-7.1. ADD} {DEL Motor vehicle plates for group care facilities serving the blind, handicapped, or ambulatory handicapped. DEL} {ADD Motor vehicle plates for group care facilities or companies serving the blind, handicapped, or ambulatory handicapped. -- ADD} (a) Upon application to the registry of motor vehicles, any group care facility {ADD or company ADD} that provides services to blind, handicapped, or ambulatory handicapped persons shall be issued one or more portable motor vehicle plates as described in sections 31-28-7 (a)(1) and (2).
(b) The applicant shall provide to the registry proof that the applicant is a bona fide group care facility {ADD or company ADD} providing services to blind, handicapped, or ambulatory handicapped persons.
(c) The registry shall not issue more than ten (10) plates to any one facility. The number of plates to be issued shall be determined by the registry based upon the number of persons served by the facility and the frequency with which the staff of the facility must transport the clients or patients of the facility.
(d) The plates shall be used only by agents or employees of the facility and only when transporting blind, handicapped, or ambulatory handicapped persons who are clients or patients of the facility. The plate is to be prominently displayed on the right hand side of the front windshield of the motor vehicle.
(e) A person other than an agent or employee of the facility to which the plate was issued, or an agent or employee of the facility not engaged in transporting clients or patients of the facility, who uses the parking privilege plate for his or her own purposes, shall be fined fifty dollars ($50.00) for each violation, in addition to the handicapped services assessment in the amount indicated in section 31-28-7.2. A facility that allows the unauthorized use of the plates may be subject to revocation of the use of the plate by the registry.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 1995.