Ohio disability rights advocates say they're closer than ever to winning broad changes to the state's accessible parking laws, as a reform package moves through the Statehouse with the clock ticking on this year's legislative session. The proposal would tighten rules for issuing accessible parking permits, raise civil penalties for violators, and create a volunteer enforcement force trained to document violations with photographs. Advocates are now pressing lawmakers to act before the approaching lame-duck session closes the window.
What the Reform Package Would Do
Ohio Rep. Meredith Craig introduced amendments to House Bill 718 this month, described as a comprehensive reform package that would set new guardrails for issuing accessible parking permits and increase civil penalties for violations, according to NBC4 WCMH-TV. The bill would also create a volunteer accessible parking enforcement force tasked with collecting photographic evidence of handicap parking violations for law enforcement to act on, the station reports.
Craig said those volunteers would be trained by the Department of Public Safety and instructed to only photograph parking violations if the offending vehicle is unoccupied. The goal, she said, is to keep the process calm rather than confrontational. “They’re obviously able to take photographic evidence, turn that in to law enforcement for appropriate action, but we're trying to mitigate as much drama as possible,” Craig said, per the same NBC4 account.
Committee Members Point to Years of Delay
Rep. Andrea White, who chairs the House Children and Human Services Committee, told colleagues she's watched the issue evolve over time. “I've listened to this bill for six years and there's been substantial change and progress,” White said, according to the station's report. Rep. Crystal Lett, the committee's top Democrat, noted that this isn't the bill's first trip through the General Assembly, and said a lack of accessible parking can keep people with disabilities from participating fully in work and community life.
Kevin Flynn, an advocate and former Cincinnati city council member, testified before the committee on Monday and framed the measure as more than a parking rule change. He described the proposal as primarily a civil rights bill concerning disabled people's ability to participate in society, the NBC4 report notes. Flynn urged lawmakers to pass H.B. 712 before the end of the year, warning that failing to do so would force the process to start over from scratch. NBC4's account names H.B. 718 as the measure Craig amended, while also reporting Flynn's call to pass H.B. 712; the available reporting does not clarify whether these references describe the same legislation or two separate bills.
A Long-Running Frustration for Advocates
Advocates have long been frustrated by people without disabilities ignoring the laws against parking in handicap spots, per NBC4's reporting. That frustration echoes a broader pattern described by Stephen Lieberman of the United Spinal Association, who said people with disabilities have been experiencing a long-term crisis of access to accessible parking spaces, according to WOWK-TV.
Separate reporting from WOWK-TV lays out specific provisions tied to H.B. 712, including civil fines of $250 for a first offense, between $250 and $500 for a second offense, and between $500 and $750 for a third or subsequent offense. That report also describes a requirement that property owners clear weather-related obstructions from accessible spaces within 24 hours or provide an alternative accessible space. As of that report, H.B. 712 was awaiting proponent and opponent testimony in the Ohio House and would still need approval from both chambers before reaching Gov. Mike DeWine's desk.
Ohio Has Tried This Before
This isn't the first time Ohio lawmakers have attempted this kind of overhaul. A similar proposal introduced in the Ohio House in 2021 passed unanimously but ultimately stalled in the Senate, according to WOWK-TV's reporting. That history helps explain why Flynn's warning about the lame-duck session carries weight among advocates who've watched momentum fizzle before.
Ohio wouldn't be alone in deputizing residents to help enforce accessible parking rules. In Austin, Texas, the Accessible Parking Enforcement Program allows trained volunteers to issue citations and warnings for vehicles illegally parked in designated accessible spaces, according to the Austin Monitor. That city's Transportation and Public Works Department provides the training in partnership with the Police Department. Ohio's proposal, as described in NBC4's reporting, would have volunteers gather photographic evidence for law enforcement rather than issue citations themselves, a narrower role than Austin's program.
Under existing Ohio law, a person who violates certain provisions of Ohio Revised Code section 4511.69 is guilty of a minor misdemeanor, according to the Ohio Revised Code. With lawmakers facing a limited window before the legislative session wraps, advocates like Flynn are hoping this round of reform doesn't meet the same fate as the 2021 effort that passed the House only to die in the Senate.
