MI HB5644

Certified nurse practitioners, physical therapists, and occupational therapists would be authorized to determine disability status for purposes of obtaining disability parking placards, in addition to physicians, physician assistants, and optometrists currently allowed under law.

The bill consolidates the definition of "disabled person" into a single section (MCL 257.19a) rather than repeating it across multiple sections of the Michigan Vehicle Code.

Qualifying disabilities include blindness, inability to walk more than 200 feet without resting, inability to use legs/feet, lung disease with specific spirometry measurements, cardiovascular conditions measuring 3-4 on the New York Heart Association scale, and severe arthritic/neurological/orthopedic conditions.

Applications for windshield placards, free parking stickers, and special registration plates can be certified by medical professionals licensed in other states if accompanied by proof of their current medical license.