(a) The Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges and the Trustees of the California State University shall, and the Regents of the University of California may, adopt rules and regulations prescribing requirements similar to those provided by Section 22511.5 of the Vehicle Code and all other applicable sections of the Vehicle Code relating to parking exemptions for disabled persons, as defined by Section 295.5 of the Vehicle Code, and disabled veterans, as defined by Section 295.7 of the Vehicle Code. The rules and regulations shall include authorization to park for unlimited periods in time-restricted parking zones and to park in any metered parking space without being required to pay any parking meter fee or to display a parking permit other than pursuant to Section 5007 or 22511.55 of the Vehicle Code, provided those spaces are otherwise available for use by the general public. The adopted regulations shall authorize parking at campus facilities and grounds by students with disabilities and by persons providing transportation services to students with disabilities. Except as otherwise provided in this section, students with disabilities and persons providing transportation to students with disabilities shall be required to display a valid parking permit, if applicable, for the campus attended. Nothing in this section prohibits the adoption of rules and regulations providing greater accessibility for students with disabilities and persons providing transportation services to those students.

The adopted rules and regulations shall exempt students with disabilities and persons providing transportation services to these persons from any applicable parking restrictions in areas including, but not limited to, metered parking spaces and parking facilities designated for use by students, faculty, administrators, and employees.

(b) The Regents of the University of California may provide, and the Trustees of the California State University shall provide, and the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges shall adopt rules and regulations requiring the governing board of each community college district to provide, visitor parking at each campus of the university or district at no charge for a disabled person, as defined by Section 295.5 of the Vehicle Code, or disabled veteran, as defined by Section 295.7 of the Vehicle Code, or as defined by each segment’s policy concerning the provision of services to students with disabilities, whichever is more inclusive, and for persons providing transportation services to individuals with disabilities. Whenever parking designated for a disabled person is provided on any campus of the University of California, the California State University, or a community college district in a facility controlled by a mechanical gate, that university or district shall also provide accommodations for any person whose disability prevents him or her from operating the gate controls. These accommodations may be provided by making arrangements for disabled persons to be assisted in the operation of the gate controls, or through other effective and reasonable means the university or district may devise. Nothing in this subdivision shall be construed to require the replacement or elimination of special parking facilities restricted for the use of disabled persons located on the campuses of these universities or districts.

It is the intent of the Legislature that community college districts shall utilize the proceeds from parking fees charged to community college students and employees to offset costs incurred by these districts in accommodating disabled persons pursuant to the requirements of this section.

(c) The Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges and the Trustees of the California State University shall, and the Regents of the University of California may, establish procedures for the purpose of conducting biennial audits to determine whether individual campuses are in compliance with all state building code requirements relating to the location and the designation of minimum percentages of available campus parking spaces for use by students with disabilities, as determined by guidelines of Section 14679 of the Government Code, Section 2-7102 of Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations, Part 40 (commencing with Section 40.1) of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Section 1190.31 of Title 36 of the Code of Federal Regulations, or their successor provisions, or any other applicable provisions of law, whichever provides the greater accessibility for disabled persons.

(Amended by Stats. 2001, Ch. 745, Sec. 33. Effective October 12, 2001.)