# HOV Lanes for Heroes Act

This bill gives disabled veterans the ability to drive alone in high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes, commonly known as carpool or express lanes. Normally, these special lanes require at least two or three people in a vehicle to use them, but this law would create an exception for veterans with service-connected disabilities.

To qualify, a veteran would need to have a disability that the Department of Veterans Affairs has officially recognized as service-connected—meaning it resulted from their military service. The specific disability rating threshold would be set by local authorities managing each HOV lane, so requirements might vary by state or region. Veterans would need to display a special license plate, use a registered transponder, or carry some other form of identification approved by the local authority to prove they qualify.

The most significant benefit is that disabled veterans could use these lanes during rush hour traffic without needing passengers, potentially saving them considerable time on their commutes. Additionally, if the HOV lane includes tolls (like many express lanes do), the bill specifies that disabled veterans would not have to pay those tolls. This means they'd get both the time savings from faster travel and the financial savings from avoiding toll charges. The bill essentially recognizes the service and sacrifice of disabled veterans by giving them a practical transportation benefit that could improve their daily quality of life.

HOV Lanes for Heroes Act

Rep. Malliotakis, Nicole [R-NY-11]

HOV Lanes for Heroes Act This bill provides authority for a public authority to allow a disabled veteran to use a high occupancy vehicle (HOV) facility if such veteran has a license plate that clearly identifies the vehicle, a registered transponder, or other method of qualifying identification. The public authority may not charge a toll to the veteran for use of the HOV facility.