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Pennsylvania State Senate
10/19/2024 04:12 AM
Pennsylvania State Senate
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?SPick=20230&chamber=S&cosponId=38113
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Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2023 - 2024 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted: December 2, 2022 11:44 AM
From: Senator Lisa M. Boscola and Sen. Maria Collett
To: All Senate members
Subject: ‘Communication Impairment’ License Designation for Autistic, Deaf, and Hard of Hearing – Assisting First Responders.
 
Soon we plan to introduce legislation that creates an optional designation for vehicle registrations, driver’s licenses or state issued photo identification cards for individuals that wish to voluntarily disclose that they or someone who regularly occupies the vehicle have a ‘communication impairment’. The designation would help ensure better, safer encounters between first responders and those with communication impairments – including individuals who are deaf, hearing-impaired, or autistic.
 
The designation would not be physically visible on a registration, license, or ID card, rather they would be visible to law enforcement officers when they run their registration or ID through the Commonwealth Law Enforcement Information Network (CLEAN). This bill will join legislation that has been introduced or enacted in 17 other states, including recent enactments in Virginia, Texas, Michigan, Florida and Louisiana. Many of these designation bills have been celebrated by advocates of the autism and deaf and hard of hearing communities. 
 
This legislation is especially important due to the triggering nature of law enforcement encounters for autistic individuals. People with autism can experience sensory overload due to sensitivity to loud noises, bright lights and being touched. Blaring sirens, loud vocal commands and a fast approach from an officer could make people with autism anxious and cause them to behave in ways officers might find strange or threatening. Unfortunately, this has ended in tragedy for these innocent individuals resulting in trauma for everyone involved.
 
We encourage our colleagues to join us in signing onto this important bill to promote better and safer interactions between first responders and those with communication impairments.



Introduced as SB932