The state Assembly Transportation Committee advanced a proposed bill that could eliminate a potential misunderstanding between police officers and people with autism.
The proposed bill would allow people who have autism or a communication disability to add a mark to their driver’s license and law enforcement officers training to better handle.
Serena DiMaso and Jean Stanfield sponsor the bill. They say that the marking would help police officers and other first responders be aware that the person they are dealing with may not effectively communicate.
“Ultimately, we want to help first responders during these interactions,” “It’s critical for law enforcement to understand whether a driver’s actions or behavior are a result of a medical diagnosis they might struggle to express.” said DiMaso.
“We cannot expect our officers to be experts in everything, but we can give them the tools needed to keep up the amazing job they are doing,” said Stanfield in a statement.
A 2017 study by the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia estimated about one-third of adults with autism have driver’s licenses, based on a survey of data from New Jersey.
