Sponsored by:
Senator DOUGLAS J. STEINHARDT
District 23 (Hunterdon, Somerset and Warren)
Senator EDWARD DURR
District 3 (Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem)
SYNOPSIS
Requires MVC to issue blue envelopes that hold documents required to operate motor vehicle to persons diagnosed with autism.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning protections for drivers with certain medical conditions and supplementing Title 39 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. The Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, in consultation with the Commissioner of Human Services, the Superintendent of State Police, and at least one organization that advocates on behalf of persons who have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, shall design and make available blue envelopes that may be utilized by a person who has been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder to hold documents required for the operation of a motor vehicle.
b. The blue envelopes developed pursuant to subsection a. of this section shall:
(1) be of a color shade easily recognizable to law enforcement officers;
(2) be capable of holding a person’s driver’s license, motor vehicle registration certificate, and insurance identification card;
(3) provide written information on the outside of the envelope identifying the envelope holder as a person who has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder; and
(4) provide written guidance to assist law enforcement officers in effectively communicating with a person who has been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder.
c. The chief administrator shall, in consultation with the commissioner, establish the documentation required to be produced by a person who has been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder, or by the parent, guardian, or caregiver of the person, in order to obtain the blue envelope issued pursuant to subsection a. of this section.
2. This act shall take effect on the first day of the twelfth month after enactment, but the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission may take any anticipatory action in advance as may be necessary to implement the provisions of this act.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, in consultation with the Commissioner of Human Services, the Superintendent of State Police, and at least one organization that advocates on behalf of persons who have been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder, to design and make available blue envelopes that may be utilized by a person who has been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder to hold documents required for the operation of a motor vehicle.
Under the bill, the blue envelopes are required to: (1) be of a color shade easily recognizable to law enforcement officers; (2) be capable of holding a person’s driver’s license, motor vehicle registration certificate, and insurance identification card; (3) provide written information on the outside of the envelope identifying the envelope holder as a person who has been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder; and (4) provide written guidance to assist law enforcement officers in effectively communicating with a person who has been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder.
The bill also requires that the chief administrator, in consultation with the commissioner, establish the documentation required to be produced by a person who has been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder, or by the parent, guardian, or caregiver of the person, in order to obtain a blue envelope.
The bill is based on a 2020 Connecticut statute.