Senate passes “Blue Envelope” bill to aid drivers with ASDDate: 1/9/2024 The Massachusetts Senate unanimously passed a new bill on Jan. 4 that helps facilitate better interactions between police officers and people with autism spectrum disorder.
Filed by state Sen. Jo Comerford (D-Northampton), “An Act facilitating better interactions between police officers and persons with autism spectrum disorder,” also known as the “Blue Envelope Bill,” creates a voluntary program that provides a better understanding and communication between law enforcement and drivers with autism spectrum disorder.
“I am deeply grateful to Senate President Karen Spilka, Ways and Means Chair Michael Rodrigues, Transportation Chair Brendan Crighton and my colleagues for passing this important legislation,” said Comerford, in a statement. “The Blue Envelope Bill will make our commonwealth a safer place for people who are neuro diverse. It moves us closer to equal opportunity and access for people of all abilities.”
The program offers people with autism spectrum disorder the opportunity to obtain a blue envelope that holds their driver license, registration and insurance cards, which can be handed to the police in the event of a traffic stop.
The outside of the envelope, meanwhile, would delineate specific instructions for law enforcement, including the driver’s diagnosis, triggers, impairments, emergency contact information and best ways to communicate.
“This was an idea directly brought from my constituents … and it was both from young adults who were hoping to drive or have begun driving who were living with autism spectrum disorder, or their caregivers, their parents, grandparents from the district talking about the need for some way for themselves or their kids to signal that they had autism, that they were neurodiverse and potentially didn’t communicate or react or respond in the same way to a crisis or a traffic stop,” Comerford told Reminder Publishing.
According to a recent State House News Service report, drivers with autism spectrum disorder have a difficult time during police stops and can end up in dangerous situations, according to disability advocates, which is why something like this is necessary.
Without training, police officers can misread the actions of an individual on the autism spectrum and use force in a situation where it could be avoided, advocates said.
Other states, like Connecticut, have a similar program, and in fact, some communities in Massachusetts have already began using blue envelopes in their towns.
Comerford specifically mentioned how a local advocate named Max Callahan met with University of Massachusetts Amherst Police Chief Tyrone Parham to encourage him to push for the program.
Parham then reached out to other chiefs in the area to gauge their interest in this type of program, and according to Comerford, almost all of them responded in favor of a “Blue Envelope” program.
Eventually, Deerfield Police Chief John Paciorek decided to implement the system in town, thanks to Callahan’s advocacy.
“Western Mass. chiefs like Chief Paciorek and others began saying, ‘hey, this would be really useful for us. We don’t have enough training, we want a reminder in the moment for officers, we feel like it would keep them safer, it would keep individuals safer, this is a good idea,’” Comerford said.
According to Comerford, this is considered a “big tent bill” because it brings together different groups that do not always partner with each other, including law enforcement and members of the disability rights community.
In fact, the Massachusetts State Police Association and a representative of the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association testified in favor of the bill during a June 2023 hearing.
“The introduction of the blue envelope under these stressful interactions will provide immediate information and context to the officer as they begin to communicate,” Parham said in a statement. “Traffic stops are some of the most dangerous citizen interactions by police and this additional informative information gleaned by the blue [envelope] will be extremely helpful.”
Comerford said the blue envelope will be designed by the RMV, the police and autism experts. She added that the envelope can be clipped on a visor in the car so it can be accessible for the driver.
“The Blue Envelope Bill would be a game changer for our family and for so many Massachusetts residents,” said Ilyse Levine-Kanji, an executive committee member of Advocates for Autism of Massachusetts. “Like many people with autism, my 25-year-old son Sam does not have any physical characteristics that indicate he has autism. In a stressful situation, where split second decisions must be made, I’m relieved that a police officer could see a blue envelope in Sam’s car and immediately understand that any unusual behavior or speech pattern is a result of autism.”
The bill now moves to the House of Representatives for consideration.
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