Bill Text: VA HB1960 | 2021 | 1st Special Session | Prefiled
Bill Title: Vehicle registration; special communication needs indicator.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-1)
Status: (Passed) 2021-03-25 - Governor: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0358) [HB1960 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2021-HB1960-Prefiled.html
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That §46.2-600.1 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:
§46.2-600.1. Indication of special communication needs.
A. As used in this section, "disability that can impair communication" means a condition with symptoms that can impair the ability of a person with such condition to receive, send, process, or comprehend concepts or verbal, nonverbal, or graphic symbol systems, including autism spectrum disorders as defined in §38.2-3418.17 and hearing loss.
B. The Department shall include on the application for registration of a motor vehicle an option for the vehicle owner to, if applicable, voluntarily indicate that he or a person who will regularly occupy his vehicle has a disability that can impair communication. Any application on which the applicant indicates that he or a person who will regularly occupy his vehicle has such a disability shall be accompanied by a certification signed by a licensed physician that such individual has a disability that can impair communication.
C. Any vehicle owner with a driver's license indicator authorized pursuant to subsection K of §46.2-342 or special identification card indicator authorized pursuant to subsection L of §46.2-345 or whose vehicle is regularly occupied by an individual with such an indicator shall be eligible for the registration indicator. Vehicle owners with a driver's license indicator or special identification card indicator and vehicle owners whose vehicle is regularly occupied by an individual with a driver's license indicator or special identification card indicator may apply to the Department for a registration indicator in a manner prescribed by the Commissioner.
D. Notwithstanding the provisions of §46.2-208, the Department shall provide information regarding vehicle registrants who have indicated, pursuant to subsection B or C, that they or individuals who will regularly occupy their vehicles have a disability that can impair communication with employees and agents of criminal justice agencies as defined in §9.1-101. The Department shall confirm the presence or absence of a registration indicator indicating that the registrant or a person regularly occupying the vehicle of a registrant has a disability that can impair communication, but it shall not provide information about the type of health condition or disability that the registrant or a person regularly occupying the vehicle of a registrant has.
E. Any vehicle owner who has a registration indicator indicating that the registrant or a person regularly occupying the vehicle of a registrant has a disability that can impair communication may have such indicator removed by requesting such removal, in writing, to the Department.
