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PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 2078 PRINTER'S NO. 3051
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 1700
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY MARKOSEK, GIRAL, HILL-EVANS, PROBST, WAXMAN,
VENKAT, RIVERA, BURGOS, SANCHEZ, GUZMAN, GALLAGHER,
D. WILLIAMS, BELLMON, GILLEN, COOPER, STEELE, WARREN, GREEN,
PASHINSKI AND SCOTT, JULY 1, 2025
AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION, HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, MARCH 23, 2026
AN ACT
Amending Title 75 (Vehicles) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
Statutes, in licensing of drivers, providing for
communication impairment BARRIER designation; and imposing
penalties.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Title 75 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
Statutes is amended by adding a section to read:
§ 1510.1. Communication impairment BARRIER designation.
(a) Application.-- An individual with a communication
impairment BARRIER may request a communication impairment
BARRIER designation from the department by submitting an
application, prescribed and furnished by the department, that
contains the following:
(1) A sworn statement signed by a qualified medical
professional that:
(i) Identifies the individual.
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(ii) Attests to the nature of the individual's
communication impairment BARRIER .
(2) Signature certification by the individual that the
individual:
(i) V oluntarily discloses the communication
impairment BARRIER to the department and law enforcement
agencies.
(ii) Authorizes the department to update the
individual's electronic records maintained by the
department to reflect that the individual has a
communication impairment BARRIER designation.
(3) A clearly designated space for the individual to
voluntarily provide and update emergency contact information
for the individual, along with a statement that the
individual understands the ability to update emergency
contact information through the use of the department's
emergency contact information system.
(4) A statement that the individual understands that the
knowing or intentional submission of false statements of
material facts, or the commission or attempt to commit
deception or fraud, on the application provided under this
subsection is subject to the penalty under 18 Pa.C.S. §
4904(b) (relating to unsworn falsification to authorities).
(b) Validation and update.-- Upon receiving an application
under subsection (a), the department shall independently
validate the authenticity of the submitted application and
update the individual's electronic records maintained by the
department to reflect that the individual has a communication
impairment BARRIER designation and any emergency contact
information provided by the individual on the application.
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(c) Removal of designation.--An individual may request at
any time the removal of a communication impairment BARRIER
designation by submitting to the department an application for
removal, created and distributed by the department, which also
involves the removal of information related to the communication
impairment BARRIER , but the individual may request the retention
of emergency contact information in the individual's electronic
records maintained by the department.
(d) Fees.--
(1) Subject to paragraph (2), a fee may not be imposed
for the addition or removal of a communication impairment
BARRIER designation or emergency contact information under
this section.
(2) An individual shall pay any fees associated with the
renewal or duplication of a driver's license or
identification card.
(e) Identifier symbol.--
(1) The EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH (3), THE
department shall use the stylized lowercase "i" commonly used
by the Invisible Disabilities Association as the sole
identifier symbol to indicate a communication impairment
BARRIER .
(2) The identifier symbol under this subsection:
(i) Shall be consistent in design and appearance on
all driver's licenses and identification cards for all
individuals with a communication impairment BARRIER .
(ii) Shall be printed in a visible and clearly
distinguishable location on the front of an individual's
driver's license or identification card.
(iii) Shall not imply or disclose any specific
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health conditions or details related to an individual's
communication impairment BARRIER .
(3) THE DEPARTMENT MAY, BY REGULATION, ADOPT THE USE OF
AN ALTERNATIVE IDENTIFIER SYMBOL, IF A NATIONAL STANDARD
IDENTIFIER SYMBOL IS DEVELOPED BY A NATIONAL DISABILITY OR
ACCESSIBILITY RIGHTS ORGANIZATION.
(f) Record sharing.--
(1) The department shall provide record sharing with law
enforcement agencies in this Commonwealth through existing
networks that can be made accessible during a traffic stop,
including the Commonwealth Law Enforcement Assistance
Network.
(2) The following information may be shared under this
subsection:
(i) An individual's communication impairment BARRIER
designation, excluding any specific medical condition or
details related to the individual's communication
impairment BARRIER .
(ii) An individual's emergency contact information.
(3) The records maintained and shared by the department
under this subsection shall not constitute a public record
and shall be exempt from public access under the act of
February 14, 2008 (P.L.6, No.3), known as the Right-to-Know
Law.
(g) Denial, cancellation or revocation.--
(1) The department may deny, cancel or revoke a
communication impairment BARRIER designation if the
department determines:
(i) the designation was fraudulently or deceptively
obtained; or
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(ii) an individual used the designation to
intentionally and knowingly avoid compliance with a
lawful order given by a law enforcement officer.
(2) Following a determination under paragraph (1), the
department shall provide the individual with a written notice
that includes:
(i) The reason for the denial, cancellation or
revocation.
(ii) Instructions on how to contest the denial,
cancellation or revocation through a request for an
informal hearing with the department not later than 30
days after the date of the notice.
(3) If a timely request is made under paragraph (2), an
informal hearing shall be held within 30 days of the request.
(4) If, as a result of the informal hearing under
paragraph (3), the department determines that the denial,
cancellation or revocation was proper, the individual may
appeal the informal departmental determination by requesting,
not later than 30 days after the date of the determination, a
formal hearing as prescribed by departmental regulations.
(h) Criminal penalties.--
(1) An individual who knowingly or intentionally submits
false statements of material facts, or commits or attempts to
commit deception or fraud, on the application provided under
subsection (a) shall be subject to the penalty under 18
Pa.C.S. § 4904(b).
(2) If the department determines under subsection (g)
that an individual falsely claimed a communication impairment
BARRIER to avoid compliance with a lawful order, the
individual shall be subject to the penalty under 18 Pa.C.S. §
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5101 (relating to obstructing administration of law or other
governmental function).
(i) Appeals.--
(1) An individual may appeal an action taken by the
department under this section in accordance with 2 Pa.C.S.
Chs. 5 Subch. A (relating to practice and procedure of
Commonwealth agencies) and 7 Subch. A (relating to judicial
review of Commonwealth agency action).
(2) The judicial review under this subsection shall:
(i) Include a review of the facts of the case and a
hearing of any testimony.
(ii) Be limited to a determination of whether the
communication impairment BARRIER designation should be
reinstated by the department.
(j) Qualified medical professional.--If a qualified medical
professional knowingly or intentionally falsifies or
misrepresents information, engages in deception or fraud or
certifies a written false statement regarding an individual's
communication impairment BARRIER on the application provided
under subsection (a):
(1) The qualified medical professional shall be subject
to the penalty under 18 Pa.C.S. § 4904(b).
(2) T he respective licensing board of the qualified
medical professional may revoke or suspend the license of the
qualified medical professional or take other disciplinary or
corrective actions as permitted by law, including
disciplinary or corrective actions under the following, as
applicable:
(i) The act of May 22, 1951 (P.L.317, No.69), known
as The Professional Nursing Law.
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(ii) The act of October 5, 1978 (P.L.1109, No.261),
known as the Osteopathic Medical Practice Act.
(iii) The act of March 23, 1972 (P.L.136, No.52),
known as the Professional Psychologists Practice Act.
(iv) The act of December 21, 1984 (P.L.1253,
No.238), known as the Speech-Language Pathologists and
Audiologists Licensure Act.
(v) The act of December 20, 1985 (P.L.457, No.112),
known as the Medical Practice Act of 1985.
(k) Regulations.--The department shall MAY promulgate
regulations necessary to implement, administer and enforce this
subsection.
(l) Definitions.--As used in this section, the following
words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this
subsection unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Communication impairment BARRIER ." A health condition of an
individual that may impede communication between the individual
and a law enforcement officer during a traffic stop, including:
(1) Deafness or being hard of hearing.
( 2) An autism spectrum disorder.
(3) A diagnosed speech impediment AND LANGUAGE DISORDER .
(4) Any other HEALTH condition that the department , IN
CONSULTATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, determines may
reasonably impede an individual's ability to communicate with
a law enforcement officer during a traffic stop.
"C ommunication impairment BARRIER designation." An
identifier symbol that represents a communication impairment
BARRIER of an individual and that:
(1) Is printed on the front of the individual's driver's
license or identification card issued by the Commonwealth.
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(2) Becomes part of the individual's electronic records
that are maintained by the department.
"Emergency contact information." The name, telephone number,
address or other relevant information of an individual that is
used for the sole purpose of contacting the individual in the
event of an emergency involving another individual .
"Qualified medical professional." As follows:
(1) As the term "physician" is defined under 1 Pa.C.S. §
1991 (relating to definitions).
(2) The term includes a qualified physician assistant,
certified registered nurse practitioner, psychologist,
speech-language pathologist or audiologist who is licensed to
practice in this Commonwealth and who is acting within the
qualified medical professional's scope of practice regarding
an individual's communication impairment BARRIER .
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days 42 MONTHS.
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