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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh Legislature, First Regular Session
disability;
voluntary disclosure; licenses
(NOW: voluntary disclosure; disability; licenses)
Purpose
Allows a person to request the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) to note that a communication accommodation may be needed on a person's license or vehicle registration and requires ADOT to establish methods and procedures for requests.
Background
ADOT must provide on each driver license and on each nonoperating identification license a space where a licensee may indicate an adverse medical condition, if the licensee presents a signed statement from a licensed physician or a registered nurse practitioner stating that the person suffers from the condition. ADOT must prescribe by rule a medical code to identify medical conditions using a system of numerals or letters commonly accepted by the medical profession. ADOT may not maintain the medical code of a person as part of the computer record after the driver or nonoperating identification license is issued without the person's written request to keep the code on the record (A.R.S. § 28-3167).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Allows a person with a driver license or nonoperating identification license to request ADOT to note in ADOT's customer record that the person may need a communication accommodation.
2. Allows the owner of a vehicle registered in Arizona to request that ADOT note in ADOT's vehicle record that there may be an occupant of the vehicle that may need a communication accommodation.
3. Stipulates that the request must be made in a method determined by ADOT.
4. Requires ADOT to establish procedures to make the notations available only to law enforcement agencies.
5. Defines a communication accommodation as that a person has a disability that can impair communication and the person may require an accommodation.
6. Defines a disability that can impair communication as a condition that can impair a person's ability to receive, send, process or comprehend concepts of verbal or nonverbal communication or graphic symbols.
7. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
House Action
PSLE 2/10/25 DPA/SE 15-0-0-0
3rd Read 2/25/25 60-0-0
Prepared by Senate Research
March 3, 2025
KJA/NRG/ci