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Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2021 - 2022 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted:	December 1, 2020 04:51 PM
From:	Senator Patrick J. Stefano
To:	All Senate members
Subject:	Deafness or Impaired Hearing Designation on Driver's License

In the near future, I plan to reintroduce legislation to create a designation on the Pennsylvania driver’s license or identification card clearly indicating an individual’s deafness or impaired hearing.   Getting stopped by the police, even at a routine traffic stop, can be a scary experience. For those who are deaf or hard of hearing, it can be even scarier. This was a situation that occurred within my own senatorial district when a constituent who is hard of hearing was stopped by police, creating a lot of unnecessary confusion for both parties involved.   By creating this new designation, we can help ensure increased safety and understanding for both the police and the individuals who are unable to hear their verbal commands.   This legislation was formerly Senate Bill 889 from the 2019-20 Legislative Session.  The bill was co-sponsored by Senators Mensch, K. Ward, Mastriano, Phillips-Hill, Martin, Schwank, Fontana, J. Ward, Brewster, Bartolotta, Yudichak, Muth, Killion, and Costa.    I hope you will join me in co-sponsoring this legislation.  If you have any questions or concerns regarding this information, please contact Jake Gery in my office at jgery@pasen.gov.

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