HB 1700 — An Act amending Title 75 (Vehicles) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in licensing of drivers, providing for communication barrier designation; and imposing penalties.

PRIOR PRINTER'S NO.

2078 THEPRINTER'S GENERALNO. ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA HOUSE BILL Session of No.

17003051 2025THE INTRODUCEDGENERAL BYASSEMBLY MARKOSEK,OF GIRAL,PENNSYLVANIA HILL-EVANS,HOUSE PROBST,BILL WAXMAN,Session VENKAT,of RIVERA,No. BURGOS, SANCHEZ, GUZMAN, GALLAGHER, D.

WILLIAMS1700 AND BELLMON, JULY 1, 2025 REFERREDINTRODUCED TOBY COMMITTEEMARKOSEK, ONGIRAL, TRANSPORTATION,HILL-EVANS, JULYPROBST, 1,WAXMAN, 2025D. AN ACT Amending Title 75 (Vehicles) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in licensing of drivers, providing for communication impairment designation;

andWILLIAMS, imposingBELLMON, penalties.GILLEN, COOPER, STEELE, WARREN, GREEN, PASHINSKI AND SCOTT, JULY 1, 2025 AS REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, MARCH 23, 2026HOUSE OF AN ACT Amending Title 75 (Vehicles) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in licensing of drivers, providing for communication impairment BARRIER designation;

and imposing <-- penalties.

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:

(ii) Attests to the nature of the individual's communication impairment.impairment BARRIER.

<-- (2) Signature certification by the individual that the individual:

(i) Voluntarily 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.

(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.

20250HB1700PN3051 - 2 - (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, 20250HB1700PN2078 - 2 - created and distributed by the department, which also involves the removal of information related to the communication impairment,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.

(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.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.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 20250HB1700PN3051 - 3 - health conditions or details related to an individual's communication impairment.impairment BARRIER.

(f)<-- Record(3) sharing.--THE (1)DEPARTMENT TheMAY, departmentBY shallREGULATION, provideADOPT recordTHE sharingUSE withOF law<-- 20250HB1700PN2078AN -ALTERNATIVE 3IDENTIFIER -SYMBOL, enforcementIF agenciesA inNATIONAL thisSTANDARD CommonwealthIDENTIFIER throughSYMBOL existingIS networksDEVELOPED thatBY canA beNATIONAL madeDISABILITY accessibleOR duringACCESSIBILITY aRIGHTS trafficORGANIZATION. stop, including the Commonwealth Law Enforcement Assistance Network.

(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.

(i) An individual's communication impairment BARRIER <-- designation, excluding any specific medical condition or details related to the individual's communication impairment.impairment BARRIER.

<-- (ii) An individual's emergency contact information.

(g) Denial, cancellation or revocation.-- (1) The department may deny, cancel or revoke a communication impairment BARRIER designation if the <-- department determines:

or 20250HB1700PN3051 - 4 - (ii) an individual used the designation to intentionally and knowingly avoid compliance with a lawful order given by a law enforcement officer.

20250HB1700PN2078 - 4 - (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.

(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.

§ 20250HB1700PN3051 - 5 - 5101 (relating to obstructing administration of law or other governmental function).

20250HB1700PN2078 - 5 - (2) The judicial review under this subsection shall:

(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):

20250HB1700PN3051 - 6 - (ii) The act of October 5, 1978 (P.L.1109, No.261), known as the Osteopathic Medical Practice Act.

(v) The act of December 20, 1985 (P.L.457, No.112), 20250HB1700PN2078 - 6 - known as the Medical Practice Act of 1985.

(k) Regulations.--The department shall MAY promulgate <-- regulations necessary to implement, administer and enforce this subsection.

"Communication impairment."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:

(3) A diagnosed speech impediment.impediment AND LANGUAGE DISORDER.

<-- (4) Any other HEALTH condition that the departmentdepartment, 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.

"Communication impairment BARRIER designation." An <-- identifier symbol that represents a communication impairment <-- BARRIER of an individual and that: