SENATE BUDGET AND APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR

SENATE, Nos. 849 and 741

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  JANUARY 6, 2022

      The Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee reports favorably a committee substitute for Senate Bill No. 849 and Senate Bill No. 741m .

      This substitute bill requires the Chief Administrator (chief administrator) of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission to allow the holder of a driver’s license or non-driver identification card to indicate that the person has been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder or communication disorder, upon request of the person and submission of any required documentation.  The chief administrator is to indicate the diagnosis by notating the information on the person’s driver’s license or non-driver identification card under the column designated for restrictions.

      The bill also requires the Commissioner of Human Services, in consultation with the Superintendent of the State Police and at least one organization that advocates on behalf of persons diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder or communication disorder, to provide written guidance to assist law enforcement officers in effectively communicating with a person diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder or communication disorder.  The commissioner is required to distribute a copy of the written guidance to each police department in the State.

FISCAL IMPACT:

      The Office of Legislative Services projects that the bill will result in indeterminate initial development costs and ongoing administrative expenditures for the State for the new driver’s license designation. The magnitude of any State cost increase will depend on implementation decisions made by the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. Programming or design changes of this type can largely be completed with the assistance of the Office of Information Technology and the change orders are expected to be comparable to other change orders that the commission has issued to its vendors in the past for license alterations. The bill’s requirements are not expected to significantly alter the existing contract with the license vendor.