Veterans and active duty servicemen and women who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder will soon be able to note that diagnosis on their driver's licenses.
Gwinnett County criminal defense attorneys note that the point of putting the designation on a driver's license is not to excuse a traffic violation, but simply to inform police. It is hoped that providing this information will keep vetarans with PTSD from facing volatile situations where they might react in some unexpected way that could be misinterpreted by police.
The bill, Georgia Senate Bill 419, passed both houses with wide margins. Georgia now becomes the only state to note a specific health problem on a driver's license (except for poor eyesight).
Some veterans groups have misgivings about the new law:
The public information officer for the Georgia Department of Veterans Service, Brian Zeringue, said, "Review of the history of this legislation showed it moved very fast through both houses. There were no hearings by either house. Thus, there were no opportunities for interested and knowledgeable persons to express their concerns about it."
The Department of Veterans Service also pointed out that ther could be unintended consequences of putting personal medical information such as post-traumatic stress disorder on a driver's license. They want to emphasize to veterans that designating PTSD on their driver's licenses is voluntary, not mandatory.
The law does not include other groups such as firefighters or law enforcement officers, or survivors of traumatic events not associated with military service, such as sexual assault or natural disaster. Some veterans groups see this as a problem.
Police, however, said that any information that can help an officer respond appropriately in any given situation, is helpful.
- Source: Columbus Ledger-Enquirer "Gov. Sonny Perdue signs PTSD license bill" June 10, 2010 aar
