Richmond, Virginia – Pam Mines is the inspiration behind the Senate bill 367. She has a 9-year-old son JP who is autistic.
Mines wants lawmakers to help police and first responders to communicate more effectively with people who have autism.
Matt Knight reporting for wtkr.com states that Pam worries that some people could be misinterpreted by the police as they have difficulty communicating due to their disability.
“I really wanted to make sure my son was protected in the event, a situation came about, where he is faced with law enforcement and they’re not aware he has autism,”
Pam’s idea is to have a special code on Virginia driver’s licenses and identification cards that would alert law enforcement to the fact that they are dealing with an individual who is autistic.
She contacted Sen. Donald McEachin, D-Henrico who introduced the bill.
He is reported as saying:
“We need to give first responders additional tools, so that on a license or on an ID card, that’s completely voluntary… so they know this person has this malady.”
The full article by Matt Knight on wtkr.com can be found here