BOSTON — State Sen. Jo Comerford’s “blue envelope” bill, which seeks to bridge better communication between law enforcement and drivers with autism spectrum disorder, came closer to becoming law late last week after a unanimous 39-0 vote in the Senate.
The Northampton Democrat explained how those diagnosed with autism and who have nonetheless passed their driver’s test can become overstimulated when confronted with sirens, lights and stressful situations.
Her solution, backed by police chiefs throughout the state, are blue envelopes, which are meant to be an aid to “avoid misinterpretation or escalation,” she said, noting that officers will immediately know the driver has autism and will be trained to act accordingly.
The blue envelop contains instructions for both the officer and diagnosed autistic drivers on how to respond in the situation, along with license, insurance and registration information needed when being pulled over. Drivers can also share emergency contact information on the envelope.
The envelopes are designed to act as a visual cue for police and other public safety officials during stressful and potentially dangerous traffic stops.
“The ‘blue envelope’ bill makes our commonwealth a safer place for people who are neurodiverse,” said Comerford. “It moves us closer to equal opportunity and access for people of all abilities.”
She is confident the bill will have supporters in the House.
“There are great House sponsors I know that care about the bill too,” she said.
The Senate unanimously approved a similar bill in January 2024, and the Massachusetts State Police then proactively implemented a Blue Envelope program last spring. This bill, S.2558, would codify the practice into state law.
Since April of 2024 when the program was implemented, 8,500 people in the state have obtained blue envelopes through local officers and the Registry of Motor Vehicles, said Comerford.
She said the bill showcases “the power of representative democracy,” and credited her constituents as being at the heart of advocating for blue envelopes.
Comerford was moved by a Leverett mom who was afraid about how her autistic son would react if pulled over by police.
Ardent supporters have included Deerfield Police Chief John Paciorek and UMass Police Chief Tyron Parham, in addition to statewide support from police chiefs and organizations that include The Arc of Massachusetts and Autism Advocates of Massachusetts.
Senators also adopted an amendment from Sen. Michael Moore to mandate training once every five years for police officers on safe interactions with autistic people.
This training would “make sure they actually get the training so they can recognize some of the characteristics of someone who may have a developmental disability, and being able to recognize those characteristics to work with them. We did a lot of that work in police reform, making sure that police interact appropriately, hopefully, with the general public. Every demographic should be treated fairly and appropriately,” Moore said.
Samuel Gelinas can be reached at sgelinas@gazettenet.com.
