Representative McQueen presents 'Georgia SAFE Act' bill to add 'peach envelope' and indicator for drivers with communication-impeding conditions

Representative McQueen presented House Bill 752, the Georgia SAFE Act, to the committee as a substitute bill proposing a coordinated approach to reduce miscommunication during officer contacts with people who have conditions that can impede communication.

McQueen told the committee the bill creates a "peach envelope" — a single identifiable item meant to reduce chaotic searching and unnecessary movement during stops — and a specially designated indicator intended to provide "early awareness before an officer approaches the vehicle." "SAFE is an acronym for support and awareness for fair encounters," McQueen said. "When behavior is unclear, risk increases." She added the bill includes training for first responders beginning in 2027.

The bill targets encounters involving people with physical, mental or neurological conditions including post-traumatic stress disorder, autism and traumatic brain injuries. McQueen cited research and family-reported fears about police contact, saying the policy is "designed to reduce that fear and reduce that risk by increasing predictability at the moment of contact." She also referenced programs in other states, noting that "Arkansas launched its blue envelope program statewide this year" and that Colorado jurisdictions have used similar envelope systems.

Committee members asked detailed questions about administration and safeguards. One member pressed how eligibility would be verified; McQueen said applicants would provide documentation, including an affidavit from a medical practitioner, and emphasized the program is voluntary: "It's opt in. So you can opt in. It doesn't automatically opt you in." Members also asked what the indicator would look like and how misuse would be prevented; McQueen said the Department of Driver Services and the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities would work together to design any plate or decal and that the bill is not intended to be a revenue-generating specialty plate.

Law-enforcement coordination was another focus. Vice Chair New asked whether sheriffs and police chiefs had been consulted; McQueen said she had contacted law enforcement in her counties and that chiefs and sheriffs she spoke with were "very welcoming" to the idea. Committee members also raised potential duplication with an existing option to add a PTSD indicator on a driver's license and with a separate autism-related plate being advanced in the Senate by Senator Strickland. McQueen acknowledged that overlap and said she would coordinate with the senator's office and the Department of Revenue to avoid creating multiple, confusing indicators.

No final committee vote was taken on HB 752; the chair designated the item a hearing for further consideration and follow-up with counterparts to resolve duplication and design questions.

Next steps: The committee held the bill for further discussion and asked the sponsor to coordinate with the Department of Driver Services, the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities and Senate staff on design and implementation details.