Even at the best of times, citizen interactions with law enforcement are often fraught encounters marked by anxiety and stress. And if you’re someone who lives with autism, such encounters can end in long-lasting trauma — or even death.
But if two Massachusetts legislators get their way, a measure aimed at reducing that risk could soon become law in the Bay State.
The majority-Democrat Senate could vote as soon as Thursday on a proposal sponsored by state Sen. Joanne M. Comerford, D-Hampshire/Franklin/Worcester, that authorizes a voluntary program that would provide drivers living with autism with blue envelopes that would hold their license, registration and insurance, clearly marking them out as someone on the autism spectrum, State House News Service reported.
“The beautiful thing about this bill is that it was called for by people living with autism spectrum disorder and their loved ones,” Comerford told MassLive on Wednesday. “What they told us, in no uncertain terms, is that they need this.”
The bill also would create guidance for law enforcement and first responders that would appear on the outside of the envelope, State House News Service further reported.
An amended version of Comerford’s proposal, popularly referred to as “The Blue Envelope Bill” cleared the Senate Ways and Means Committee on Tuesday, positioning it for a floor vote. Other states, including neighboring Connecticut, have similar programs, according to State House News Service.
On the other side of the State House, Rep. Kay Khan, D- 11th Middlesex, is sponsoring a companion proposal that’s now before the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security.
People living with autism often have trouble communicating and difficulties interacting with others. Some on the autism spectrum engage in such repetitive behaviors as body-rocking or repeating certain phrases, according to State House News Service.
Without proper training, law enforcement officers can misinterpret those actions, leading to a potential use of force, advocates told the wire service.
One parent, Norfolk resident Marie Zullo, recounted the time her adult son, Dominic, 20, who lives with autism, interacted with law enforcement. During times of high stress, he can exhibit those repetitive behaviors, WBZ-TV in Boston reported.
Dominic Zullo was under such stress when he was involved in an accident in 2022. A clear-thinking Massachusetts State Police trooper, however, came to his aid, the station reported.
“The state trooper dealt with the situation very calmly and reassured me that I had done nothing wrong and, you know, helped me get through the situation,” Dominic Zullo told WBZ-TV.
Comerford told MassLive that some police departments began using the envelopes after advocate Max Callahan, who lives with autism, began pressing the case for it.
Deerfield Police Chief John Paciorek, became “a true believer and one of the most effective voices,” for the proposal after meeting with Callahan, Comerford said, adding that it wasn’t long before other law enforcement groups started getting involved.
The bill has the support of the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association, the State Police Association of Massachusetts Troopers, the Massachusetts Police Association and the Municipal Police Training Institute, according to WBUR.
“We formed alliances that were both strategic and heartfelt,” the western Massachusetts lawmaker said.
In an August commentary for WBUR, Ilyse Levine-Kanji, of Westborough, whose 25-year-old son, Sam, lives with autism, said the proposals now before lawmakers “could help to avoid potentially tragic misunderstandings at minimal cost.
“The ‘Blue Envelope Bill’ would be a game changer for Sam, and for our family’s peace of mind. It’s a simple, low-cost solution that would significantly benefit autistic drivers, the police officers who serve our communities and the general public,” she wrote.
In a 2022 blog post, experts writing for the Organization for Autism Research, an Arlington, Va.-based advocacy group, provided an extensive list of tips and pointers for how people living with autism can best interact with law enforcement officers.
“Autistic individuals, like all of us, are likely to encounter law enforcement officers at some point in their lives, whether it is in the community, during a routine traffic stop, at a concert or large community event, or as the result of a suspicious person or aggressive behavior call to 911,” authors Dennis Debbaudt, Melissa Sreckovic, and Christine Kenney, wrote.
“Unfortunately, media reports consistently document negative interactions between law enforcement officers and autistic individuals that often quickly escalate, resulting in unnecessary use of force, death, and/or leaving the autistic individual traumatized,” they continued
The trio of experts also recommended best practices for law enforcement, including “[giving] autistic individuals extra personal space and to model positive body language including hand and arm gestures, facial expressions, and emotional tones of voice.
“Everyone deserves to feel safe at home, in their community and at work. Autistic individuals are valued members of their community and should feel and be safe in community spaces,” they wrote.
But even if the bill becomes law, Comerford told MassLive that she views it as the beginning — and not the end — of a broader conversation on the public policy and safety needs of neurodivergent Bay State residents.
“This is a surgical intervention into a larger ecosystem,” she said. “I don’t want to pretend this is the last piece of work that we need to do. But it is one piece of work that the disability justice community demanded.”
