A bill waiting for Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue’s signature would allow those diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder to voluntarily have that condition listed on their state driver’s license.
The bill, sponsored by Sen. Ron Ramsey, D-Decatur, and co-sponsored by Sen. John Douglas, R-Social Circle, aims to better inform law enforcement and others who may interact with a person diagnosed with the disorder.
The bill would become law July 1, if signed.
Sen. Douglas, a retired Army veteran, said having that information could help police better understand any erratic behavior during a traffic stop or other interactions.
PTSD is a type of anxiety disorder that’s triggered by a traumatic event. People can develop PTSD when they experience or witness an event that causes intense fear, helplessness or horror, according to the Mayo Clinic website.
“I look on it as a safety issue for both parties, the veteran and the police officer,” he said. “This is a veteran that we need to treat courteously and avoid something that might endanger them.”
A Chattanooga veterans counselor notes that only 15 percent of PTSD suffers are veterans.
“I will tell you without a doubt that veterans will not want that in there. They’d be too concerned with where it will lead,” said Michael Bearden, lead counselor at the Chattanooga Vet Center, which serves veterans in Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama.
Mr. Bearden said most of the veterans he counsels worry that with a PTSD diagnosis they won’t be able to own weapons, which is false.
He said he could see benefits to the designator on the license, if police also received additional training on how to handle those with the diagnosis.
Dade County Sheriff Patrick Cannon said the designation wouldn’t make much difference for police. His deputies already receive training for interacting with people who have mental health problems.
“That’s already the way we look at it, so I don’t see how much it matters,” he said. Also it’s rare that when an officer comes to a scene or makes a traffic stop that they would have the opportunity to view a license when someone is already acting erratically.
Susan Sports, spokeswoman for Georgia Driver’s Services, said there have been preliminary meetings on the designation but any further work awaits the governor’s decision.
With software already in place the change simply requires some programming and the condition would likely be listed on the back of a license.
Drivers would have to show a medical doctor or psychologist’s sworn statement showing the PTSD diagnosis. Motorists must also show a liability waiver for their medical information.