The Senate Budget Committee approved legislation sponsored by Senator Parker Space (R-24) that would help law enforcement officers better communicate with individuals who have hearing impairments at traffic stops.

“It is absolutely essential that law enforcement can effectively communicate with individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing,” said Sen. Space. “This designation would remove concern from the equation by ensuring police officers are aware that the person they’re interacting with at a traffic stop is deaf and can respond accordingly.”

Senator Space’s bill, S-1000, would require the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission to add a designation on an applicant’s motor vehicle registration indicating the registrant is deaf. The notation would only appear when law enforcement officers access the vehicle’s license plate information.

To obtain the designation, an applicant would need to have a hearing loss of 41 decibels or greater, verified by an otorhinolaryngologist (ENT) or an audiologist certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association or licensed by the State of New Jersey.

You can read the full text of the bill online.