Georgia CommonsHouse · Introduced · 2025-2026 Regular Session
HB 752: Georgia SAFE (Support and Awareness for Fair Encounters) Act; enact
Last action March 13, 2025 · House Second Readers
House Bill 752 would create a 'Peach Envelope Program' in Georgia to help police, firefighters, and paramedics communicate with people whose conditions make communication difficult, and would let drivers add a license symbol noting such a condition.
The summaries below were written by an AI model (claude-sonnet-5) from the text of the bill and are not part of it. Quote the text, not the summary. The stored text is the Introduced version, the latest the General Assembly's website lists.
In plain language
Georgia currently has no statewide system to alert first responders when someone they encounter has a physical, mental, or neurological condition that makes communication hard, such as autism, a speech impairment, or a traumatic brain injury. House Bill 752, called the Georgia SAFE (Support and Awareness for Fair Encounters) Act, directs the Department of Driver Services to create the Peach Envelope Program: a special envelope holding a driver's license, registration, insurance proof, and an emergency contact card, with communication guidelines printed on the outside. Drivers could request a special symbol on their driver's license noting such a condition, similar to the existing option for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder. Starting in 2026, firefighter, paramedic and cardiac technician, and peace officer training programs would all have to include instruction on the program and best practices for these encounters. The rule-making parts of the law take effect July 1, 2025, and the rest takes effect January 1, 2026.
What the bill does
- Creates the Peach Envelope Program (O.C.G.A. § 40-5-7), directing the Department of Driver Services to design a special envelope holding key documents and communication guidelines for drivers with communication-impeding conditions.
- Lets any driver with a physical, mental, or neurological condition that impedes communication request a symbol on their license noting that condition, after submitting a sworn medical statement (O.C.G.A. § 40-5-38).
- Requires firefighter basic training and recertification courses starting in 2026 to include training on the Peach Envelope Program and best practices for these encounters (new O.C.G.A. § 25-4-10.1).
- Requires paramedic and cardiac technician training courses to include the same training starting in 2026 (amending O.C.G.A. § 31-11-52).
- Requires peace officer basic training courses to include the same training starting in 2026 (new O.C.G.A. § 35-8-28).
- Directs the Department of Driver Services to consult with the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities to develop best practices for these encounters.
Who it affects
Georgia drivers with physical, mental, or neurological conditions that impede communication, and their families; firefighters, paramedics, cardiac technicians, and peace officers who must complete the new training; and the Department of Driver Services and Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, which must build and run the program.
Why it matters
Drivers with communication difficulties could carry a marked envelope and license symbol to help police and other responders recognize their condition during traffic stops or emergencies, potentially reducing dangerous misunderstandings. First responders statewide would receive new mandatory training starting in 2026 on how to handle these encounters.
Key provisions
- Section 1 names the law the Georgia SAFE (Support and Awareness for Fair Encounters) Act.
- Section 2 adds O.C.G.A. § 25-4-10.1 requiring firefighter training on the Peach Envelope Program starting in 2026.
- Section 3 amends O.C.G.A. § 31-11-52 to add the same training requirement for paramedic and cardiac technician courses.
- Section 4 adds O.C.G.A. § 35-8-28 requiring peace officer basic training to cover the program starting in 2026.
- Section 5 rewrites O.C.G.A. § 40-5-7 (previously reserved) to establish the Peach Envelope Program, its envelope contents, and inter-agency coordination on best practices.
- Section 6 amends O.C.G.A. § 40-5-38 to let drivers with qualifying conditions request a license symbol, modeled on the existing PTSD notation option for veterans.
- Section 7 sets a two-stage effective date: July 1, 2025 for rule-making, and January 1, 2026 for everything else.
From the bill
“The department shall design a special envelope to hold the essential documents for a driver, including a driver's license, proof of motor vehicle registration, proof of required motor vehicle insurance, and an emergency contact card listing one or more individuals designated to assist the driver with communications.”
“Any applicant with a physical, mental, or neurological condition that impedes the applicant's ability to communicate may request to have a symbol placed upon the front of his or her driver's license which indicates such condition.”
Discussed in meetings (1)
The House and Senate meetings that took this bill up, from their machine transcripts. Each account was written by Georgia Commons with AI and is not part of the record; the video is what was said.
House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee, February 25, 2026
From 0:22:13 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor presented a substitute creating a Peach Envelope program to hold driver documents and provide communication guidance, an optional license plate requiring practitioner verification, and first-responder training beginning in 2027. The sponsor said these tools would reduce misunderstandings during stops involving people whose conditions impede communication. The sponsor cited research finding nearly 60% of families of autistic people feared future police contact and described personal experience with PTSD. One member questioned whether a recognizable plate could expose vulnerable people to exploitation. The sponsor said participation would be voluntary and the design remained undecided. Asked about other states, the sponsor clarified that Arkansas and Colorado examples involved envelopes, not plates. Another member asked about law enforcement consultation and plate requirements. The sponsor reported local sheriffs’ and police chiefs’ support and said the plate would not generate revenue. A law enforcement representative questioned overlap with an existing license indicator. The sponsor said existing license and registration options prompted revisions, but a plate would give earlier notice. The chair supported the envelope but questioned overlap with another plate proposal and possible officer confusion. The chair kept the bill as a hearing only and requested further discussion. No vote occurred.
Status timeline
- House Second Readers (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- Mekyah McQueen (D, HD-61)
- Carolyn Hugley (D, HD-141)
- Arlene Beckles (D, HD-96)
- Robert Flournoy (D, HD-74)
- Dewey McClain (D, HD-109)
- Dale Washburn (R, HD-144)
Topics
- driver's licenses
- disability accommodations
- police training
- first responder training
- traffic stops