Georgia CommonsHB 954: Eric's Law; enact
Last action January 15, 2026 · House Second Readers
House Bill 954, called Eric's Law, would let Georgians with a nonapparent physical or mental disability request a symbol on their driver's license and later have it removed, with the request itself kept confidential.
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 LegiScan holds.
In plain language
Georgia law already lets veterans and service members diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder ask to have a notation added to their driver's license. This bill expands that idea. It would let any applicant with a physical or mental disability that is not immediately obvious request a symbol on the front of their license showing they have such a condition, based on a sworn statement describing the disability. The bill also adds new protections: a person who gets the notation could later ask the Department of Driver Services to remove it, and once removed the department must delete related records. The department would also be barred from disclosing information about a person's request for the notation, except with written permission or a court order. The Department of Driver Services would still set the application forms, the liability waiver for releasing medical information, and the symbol design, and would now also set a procedure for revoking the notation.
What the bill does
- Lets any driver with a nonapparent physical or mental disability request a special symbol on their license, not just veterans with PTSD.
- Requires the applicant to submit a sworn statement describing the disability instead of a doctor's diagnosis, as previously required for PTSD notations.
- Creates a right for licensees to request removal of the notation, requiring the Department of Driver Services to delete related records once removed.
- Bars the department from disclosing information about a person's request for the notation except with written authorization or a court order.
- Directs the department to add a procedure for revoking the notation to its existing rulemaking duties for the program.
Who it affects
Georgians with nonapparent physical or mental disabilities who want a discreet marker on their license, the Georgia Department of Driver Services, which administers the notation and confidentiality rules, and licensed physicians or psychologists, whose role in the PTSD process is unchanged but not required for the new general disability notation.
Why it matters
People with conditions like autism, epilepsy, or hearing loss that are not visible could use the symbol to signal their condition to police or first responders during a stop or emergency, while new confidentiality and removal rules aim to keep that sensitive information private and reversible.
Key provisions
- Section 1 names the bill 'Eric's Law' as its short title.
- Section 2 amends O.C.G.A. § 40-5-38 to add a new subsection (b) letting any applicant with a nonapparent physical or mental disability request a license symbol based on a sworn statement.
- Section 2 adds subsection (c), letting licensees request removal of the notation and requiring the department to delete related records upon removal.
- Section 2's subsection (c) bars the department from disclosing information about a notation request except by written authorization, waiver, or court order.
- Section 2 revises what is now subsection (d) to add a departmental procedure for revoking a notation request to its existing rulemaking duties.
- Section 3 repeals conflicting laws.
From the bill
“Any applicant with a physical or mental disability which is not immediately obvious or visible may request to have a symbol placed upon the front of his or her driver's license which indicates such physical or mental disability.”
“The department shall be prohibited from disclosing any information relating to a request for a notation authorized by this Code section except on written authorization or other waiver by the applicant or licensee or on appropriate court order.”
Status timeline
- House Second Readers (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- Eric Bell (D, HD-075)
- Eric Gisler (D, HD-121)
- Todd Jones (R, HD-025)
- Dexter Sharper (D, HD-177)
- Carl Gilliard (D, HD-162)
- Scott Hilton (R, HD-048)
Topics
- driver's licenses
- disability rights
- privacy
- veterans and PTSD
- Department of Driver Services