Noteboom The Law Firm

New Legislation Would Label License With PTSD Stamp

March 8, 2011 - At the behest of James Norchi, a Vietnam Naval veteran, Senator Benjamin Downing (D-Pittsfield)  has introduced new legislation that would help identify those veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). If passed, the bill will place a stamp on the drivers' licenses of those veterans diagnosed with PTSD. The bill itself is an almost carbon copy of a bill passed last summer in Georgia.

Many look at this as a good thing in that it alerts people to a medical issues. Many veterans groups, however, see this as a huge problem that will serve to do nothing more than draw attention from misguided authority figures such as police officers and airport security. Further, the groups cited potential problems from everyday interactions with such people as bartenders.

Despite the bill being just under a year old, only 5 veterans living in Georgia have requested the PTSD designation be placed on their license. Nevertheless, Sen. Downing believes PTSD is a serious enough problem to warrant such notification being made available for the veterans' best interests. For those veterans seeking medical help, and unable to communicate, it is always a good idea for medical professionals to know the veterans suffers from PTSD prior to treatment.

Many are opposed to the idea because of the stigma still attached to having a "mental health disorder." One alternative suggestion to the driver license stamp is issuing veterans with PTSD cards indicating the veterans has PTSD; one which can be presented separately from a main source of identification.