Good morning everyone.

My name's Charles Allen.

I'm the Ward 6 Council Member and Chair of the Council's Committee on Transportation and the Environment.

Today is Thursday, June 4th, 2026, and we're meeting in room 120 of the John A.

Wilson Building via as well as over the Zoom virtual platform.

The time is now 9 41 a.m.

and I'm calling to order this public hearing of the committee.

The first of two hearings today for the committee.

During today's first public hearing, we're going to be hearing from public and government witnesses on two proposed bills.

Bill 26-548, which is the Washington Commanders Motor Vehicle Identification Tags Amendment Act of 2025, and Bill 26-619, the Eric's ID Amendment Act of 2026.

First, Bill 26-548, the Washington Commanders' Motor Vehicle Identification Tag Amendment Act of 2025 would authorize the mayor to design and issue motor vehicle identification tags, more commonly referred to as license plates, that demonstrate support for the return of the Washington Commanders football team to the district.

It also directs that the proceeds be used to support the state athletic activities, programs, and office fund.

Bill 26-619 is Eric's ID Amendment Act of 2026, which would allow applicants for a license, permit, or identification card to choose to indicate on the document the applicant's non-apparent disability, which the bill would define as a disability or health condition that is not immediately obvious or visible, including developmental disabilities, intellectual disabilities, and immunodeficiency conditions.

This is modeled after a similar bill that was passed in the state of Maryland.

And today we'll be joined by some of the elected officials who had a role in passing that law there, as well as by Eric Carpenter Grantham, the gentleman after whom the Maryland law and its DC counterpart was named.

With that, a couple of quick comments and housekeeping on the format for today's hearing.

If we have ANC commissioners testifying or members of the State Board of Education, they'll each have five minutes to testify.

Public witnesses testifying on behalf of an organization will also have five minutes.

Those testifying on their own behalf will have three minutes.

If multiple witnesses are testifying on behalf of the same organization, only one witness has the full five minutes, the others have three.

We'll be using a timer to help us all stay on schedule.

And for witnesses testifying in person, what I'll do is call your name.

We have four seats at the table, so I'll block folks off, usually about four at a time.

If you'll come up to the table to provide your testimony, after you're done, please stay at the table so we can come back and ask some questions after that.

If you are in Zoom, we will promote you to a panelist, have your testimony, and then also please stay on the Zoom so that we can turn and ask questions as well.

For anyone who's interested in submitting testimony for the record, the committee will accept written testimony through the council's hearing management system at LIMS.dccouncil.gov backslash hearings.

And the record for the hearings today close on June 18th, 2026.

So with that, let me turn to the first panel of witnesses.

And I have five names, so and four chairs.

So we're going to figure this one out.

Uh first I have Dr.

Jacques Patterson, who is with us from the DC State Board of Education, who's an at-large representative, Dr.

Patterson come on up.

Ebony Rose Thompson, who is our Ward 7 representative on the DC State Board of Education.

I know that she is here.

We have the Honorable Karen Tolls, Maryland State Delegate for District 25 of Prince George's County.

Thank you very much.

The Honorable Kyla Clark, the Ward 2 Councilmember from the City of Laurel, Maryland.

And the honorable Kim Taylor, Maryland State Delegate for District 23 in Prince George's County.

Excellent.

Alright, we can uh for the record in case anybody didn't hear that on the mic, uh two of our witnesses are just running a little behind with some traffic.

That's okay.

Um we'll go ahead and start with this panel and then we'll invite those delegates to come testify on the next panel uh when we move to that.

So, how about uh Dr.

Patterson?

I will turn to you.

Good morning to you, and thank you for being here.

Good morning, thank you.

Uh, Chairman Allen, members of the committee and staff.

My name is Dr.

Jacques Patterson.

I am the president and the at-large representative on the DC State Board of Education.

I am pleased to present this testimony on behalf of the state board in support of Bill 26-0619, the Eric ID's Amendment Act of 2026.

As the only elected body with an exclusive focus on public education, the state board prides itself on advocacy driven by community voice.

Eric Carpenter Grantham and his mother Linda are prime examples of community members whose advocacy has resulted in impactful policies.

In March 2026, they both testified at the state board's public meeting to express why legislation is needed to ensure proper protection and safeguards for individuals with non-apparent disabilities, and they have our full support.

The state board's state resolution elevates and spur policy actions on the topics brought to us by students, parents, educators, and additional community members.

We produced and unanimously passed SR 26-8 supporting the passage of Eric ID Amendment Act of 2026 in response to public witness testimony and feedback from the community, including our student advocacy committee.

The legislation aligns with the state board's priority to ensure safety and support of all students, including more supportive environments for students with disabilities both within and outside of school settings.

We know that a simple visual indicator on a person's driver's license helps to drive interactions from misunderstanding to compassion, reduce escalation, and increases safety for those who have non-apparent disabilities.

During this time of heightened tensions and increased federal law enforcement across DC, we also want to emphasize the urgency of passing this legislation and other policies that are proactive and human-centered.

SR26-8 expresses our strong support for the bill for the passage of Bill 26-0619, while also calling for some amendments as follows.

We asked the council to amend the bill with language that includes our DC1 cards and student IDs, which are not currently referenced.

Some individuals, for example, students who are not yet old enough to obtain a driver's license would benefit from having the symbol representing non-apparent disabilities on alternate forms of identification.

To further the support, the implementation of recommendations outlined in Eric's ID law, we also asked the council to amend the bill with language that funds and requires training for law for local law enforcements to recognize the policy changes set forth in the bill, as well as practices for protecting and serving people with apparent and non-apparent disabilities.

The state board looks forward to collaborating with the committee and the council to advance safe, supportive, and inclusive environments for all students and residents of the District of Columbia.

Thank you, Chairman Allen and members of the committee for holding this important hearing on this bill and for listening to our testimony.

We asked the committee to review our full resolution and the recommendations within, which are attached as an appendix to my testimony.

I'm happy to answer any questions you have.

If additional questions arise and you would like to contact me directly about this testimony, you can contact me at Jacques Patterson.dc.gov.

Thank you, sir.

I know how to track you down, sir.

Ebony Rose Thompson, let me turn to you next.

And thank you very much, Dr.

Patterson.

All right.

Good morning, Councilmember Allen and members of the committee.

My name is Ebony Rose Thompson, and I'm proud to represent War Seven on the DC State Board of Education.

I also serve as the former president of the state board.

My fingerprints and signatures are on many policies in the district, but this is one of the ones that I'm most proud to have authored.

I was humbled to bring the resolution supporting Eric's Law before the state board after hearing directly from Eric Carpenter Grantham and his mother about their experience and the vision behind this legislation.

I am testifying today in support of Eric's Law because it is a practical step the district can take to improve public safety, understanding, and dignity for residents living with hidden disabilities.

Eric's Law is named after Eric Carpenter Grantham, a young black man with high functioning autism from Maryland.

After the murder of George George Floyd, Eric's mother had the difficult conversation that many families know all too well.

She talked with her son about how to safely interact with police officers.

But Eric was on was also thinking about his friends and other hit and others with hidden disabilities who may communicate differently, experience sensory overload, struggle to process instructions under stress, or respond to situations in ways that can be misunderstood.

He wanted a way to prevent those misunderstandings from escalating.

That idea became Eric's Law.

When I met Eric, I was struck not only by his courage, but by the fact that a young person identified a practical solution to a problem that too many adults had accepted as inevitable.

The idea for this legislation is clear.

Research shows that people with disabilities face disproportionately high rates of police contact and use of force.

Although people with disabilities represent one roughly one-fifth of the U.S.

population, they account for an estimated 30 to 50 percent of police of use of force incidents.

Studies further estimate that between one third and one half of people killed by police have a disability.

The risks are even greater at the intersection of race and disability.

Research has found that 55% of black people with disabilities have been arrested by age 28.

These numbers remind us that disability justice and racial justice are deeply connected and intertwined.

This conversation is especially important at this moment in the district.

As Washington, DC experiences increased federal interference in local affairs and heightened concerns about policing and public safety.

Many residents, particularly black and brown residents, are feeling increased anxiety about interactions with law enforcement.

While Eric's law cannot address every concern, it represents a proactive step in the district that the district can take to help reduce misunderstandings and better protect some of our most vulnerable residents.

This issue is also personal for me.

My sister is a breast cancer survivor in her 30s.

As a result of her treatment and recovery, she lives with hidden disabilities that include fatigue and brain fog.

Most people would never know by looking at her.

Hidden disabilities come in many forms, including autism, PTSD, hearing impairments, chronic illnesses, cognitive disabilities, and cancer related conditions.

They are often invisible, but they shape how people move through the world every day.

Every day, thousands of students navigate our city independently using public transportation.

Through the Kids Ride Free program, students use their DC 1 cards to travel to and from school, internships, after school programs, and enrichment opportunities.

On an average weekday, approximately 35,000 student trips are taken using DC 1 cards.

I asked the committee to include these in proposed legislation and include our students.

Many of our students travel significant distances across the city.

Data from the DME shows that students living in five, seven, and eight travel farther to school than the citywide median, with Ward 7 students often facing some of the longest commutes in the district, and Wamada having a heavy National Guard presence.

Imagine a student with autism becoming overwhelmed during a metro disruption, struggling to process instructions from an authority figure, or shutting down during a stressful situation.

In these moments, understanding matters.

I also want to be clear what this legislation isn't is not.

It is not a magic bullet.

A designation on ID cannot eliminate bias, replace deescalation training, or guarantee that every interaction with law enforcement will end safely.

But the fact that a solution is not permanent perfect does not mean it lacks value.

I'm grateful to council members Lewis George and Zachary Parker for introducing this legislation, and I'm proud my colleagues have joined me in supporting it.

At a time when many residents are feeling heightened anxiety about interactions and increased federal interference, we should be looking for ways to make our city safer, more inclusive, and more responsive to the needs of disability people with disabilities.

I respectfully urge the council to pass Eric's law, and I thank you for the opportunity to testify.

I look forward to any questions you may have.

Thank you very much, Ms.

Thompson.

Next, let me turn to Councilman Clark.

Thank you so much for joining us here in the district.

Let me turn over to you.

And good morning.

Good morning, Chairman Allen and distinguished members of the DC Council.

My name is Kyla Clark, and I serve as your fellow council member and previous council president representing the great city of Laurel in Maryland.

I am honored to be here with you today in strong support of B 26-0619, the Eric's ID Amendment Act of 2026.

I first met Eric and Linda Carpenter Grantham when they came before our Laurel City Council to share their vision.

Something shifted in me that day.

Wait a minute, this isn't just a policy or a simple request.

This was somebody's child, somebody's reality.

And from that day forward, whenever they called, I showed up.

Because this is deeply personal to me as well.

I have close family members with hidden disabilities.

Some who were born with them and others who had medical emergencies that changed their lives forever.

People I love dearly, and I will be honest with you, I worry about them every single day.

I worry about the moment they might be stopped by law enforcement and not be able to communicate effectively or in the way that's expected of them.

I worry that a misunderstood pause, an unexpected reaction, or a moment of sensory overload could be misread as defiance.

Now that fear is real, and it lives in the hearts of so many families across our region today.

Now, according to your bill, approximately 77,200 DC residents are living with a disability right now today.

Now that is not a small number.

Those are our neighbors, those are our family members, those are our coworkers and our children who deserve to move through this world safely.

Now this bill gives them a simple voluntary tool to do that.

A butterfly, Eric's butterfly, placed on a license or an ID card that tells an officer before a single word is spoken that this person may need just a little bit more patience, just a little grace, and just a little bit more time.

No, no fees are added to it, no proof of diagnosis is required, no barriers, just protection.

And this bill goes further.

It requires the Metropolitan Police Department to implement training on how to interact with individuals who carry that notation.

And that training will only make them better.

A symbol that opens a door for everyone.

Now, here's what I want every member of the council to consider.

Not one of us is exempt from this.

Tomorrow is not promised to anyone, and any one of us or someone we love could receive a diagnosis tomorrow that makes this law suddenly very personal.

You would want that grace extended to you or your family, and so would I.

We have very good police officers here in the DMV.

But this bill will make them even better.

In Maryland, we enacted Eric's ID law in September 2025.

Delaware and Georgia have already introduced their own versions.

This movement is growing and it's growing fast.

And every state is watching.

The only question before council is whether the District of Columbia will lead or whether you be the last to follow.

And I wouldn't want to be the last, and I know that you wouldn't want to either.

And to each of you for your service and your time today.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

I believe so.

I don't think you're here yet.

So when they get here, we'll add them in on a next panel.

Is that right?

No problem.

Yep, we'll just make sure obviously we'll uh fold them in to the panel as we do that.

Um so thank you, all three of you for your testimony.

Um, President Patterson, I was gonna ask you as the board was debating this and talking about this.

You mentioned um part of what your your testimonies shared is that we would need to look at training for MPD.

Um, as you guys explored this and as the board considered this, um what did you find either is or did you explore what's both adequate and inadequate in the training that we currently provide for MPD and for our law enforcement?

Um I completely get the ask.

So, in terms of making sure that obviously anybody who's gonna interact with that ID now would be trained to understand what it means and how we want their interactions to be.

I want our training, of course, to be probably that irrespective of uh what that ID has on it.

But did you did the board debate or have any feedback from MPD or law enforcement about what additional support they might need?

No, we did not.

We did not go into that aspect, but I will tell you uh Councilmember Allen, is that as a former MPD reserve officer, what that training would look like very early on as um as you're being a cadet or you're going through that particular process, and those who are already on there coming back and actually knowing exactly what that is, what that symbol means, how to ask for our identification for individuals such as that has a hidden disability.

We want to make sure that they're always asking for some form of ID.

That does not always happen in interactions with a lot of our students, as uh Representative Thompson just said, we have a lot of kids.

You know my kids personally because they went to the same school that are traveling throughout the system.

So we need to make sure that our MPD officers, as they station outside of some of our metro stations and they're dealing with kids, that they're actually asking for those IDs and how to interact with them when they see something that may appear to them as this disruptive or not listening or not complying, which is a big thing with officers that I remember in my training, that they actually ask for some identification, try to look for those signs and make sure that they're looking at that.

That's the type of thing that we're doing.

Um, and that training has to happen often early on, but often on a on a frequent level, because the thing about is you're bringing on officers on a regular basis, and we need to make sure that people are updating on that on a regular basis.

So that's what we will be looking at.

And that's what it would be.

That's helpful, thank you.

Um, you know, I've I worked to get um, this is a partnership, state board did a great job on this one too, and we uh worked with some students, for example, around different type of epilepsy training that we did in our school system, and obviously making sure that our teachers and educators can recognize different signs, and so we've worked on that before.

Um, when I chaired judiciary previously, we worked with the fire department around some additional training and kind of built that in.

So, on in some respect, I find that our MPD or Fire and EMS will absorb the costs.

Obviously, not your first rodeo, so you know when we're passing legislation, if we add in things that have big fiscal impacts, they have it can become a reason why something doesn't get implemented, right?

So we can work with MPD and our law enforcement around how would they just build it into the training they're already providing, make sure that it's exactly what we're asking is that they build it into their training as they introduce it into it, look at some of the best practices.

Um as was stated, we have some jurisdictions that have already implemented this.

So there is training probably that is happening in other jurisdictions to get some of the best practices, and it shouldn't be a cost thing, it's not a big thing as far as a cost, but adding it into their regular training.

Yeah.

Representative Thompson, I was gonna ask you thank you for your testimony as well, and thank you for sharing the personal connection with your sister.

What I was gonna also ask, you mentioned, and I think you're entirely correct.

We have you know so many students that are gonna be traveling our city independently on our metro system.

I want to make sure I heard or understood correctly.

The the kids ride free card itself, I just know from my own kids, um, it's it's not a personal identification card necessarily, it is of course connected to them kind of on the back end of the system.

Were you recommending that we need to look at the kids' ride free card as a way to make some type of demarcation or focus just more on our identification card that we would have through our driver's license essentially?

Um I think two things.

So one uh before I forget, the recommendation for uh training law enforcement actually came from our students.

Okay.

Uh and they specifically uh noted, especially as we have changed the SRO program, um, a difference in the ways our SROs are trained to interact with students and all other law enforcement.

So that's existing training um we have in DC government, uh which is tailored directly to interactions with young people, which should defray any additional cost.

That that came from our student advisory committee.

We have to take every resolution before our student advisory committee, and they represent uh high schools all across the city.

Um so I I very much enjoy hearing their recommendations and taking them seriously.

That's that's the first thing.

Second, uh I think the goal is to look at any form of identification uh that our young people can't opt into uh because uh not all young people uh are of age uh that they do have uh proper identification.

So that could be DC1 cards, um, but it also could be uh the kids' ride-free cards, um, because we are talking about a very small emblem.

Um we're talking about a little butterfly in Maryland.

It's a black butterfly.

Uh in DC, it can also be a black butterfly.

And so I would say as many opportunities as we have to make sure our young people in particular with disabilities are able to say, hey, have some patience with me, have some understanding, we should take them.

And so I'm saying let's explore uh any state-issued, any state-issued identification or you know, similar thing uh that could help our young people.

Got it.

Okay, thanks.

And in part of what I'm trying to get it to is just trying to help think through the mechanics of how we operationalize something.

Um Kid Drive Free Card operationally may present a challenge as to how to use that.

DC one cards might be different.

Um, so thank you.

Uh I appreciate that.

Um to Councilmember Clark, um, one please tell your mayor uh I said hello, work very closely with him uh with the council of governments and appreciate all the leadership from Laurel, Maryland as we work collectively, uh, because what's good for DC is good for Laurel, and uh we're stronger as a region together.

Um I wanted to ask around how how have you or can you share a little bit about the experience of the city of Laurel as this law takes effect?

How is the city having to prepare or work with training for your law enforcement for your city police department?

Um is there any kind of recommendations you have for us to think about what that should look like?

Absolutely, and I will I will let him know that as well.

I've been at the COG meetings representing him as well, so it's been great.

Um, yes, so that was a question that I inquired as well.

Wanted to understand if we had additional costs that we needed to add in.

Our council was absolutely willing to find the money or resources for that, even if we needed to shift it from our budget.

Our police officer officers are amazing.

I did inquire, they said that it would just be rolled into the training, um, more like awareness training, ensuring that you're looking at the license, seeing the interaction with the individual.

Um, I think every officer is very aware, and so if they see something that feels a little bit off, they try to look into it.

And I think the first um part of that is just looking at the license, having the opportunity, it's it saves time for the officer to try to figure that out when they can just look at the license and say, Okay, I do see something here.

Let me just take a little bit more patience to ask questions in a different way so that I I love I have officers in my family.

They say I don't want to have to do extra paperwork, right?

In that way, you have a good interaction, they can continue with their day because they want we want them to be safe as well.

So I think as as you mentioned, just rolling it into the training for every individual that comes onto the force, so then it's not so much of an added cost, it's just an investment into our officers.

Thank you.

So yeah, you haven't seen it be a significant cost to your training program, it's just built into the training that already exists, which I would hope that's the way we look at it.

Not at all.

We haven't seen any additional costs because I was willing to invest into that.

Um we were able to shift those costs into like our vehicles or things that they needed um so that they can ensure if they needed more cameras, etc.

But no, no additional cost that we've had when you add it into the training, um, and it only makes the officers better, it makes them more aware, it makes them more patient, it makes their um listening skills even better.

So I I see it as a benefit, um, and I was absolutely well all of us were willing to jump on board immediately.

That's great.

Um thank you for that.

That's kind of helpful to hear the practical experience.

It reminds me a bit of uh a couple of years ago, I'd worked closely with um the Alzheimer's Association, and we worked to require training for our fire and EMS because again, um they may be coming as a first responder, but it's a non-visible uh interaction that they're gonna have, and working to have additional training for older adults or others with different memory or Alzheimer's issues.

Um, Fire New Mess was able to just absorb that into their training, which was a smart thing to do, and we're better for it.

Yes.

Um, so this is very similar.

So it'll be great.

Exactly, exactly.

Um, I want to note we have been joined by my ward five colleague Zachary Parker and Councilor Parker.

Uh, we just finished uh our first round and got some great testimony here, but I'm happy to turn to you for any opening statement you have and a round of questions as well.

Thank you, Chairman Allen.

Uh I was proud to introduce this bill along with my colleague, Councilmember Lewis George, as well as with your support, uh Chair Allen.

Um I will give a brief statement and then I will jump to some questions.

The National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities estimate as of 2023, a total of about 77,000 Rust residents in the district had some form of a disability.

This legislation will help create more equity for our disabled neighbors by one allowing individuals to choose to indicate that they have a non-apparent or hidden disability on their license permit or identification card, and two by requiring our Metropolitan Police Department to conduct training concerning interactions with individuals with non-apparent disabilities.

This will provide vital protections for our residents with hidden disabilities and ensure that our police department engages in interactions appropriately.

I would like to thank Eric and Linda Carpenter Graham, who I see here in the room, and for their collaboration on this bill.

In particular, I heard this young man.

I think a round of applause is certainly worthwhile.

I heard this young man at an MLK celebration, and that is where this issue was first brought to my attention.

I had never thought of the consequences of a police officer not fully understanding or appreciating uh the intricate um responsibilities of engaging with someone with a non-apparent disability.

And so, Eric, I want to say thank you and keep at it.

I we made a commitment a long time ago, we were going to get to this day, and I'm proud to see uh this bill moving forward.

I would also like to recognize the State Board of Education uh for their resolution SR 26-8.

The board I note asked for inclusion of language that would extend this legislation to DC1 cards and student IDs, which I fully support uh as a former teacher and member of the board.

Uh I also want to acknowledge we are joined here today by two of the representatives of the board, and I know in particular I've been in touch with Representative Thompson from Ward 7, and I thank you for I believe introducing that resolution and moving this forward.

So, with that, I do just want to elevate uh a question for the council member, but also our state board colleagues, and why don't I start with the uh state board colleagues?

Uh did you receive any feedback around uh the symbol itself?

And just for context, when we were um designing this bill, we had heard from some disability groups that there may be a desire or um request to include any number of symbols, you name it.

Uh I will say in full transparency, we spoke with Eric and his mom, and they were very clear they wanted it to be a butterfly.

Um, and so I just wanted to note if in your engagement around this issue, if that issue came up and if there were going to be any barriers to a butterfly.

We also had conversations, I believe, with the DMV, and there were concerns whether or not the butterfly could be in color or if it were in black and white, and if that would impact uh officers' understanding.

So we did benefit from uh a presentation from the Carpenter Grantham's.

And they shared that Maryland had gone through the same process, uh, and for Maryland, it ended up being a black butterfly.

Uh, they uh had amazing visuals of their original design, which was more of a rainbow butterfly, uh, which of course I'm a fan of, because y'all know I like color.

Uh, and I would imagine uh DC would face some similar challenges.

We did not hear any feedback from either our student advisory committee or public testimony, uh, requesting other emblems.

Um, and I and the board uh did not raise any colleagues did not raise any members, any members raise any concerns about that particular emblem.

Um, and so I would defer uh to the people who had the vision and make it a butterfly.

Understood.

Um I just want to thank again the state board uh for your engagement here and for Chair Allen and team.

I know uh the committee will produce a committee print of today's hearing.

We will formally request that that resolution be incorporated into the committee print.

Uh I'm assuming that's gonna be okay for the state board resolution to be incorporated into the committee print so that it would officially be on the record there.

And then I I'm sorry, Councilmember, I missed your last name.

What is your last name?

Clark, Councilmember Clark from Laurel, Maryland.

I think I caught the tell end of your testimony about the training component.

And am I to understand correctly that you're saying there hasn't been any cost associated with the additional training?

We have not had additional costs.

Gratefully, our officers already kind of had something very similar rolled into the training for any new officers that come on board or for any officers currently.

And they try to update that if something new comes out.

So it generally aligns with like awareness training, uh communication training when you're speaking with someone that you stopping, um, and and anything that they needed, we let them know.

Please let us know so that we can help to add that cost in if needed, but we have not had any additional costs to date, and we've been able to invest in other things that they need.

And one follow-up question.

I noted that the state board encourages us to include the symbol on other forms of ID, including the one card and student IDs.

Have you all in Laurel entertain training beyond just your police department?

And if so, what discussions have you had around that topic?

At this time, we haven't had a need to do additional training.

Um, gratefully, when I've spoken with our local school representatives there, they said that they have already had that in their training because they know that there are students who have individual needs, and so they try to ensure that that training is already incorporated.

A lot of people actually have it already.

Um it's just a matter, I think, of bringing this to the public's attention and ensuring that everyone is aware.

I've had residents that have come up to me after it was passed in Maryland and said I have a hidden disability, and you would never know that they did.

It wasn't for me to know, but I I felt a little bit more comfortable at ease and just proud that we had this for them, and they said it made them feel safer in any type of situation that comes up.

Awesome.

Well, thank you all for your testimony.

Thank you.

Thank you very much, Councilmember, and thank you all very much for your testimony and recognitions and absolutely we'll have the state board's uh resolution uh be a full part of the record here.

So thank you.

All right, I think what I'm gonna do.

Um, I don't believe I have the delegates here.

Yep, but I have one of my delegates, okay.

Sorry, I uh delegate tolls and delegate taylor.

And I apologize.

Delegate Taylor, okay.

So delegate tolls is not here yet.

Okay.

So how about this?

Delegate Taylor, if I could have you come up, and why don't I go ahead and ask Eric Carpenter Grantham and Linda Carpenter Grantham to come up as well, and we'll have the three of you testify.

And if delegate tolls gets here, we'll add her as well.

So thank you all very much for being here and delegate.

Why don't I turn to you and then uh Mr.

Carpenter Grantham?

I'll turn to you after that and then turn to you after that.

You can go before, okay.

Happy to happy to accommodate and we'll switch that up then.

You got it.

All right, so we'll go to Ms.

Carpenter Grantham and then Eric Harp and Grantham after that.

Delegate, go ahead.

We're all trying to work together.

We're all trying to work together.

You got it.

Yeah, so good morning.

And I apologize if you could push the buttons, the red light comes on.

Thank you.

There we are.

Okay, good morning, Chair Allen and members of the Transportation and Environment Committee.

Uh, as was mentioned, I'm delegate Kim Taylor, and I represent Prince George's County's District 23 in Maryland's House of Delegates.

I'm honored to testify today in strong support of the Eric's ID Amendment of Act of 2026, sponsored by Denise Lewis George and Councilmember Zachary Parker.

Last year, as you know, I had the privilege of sponsoring Maryland's Eric ID Law, alongside my colleagues, Delegate Janelle Wilkins and Senator William Smith.

And of course, with the inspiration and advocacy of Eric and his mom.

Together, uh we worked to create a voluntary, dignified way for individuals with non-apparent disabilities to communicate critical information during interactions with first responders.

This legislation took effect on October 1st, and in just eight months.

Sorry if I'm stealing anybody's thunder, but over 21,000 Maryland residents have volunteered to place a discrete butterfly notation on their driver's license or state issued identification card.

As a mother of a son on the autism spectrum, I know personally the fears and anxiety that come when your child lives with non-apparent issues.

For my son and for so many others, there are no visible cues to alert first responders that his actions or even his silence may be connected to his challenges.

That reality can make an already difficult situation dangerous, especially for black men like my son, who are so often misunderstood.

This bill does not require anyone to disclose a disability.

It does not create a registry, it does not require medical documentation, it does not impose additional fees, as you've heard.

Instead, it empowers individuals and families with volunt with a voluntary tool that can facilitate understanding during critical interactions.

And in this bill, the decision to add or remove the designation remains entirely with the individual.

Health information remains protected, and DC residents, like those in Maryland, can choose whether this tool is right for them.

And equally important, this bill recognizes that identification alone is not enough.

This legislation helps to ensure that respectful and effective implementation gives families like mine greater peace of mind.

So thank you to the bill sponsors, Councilmember Lewis George and Councilmember Parker, and all the co-sponsors.

I'm happy to support my hometown, DC's continuance of this work.

And just remember, at its very core, this bill reflects a simple principle.

People should be understood before they are judged.

I respectfully urge a favorable report.

Thank you.

Thank you very much, Delegate Taylor.

Next, let me turn to Linda Carpenter Grantham.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Good morning, Chairman Allen and members of the committee.

Thank you for the opportunity to speak before you today.

Thank you, Councilmember Janice Lewis George and Zachary Parker, and all the co-sponsors for Eric's ID Law Amendment Act 2026.

I also would like to give a big thank you to my 103-year-old uncle who's here today, sitting behind me to be here to see his great nephew with this law.

I am Linda Carpenter Grantham, the mother of this amazing 21-year-old sitting beside me.

My son Eric is highly functioning autistic.

So I decided to have a conversation with Eric when Mr.

George Floyd was killed.

And when I would turn on the TV, I would see more and more people of um with invisible disabilities being hurt, harmed, or killed by law enforcement.

This is when I became very concerned and decided to have a conversation with Eric.

So I created a scenario that I think that I felt Eric could understand, and I said to him, Eric, what if me and some of your friends and their moms, we took you guys to the movies, and something breaks out in the movie theater, and me and the other moms are next door having coffee.

Well, the police are called and they come to you guys in the movie theater.

I say, put your hands up, don't reach for your phone because he always reaches for his phone for me.

Yellow to have autism, yell out my number and yell out someone, call my mom.

Eric started to cry.

He said, Mom, I can do that.

But the police would shoot my friends that have autism because we're all different on the spectrum.

We're all different with our autism.

And as he was um crying and talking about this, he was really thinking and living in that moment, thinking about his friends, each one of them, he called out their names.

You know, this one has ADHD.

He's not going to keep still, he's going to continue to walk back and forth.

This one is going to be scared.

He's going to run.

I'm scared, mom.

We got to do something, and we got to do something now.

And the more he thought of it, the more urgent it was getting for him.

And so I told him, I said, Well, just hang on a second.

You know, let's think it through.

He came to me a few weeks later.

He said, Mom, I have an idea.

I would like to put something on the ID that will let the police know that my friends and I have an invisible disability.

I said, That's a great idea.

And then, and if you know anything about Eric, Eric is a person that loves God and he loves politics.

The two things that most people debate about.

Um, and so Eric came to me a little later and he said, Mom, can you take me to Congress?

At that time, Miss Nancy Pelosi was the House Speaker.

He said, I would like to talk with her about some laws to help me and my friends to be safe.

Should we be stopped by law enforcement?

I said, Eric, I'm very proud of you.

I'm gonna get you there.

We had a meeting at that time with Senator Chris Van Holland to discuss what he thought about Eric's idea.

We also met with who was the state's attorney at that time, Miss Aisha Brayfoy.

They both love the idea.

We met with them separately.

Well, um, Senator Chris Van Holland um appointed his legislative aide to help write a proposal for us to present to our Maryland State Senator Will C.

Smith.

Senator Smith wrote the bill in 2024.

The bill didn't pass.

Senator Smith wrote the bill again in 2025.

At this time, we were invited on to the view with Miss Whippy Goldberg.

We were invited on to the Sherry Shepherd Show, where we received over 2 million views and comments to make this a national law.

We are happy to report just to let you know, Delegate Taylor, as of today, 22,078 Marylanders now have Eric's ID Law Butterfly on their Maryland State ID.

We are also happy to report that Governor Westmore did sign the bill into law.

We gained the extra 48 delegates and an extra 13 senators, including the Senate President, Mr.

Bill Ferguson.

We also gained the support of the NAACP, communication workers of America, Jack and Jill, the National Children's Center, and many families.

This law would help save lives.

Um it would also help law enforcement be able to communicate.

And I'm asking for a favorable report for Eric's ID law.

The other thing I would also like to quickly say is the Maryland Police and Standards Training Commission, which is a part of our amendment to Maryland to our Maryland law.

They will train 157 law enforcement agencies within the state of Maryland about this butterfly.

Thank you for allowing me to speak.

Thank you very much.

All right, and now the man of the hour.

Good morning, Grantham.

Good morning, Chairman Allen and members of the committee.

I would like to thank Councilmember Zachary Parker and Councilmember Julius Lewis George for sponsoring Eric's ID Amendment Act of 2026.

My name is Eric Bless Carpenter Grantham.

I'm the founder of Eric's ID Law, and I am a 21-year-old young man living with autism.

Thank you for the opportunity to testify and show in support of B 26-0619, the AirS ID Amendment Act of 2026.

This bill's deeply personal to me.

As a person with autism, I understand how I feel to be misunderstood sometimes.

People were altering other invisible disabilities, communicate differently, need extra time to process information or react differently in stressful situations.

This is why this legislation matters.

This simply too can help long first responders and law enforcement better understand the person they are interacting with, creating a safer and more respectful encounter.

Invisible disabilities affect thousands of residents called the District of Columbia.

Those individuals deserve to be treated with honor, understanding, and respect.

In Maryland, we took action through Eric's ID law.

Residents can voluntary a butterfly designer to their driver's license or IDs.

The butterfly resident, hope, peace, freedom, and change for people with hidden disabilities.

Since the law was effective on October 1st, 2025, like my mother and delegate came to us, more than 22,000 Marylanders residents have already chosen to attain the butterfly designer on their driver's licenses day ID.

That number showed the need for this program and the impact it's having on families throughout our state.

Now the District of Columbia, my proud hometown, have uh have the opportunity to bill on that assess.

This bill is not, this bill is not giving it's not given special treatment, it's about improving understanding and about helping for being misunderstood before that before it happened.

Most importantly, it is making people sure, making sure people with invisible disability or hidden disabilities can feel safer.

Take we're doing interaction law enforcement for responders at the Bible birthday and remind us in Colossians 6 2, carry each other's burden, and this way you will feel the law of Christ.

This bill helped carry the burden of doubts that many individuals with disabilities face every single day in going outside to the world.

And we place confusion with awareness and fear with understanding.

I stand before you today, not only as an advocate, but as a young autistic adult who believe every person deserved to be seen, respected, and protected.

Therefore, I respect that as the committee to issue a favorable report on B 26-0619, the AirS ID Amendment Act of 2026.

Together, we can make the district a national leader in disability.

Tomorrow we can shrink together, we can strengthen safety, grace, and understanding for thousands of residents, and together we can ensure that people, that people with invisible disabilities are never overlooked, but on the respect and empower.

Thank you for your time and continuation and God bless the District of Columbia.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Eric.

Uh, and thanks to everybody on this panel.

Um, a couple of quick questions.

I'm gonna turn to Councillor Parker for some additional questions.

Um, it's always helpful when our good friends in Maryland have already taken an action because we get to learn from what you went through, right?

So, was curious, um, Delegate Taylor, if any kind of with the benefit of having gone through the legislative process in Maryland, are there any things as we debate our version of the bill or try to take into consideration um, you know, different challenges or operationalizing something?

Any kind of key recommendations that you discovered as you went through the legislative process in Maryland that would be good advice for us to consider.

Yeah.

Thank you for the question.

In fact, there are a few things.

Um, I'm sure you know this bill didn't pass the first time it was sponsored, it was proposed.

Um, it actually took three years for the concept to pass.

The very first year, uh, there was a um a concept similar, and they ran into opposition uh from the disabilities communities and others, and it just didn't go anywhere.

Um, the second year um there was even more opposition.

Um there was I don't think a real understanding of the why, and the fact that black men more than any others are misunderstood.

And here we have a black young man who is um afraid for his life potentially if he has an interaction.

Um, and we know that uh when we can reduce the number of interactions with law enforcement for black men, then we have better outcomes.

Um, so that was one of the things that we wanted to drive home with this legislation is that um, you know, if uh people with different perspectives might not fully understand that the our culture has a different conversation with our sons, and especially with our sons that may have challenges with interacting with first responders.

So that's number one.

It's just potential cultural differences that you might encounter with some pushback.

Um, we had to address systematically each challenge, and uh one had to do with privacy protections, and which is why you see what ultimately passed in Maryland and what you proposed, is, you know, something that's free and open to the public.

There are no medical records that have to be filed and kept and monitored, and you don't have to bring a medical record back when you renew your license.

It's just the honor system, it's just um, you know, a protection legislation.

Um the MVA.

Um, you know, um our MVA is completely on board with us now, completely supportive.

Um, very much a partner in this work.

There may have been some reservations in the beginning, um, as to whether or not this was something we could even do legally, and um whether it would be as popular since we had another tool in the toolbox at the time, the blue card, which had passed to several years before, and the blue card pretty much is just a blue sheet of paper similar to this, and maybe they have it in DC around.

No, so and it just says that you know, I have blah blah blah blah blah.

Well, those who carried the blue card, um, you know, it was another piece of paper that you had to present.

It was a paper that became frayed and flimsy and unreadable over time.

So it was just a better option that we had to I don't want to say argue, but we had to convince to actually have something printed on an ID that was more durable.

Uh so that was another um kind of then there was the training, and I have to admit that that's something I would suggest that uh DC keep an eye on even after this legislation passes.

Um it could be a directive, but that doesn't mean it's implemented in the way that you had uh intended.

Uh we are seeing that in some places uh there have been training, and others there have there has not.

We've had constituents call in that said, wow, the I've had several interactions with the police, but since I have my um butterfly symbol, that last interaction was so much better because the police officer was trained and uh kind and calm.

But then we're also getting the calls where we have constituents that are saying, I had an interaction with an officer who was not trained, who didn't recognize my the symbol, and when I you know I presented it to him or her, they didn't know what it was.

So that was a source of frustration for that particular resident.

So, yeah, there's those are some of the pieces of advice, some of the things I think you know, you should uh work hard to um overcome those potential objections and uh make sure that the training for your police police officers and other first responders is very tight up front, and that the training is done by a very competent uh trainer with a curriculum that really has engineered in it the nuances when dealing with someone with a non-apparent disability because as we've said heard there are many non-apparent disabilities, it comes in many forms.

So I know that's a long answer to your question.

That's probably helpful.

Yeah, I mean that's we we benefit from uh you guys going first.

And so that helps us out, and I think especially part of what I'm trying to think about a lot is um, especially with our very close relationship with our friends in Maryland.

Um if you live in Prince George's or Montgomery County or the district, the reality is we're going across each other's borders all the time, and we want that experience to be uh the same as you're moving back and forth and your expectations uh of what your encounters are gonna be.

So that's why this is also attractive to me, is that it helps align um a person's interactions no matter where they're moving around, and just to think that our our our region works.

We've I'm in a Maryland, you're in DC, we're going back and forth to each other all the time.

Um Ms.

Carpenter Grant, then you had your hand up.

So I want to turn it.

Yes, I just wanted to share that Delegate Janelle Wilkins is looking into that situation about the person who was stopped, and the officer did not recognize the butterfly.

Um she is looking into that right now to make sure that these officers are aware of this butterfly.

This is very important.

And how long has the law been in effect since October?

Since October 1st.

Okay.

So given grace.

I can also understand there's gonna be a little bit of time it takes to make sure that every officer, every department has that chance to go through that training.

Um so uh obviously the that's where good oversight comes in, and to your point, gotta constantly work to make sure it's being adopted, that training is happening.

Um willing to get a little grace, understanding that it takes a little time to get everybody up to speed and and trained um right after.

The grace is there.

In fact, we finished our session in April of last year, and that's really when the bill passed and was signed.

It was implemented and went into effect on October 1st.

So there has been uh at least 12 months or more in terms of lead time and public awareness to this point, yeah.

So, um, Eric, I was gonna ask you um why why the butterfly?

Can you talk a little about why that symbol in particular you think is the right symbol?

Uh it it does sound like someone make sure you have a chance to respond to this too.

Um, either from the experience in Maryland or what we we may hear others within a disabilities community that may not be the symbol that they choose, uh, but this but what you're putting forward.

So can you just tell more about why did you choose that symbol?

Why does it speak to you?

Why do you think it's the right symbol to use?

Yes, um, Mr.

Chairman.

Um it's actually a spiritual um story.

So what happened?

Um, we were um me and my mom were sitting one night trying to choose logos because we were having three logos at the time for autism, mental health, and hearing impair.

But um the senator and many us um told us, says do one with all hidden disabilities.

So we were like thinking about almost all night, every single day, like let's choose a star or let's do like this, and then my mom was like, maybe that won't work, and I do agree.

So, of course, I'm a Christian myself, a really hard Christian, and I truly believe when you ask God for something, it he's gonna deliver it for you on time.

And so I prayed the God that night and I um asked him, God send me a um special logo to do for this um ID.

So when it gets passed, this will be a perfect um logo to do.

And so actually that same night, I thought my mom stopped saying prayers.

I said to my mom, we have some butterfly magnets on our refrigerator.

And so I took so I went the walk to the refrigerator, I said, Mom, how about a butterfly?

And she thought it was a good idea, and so she told me, shorts up with it mean and stretched up the um the covers of all the cuts for all hidden disabilities, and this is what we create ourselves.

Um, like I said, the butterfly resident, hope, peace, freedom and change, and inside of the wings of the colors inside of the wings, it's because of the resident for all hidden disabilities.

And so that's the story behind the butterfly logo, and then resident change, it's time for change in the world, and and like I said, we just don't change policy, we change lives.

Yeah.

All right, thank you very much for sharing that.

I appreciate that.

I'm gonna turn to my colleague, Councillor Parker, for some questions as well now.

Thank you.

Uh Eric, you know, they say there's a separation of church and state, but I think we could benefit from a few few more scriptures being cited in this building, so thank you for that explanation.

Um, delegate teller, I wanted to come to you very quickly.

How are you all managing the advertisement of this option?

Is that something that is exclusively the responsibility of your motor vehicle agencies, or are you all um investing in an advertising campaign of sorts?

The legislature is not responsible for the advertising at all.

Um this is where great partnerships prevail.

Um the motor our motor vehicles administration has been outstanding in that arena.

They had these flyers hosted on October 1st in every MVA location to announce to the public that there was this uh butterfly symbol option for non-apparent disabilities uh coming up.

They had a social media campaign that was, you know, reached many, many of our Maryland residents.

Um at the uh the MV, I was gonna say DMV, the MVA locations, you know, we have the monitors, they had the story running about Eric's ID law and the butterfly symbol and what it meant and why you should apply.

Um we had a and I maybe could talk about the press conference, um, but can I tell you why this bill is in the posture it is now and why it has passed in Maryland and is being considered by what 12 other states now is because of these two, and their passion and energy as advocates for this legislation for this policy.

Um I don't know how many followers they have now on social media, but for every um for every win along the way, they had a social media post about it.

Um, for you know, even before, you know, as we were going into committee, as we were um, you know, every vote, you know, and they thanked people along the way, which I also think was very key.

They were very gracious, and um uh and very um, you know, making sure that folks were appreciated that were helpful in this legislation.

You see the folks around here, like these folks have been in the trenches for Eric's ID law since the beginning.

Every hearing, uh, every event that we've had, this group has been there with them, and I dare say, sometimes the group is in the hundreds.

When we had the um the hearings and the bill signings, there were people spilling outside the door, they couldn't get in the room.

There were so many to support this law.

And again, that's a testament to these two, to the advocates and their their passion and just their very spirit.

You know, they're just kind and wonderful folks, and you have a mother and and son duo that's unstoppable.

I mean, I feel the same way about my son.

I do anything for him.

Yeah, yeah.

And it's not lost on me that you were able to get the bill across the finish line when it wasn't uh, as I understand it, successful when it was first introduced.

And so, um thank you for your advocacy on behalf of your son, but also all of our young people with non-apparent disabilities.

In fact, uh delegate, I think I've met your other son who uh works here at the Wilson building.

And so he mentioned yesterday, oh my mom's coming to the body.

So I told him I was gonna reference.

That's my big baby.

Yes, I told him I was gonna reference you.

Um last question.

I did want to uh um better understand a complaint system.

And so, Miss Carpenter Grantham, it sounded like you were saying something's in the works.

If you could just elaborate uh on how you all are thinking about documenting or reporting when folks with non-apparent disabilities still have unpleasant encounters with law enforcement or any of any other frontline service workers.

Um, sure.

So we are aware that someone reached out to Eric on Instagram, a lovely lady in east on the on the eastern shore, um, who is um she has epilepsy, and um she came into uh interaction with the law enforcement aid um officer who was not aware of the butterfly.

And so she put some things on Instagram and Eric saw it, and we reached out to her to find out what exactly happened if she didn't mind, you know, engaging.

Um, and so she did.

And so what I did was put her in touch with Mr.

Silver, who is the director of the Maryland Standards and Police and Training Commission.

Right?

That's what I said.

Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission.

Yes, yes, yes.

Um, I put her in touch with him, and they had a conversation, and then she and I came back together and talked, and she was very appreciative.

I know that he um reached out to that law enforcement agency to find out why this officer did not know about the butterfly.

Um I'm not sure what happened from there, but um after that, delegate Wilkins and I had a conversation because I wanted to make sure that all law enforcement is aware of this butterfly.

It is hugely important.

It is hugely important.

This is MBA's um design of the butterfly.

They chose a black butterfly because their ID cards already come pre-colored, so they cannot put color on the ID.

They can only print black fonts.

So this is their design, which they let Eric and I choose the butterfly.

The other thing I just wanted to say, um, as you were speaking with the delegate.

I'm sorry.

I wanted to say thank you.

Thank you to Minnesota Neither and her wonderful staff from MBA Mobil Legal Administration and Murray.

Absolutely for um all their hard work for and they even received the um the role department.

For this, but I just wanted to share that they did have Eric and I come into MVA, and they did a video of Eric doing the how-to, how to get the butterfly on your ID.

It is free.

You don't have to show medical records, you can remove it at any time.

Um, and so they did a public outreach as well.

Yeah, MVA did a public outreach as well.

What were you gonna say?

Yeah, definitely.

Yeah, share.

Okay.

Can he share?

Yeah, I want to share something.

Um, so the other day I was on Facebook because I keep an update on AirSid Law.

And so I saw this post from Worcester Sheriff's Apartment in um in near Ocean City, Maryland.

And so they um announced that they are supporting Earth's ID law and they are gonna partner with AirS ID Law, and what they are doing now is that they are giving out stickers, butterfly stickers and butterfly buttons to people for to know in their counties to know that they have a hidden disability.

And so they're doing that now without doing a law.

Right.

And we are trying to um amend that to um Maryland's law for next year's session.

But um Worcester Sheriff Department is already starring, and they are going to get those out near Ocean City um next week, and we are gonna go there um and support, and they are super super desired to do this, and so I wanted to give you a heads up that error's ID laws that's spreading rapidly in Maryland.

Yeah, they um the sheriff, we did speak with the sheriff, we contacted him, his name is Sheriff Chris Chris Fawley, I want to say I might mess it up a little bit.

Um, but we were very, very grateful to see that he took his own initiative to be able to get butter black butterfly stickers printed and give them out to his community in his county for them to place on their windshields of their cars so that if the police see that butterfly on the car before they approach, they would know to proceed the way that they should.

Someone in that car may have an invisible disability.

The thing that was interesting about it is Eric and I already had a meeting set up with Senator Will Smith that morning to discuss this being an amendment to our law that MBA could give out these butterfly stickers.

Um, and so we invited him onto that meeting, the delegate came on to.

Um, and he was just so absolutely wonderful about this.

I think that every county should do it.

It's hugely important to help save lives.

I'm sorry, Eric.

They're already getting an attention.

22,000 people have already taken advantage of the ID.

So I I want to be mindful of time because I know there are uh more witnesses and bills, but I again want to say thank you both for your advocacy and Eric.

Thank you.

You should be tremendously proud that you are galvanizing folk across the country and literally helping to improve uh the quality of life of so many young people.

And um it is not lost on me that you very well might be responsible for saving someone's life uh given your advocacy.

So again, thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you so much, Councilmember.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Counselor Parker, and thank you all very much for your testimony and your actions.

Alright, let me next turn to um we have a good number of witnesses today, so I'm gonna try to keep us moving a little bit because we have another hearing that starts this afternoon, too.

But let me see if Terrence King, who's the president CEO of Children's National Center, is here.

Alright, excellent, sir.

If you'll come on up.

Uh Tamara Holmes Public Witness.

Tam.

Tamara Tamra, excuse me.

Tamara Holmes.

Sharita Coleman, public witness.

She's doing it on the last.

She's sent hers in.

She's not present.

Okay, thank you very much.

Yovanda Wilkins Public Witness.

Excellent.

If you'll come on up.

And did delegate tolls arrive?

Thank you.

No.

Okay.

All right.

Were you saying Ms.

Coleman was going to be joining online or just submitting testimony?

She submitted testimony, and I think she's going to listen online maybe.

She's at work, so I'm not sure.

Okay, we'll check and make sure that they're logged online.

Alright, and then just so that I can add a couple more folks at the table here is Kimberly Bodie here.

All right.

If Kimberly, if you can come on up, we have one more seat here.

Alright, excellent.

Thank you all very much for taking the time.

Uh Mr.

King, we'll start with you and then to Ms.

Holmes, then Miss Wilkins, and then Miss Bowdy after that.

And if you'll just push the buttons the red light comes on, that's when the mic is on.

Good morning.

Thank you, Chairman Allen and fellow committee members of the Transportation Committee for this opportunity to testify.

My name is Terrence King, and I serve as president and CEO of the National Children's Center.

As a strong advocate in support of Bill 26-0619, the Eric's ID Amendment Act of 2026, I would like to express the imperativeness of offering supportive identification documentation for individuals with varying abilities.

Providing the voluntary opportunity to choose how they would like to be identified on various forms, such as the District of Columbia's license and identification cards, ensures their experience are acknowledged in a way that respects their preferences and preserves their personal liberty.

Established 68 years ago, NCC provides services to adults with intellectual developmental disabilities.

We have had the privilege of serving more than 300 individuals across the Washington metropolitan region.

People of extraordinary resilience whose voices have too often been left out of rooms where decisions are made.

Our commitment is to justice, dignity, and the belief that every person deserves full participation in this community.

For decades, individuals with indivisible disabilities have navigated a world where systems have failed to recognize them completely.

When a person with IDD can communicate their needs in a moment of crisis, the outcomes reflect humanity and equity.

Supplies a practical, dignified, and culturally affirming tool that ensures that first respondents, law enforcement, and service providers can identify, understand, and appropriately support the individuals in their care.

The DC State Board of Education unanimously passed resolution SR 26-8 in support of this legislation.

A powerful signal that this community is ready to act.

We stand fully aligned with that resolve to ensure that every resident of the District of Columbia is seen, understood, and protected, particularly those with disabilities that are not immediately visible.

For the individuals we serve, many of whom cannot fully self-advocate for themselves.

This law becomes their voice when their voice cannot be heard.

This law affirms that support must be inclusive.

It must be responsive and is rooted in the respect for individuals' backgrounds, their identity, and their experience.

So on behalf of NCC, Councilman Allen, I am grateful for the opportunity to prepare this testimony and more important to express our deep appreciation to implore the committee's support, their full support of Bill 26-0619, Eric's ID amendment of 2026.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Next, let me turn to Miss Holmes.

Good morning.

I'd like to thank Eric and Linda for not just seeing the need, but more importantly, not accepting no for an answer.

I thank the delegates that God placed, put in place to get the ball rolling, and I thank God for using me.

I wholeheartedly support this bill for several reasons.

As a young child in elementary school, I struggle with focusing and retaining information.

As an adult, I've been diagnosed with depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress.

I'm not just here for myself, for myself.

Wait a minute.

I'm not here just for myself.

Disabilities have touched my life through some of my loved ones as well.

My daughter Vashta is 21.

She looks like most 21-year-olds, the baby hair framing her face, her face made up with her lashes.

She never wanted to be different, so she would not she's not gonna willingly tell you she has a hidden disability.

She likes dance, cheer, trapeze, and doing hair.

She was diagnosed with ADHD and developmental delays at seven months old.

She attended National Children's Center.

After the pandemic, depression and anxiety was added to her diagnosis.

My oldest daughter Tasha has dyslexia.

I have a 13-year-old grandson, Ibrahim.

He has odds, oppositional defiance disorder, intermittent explosive disorder, ADHD.

There's also my grandson Micah.

He's eight.

He has Down syndrome and was recently diagnosed with autism.

Last year, my mom was diagnosed with Lewy body, the worst form of dementia.

For seven years, I drove paratransit, better known as Metro Access, Transportation for the Disabled.

I've worked with Valentine Community Service and New Horizons, both adult programs, programs for adults with disabilities.

Presently I work for Aussie, DOT, Office of the State Superintendent for the Board of Education.

I transport children with special needs to and from school.

Disabilities have touched me both personally and professionally.

I advocate not just for myself, my family and my students.

I advocate for the veterans.

I am here today to speak for the people that cannot speak for themselves.

I do have concerns for my daughter, my family when they're out and not I'm not there.

Vash Type, for example, when under pressure, she's like a deer in the headlights.

She'll just stare at you when questions, when questioned.

She'll say anything without thinking, and just to get you out of her face.

And her intention is not to lie.

She just doesn't know how to respond.

If stopped by the police, she could give them her ID with the butterfly logo and it could speak for her.

Thank you very much, Ms.

Holmes.

Uh, next let me turn to Miss Wilkins.

Thank you.

Good morning, Chairperson Allen and members of the committee on the transport and environment.

My name is Yovanda Wilkins, and I am here to speak in strong support of B 26-0619, Eric's ID Amendment Act of 2026.

This important initiative began nearby.

Inspired by Eric Blessed Carpenter Grantham, a young man with highly functioning autism, whose mother sought to protect him from potentially dangerous misunderstandings during routine law enforcement interactions.

Marilyn enacted Eric's ID law on October 1st last year, and today we have the opportunity to extend these safe, these life-saving protections to Washington, D.C.

For thousands of Washingtonians with autism, intellectual disabilities, and other non apparent disabilities.

Life can be truly unpredictable.

Misunderstandings with authority can quickly escalate into dangerous situations.

This bill is straightforward.

It's a straightforward solution, and that is to have a voluntary butterfly symbol on DC's IDs or driver's license.

It enables individuals to discreetly advocate for themselves without disclosing a specific medical diagnosis.

For Washingtonians with non-apparent disabilities, this designation means more than a symbol to them.

It provides a peace of mind and uh help supports de-escalation and protects their dignity.

With Metropolitan Police training, officers will know how to respond appropriately when they see this symbol.

This will also foster a greater trust between law enforcement and the hidden disability community.

I respectfully urge lawmakers to take action.

Um pass B 260619, respectfully move it out of the committee and send it to the full council for a vote.

Let's let's work together to make our streets safer and more inclusive for everyone.

And I appreciate your time today, and I am happy to answer any questions.

Excellent.

Thank you very much.

And then next let me turn to Miss Bodie.

Good morning, Chairman and other council members.

I've known Miss Lyndon, Eric for years as we attend the same home church.

My mom took great affection towards Eric as a young child, and I now see him as a little brother.

As I battle a trifective autoimmune diseases, I'm a warrior advocate battling rads, lupus, and chogrins, alongside with other variant comorbidities.

We all suffer with varying symptoms.

My greatest one is photosensitivity.

So dealing with lights, sun, things of that nature.

So bright lights coming at me and things can affect me in different varying ways as far as headaches, me wanting to close my eyes, me wanting to shy away, which can seem um, you know, not too well being stopped by law enforcement.

So I'm greatly uh just inspired by him and what he's trying to do for us in the community.

In different stressful situations, nerve issues can arise as well with immobilization of my hands and my feet.

I would not be able to move correctly as um asked and identified, and also with dry eye and dry mouth, I might not be able to fully communicate and answer questions that are being asked of me in that moment.

So I would truly appreciate if you would pass this bill as the great state of Maryland already has.

I display my ID proudly as I go about in my day with never carded.

I also represent the Lupus Foundation of America, the National Quality Minority Health Forum, the Chronic Disease Coalition, my health team, and AL arthritis, as we advocate daily for variant disabilities and would appreciate if you would pass this law to empower us to create a better line of communication with all that we go on in our lives day to day, and that you would recognize that we are all individuals that uh deserve respect, deserve times of power and times to share our stories and to be heard.

So I thank you for allowing me to testify here today.

Excellent.

Thank you very much.

Thanks to everybody on this panel.

Um, one question I I did want to ask, and I might start Miss Bodie with you, but open it up to anybody else who who feels they want to jump in on this.

Um of the um issues that I'm sure Maryland uh as they debated the legislation had to wrestle with, and it kind of I thought of this as you talked about um we all have to present our IDs at different times, not just in a uh a traffic stop, for example, or with law enforcement, but I mean the number of times I showed my ID yesterday uh just to get into buildings or other places like that.

How did Maryland or how have you thought about it from the standpoint of is there any like we've talked about the training that would go for law enforcement officers and police to understand what this symbol means and how they should respond?

Is there any concern or how did how do you think we should think through?

Is there any risk of stigma that could happen with the butterfly or the symbol on an ID that's presented in a non-law enforcement way where there has been no training?

Um it could be the person at the door that I'm just kind of showing my ID to get in, it could be any number of ways that we all use our IDs.

Any recommendations you have about how we think about how to how to address potential stigma that could create unintended consequences.

So I've seen it from two sides.

I've seen it as a warrior advocate.

And it's enabling me to share my story as well as others and be able to promote this ID law to those who might not know.

A lot of people aren't social media based.

A lot of people aren't paying attention to the news as well.

So they might not even know about it.

But as I share my story, a lot of times you get, well, you don't even look like you have those issues or those disabilities.

I would have never known.

So it enables me to be empowered as I speak about it and share with other people.

So they can then go into more of it and see how they can implement it in their different businesses.

From the law enforcement side, I was able to participate in Prince George's County with Sheriff Carr and a training he did for the community to show how they're implementing it with their sheriff's department.

And I was able to see them learn about recognizing it, how they stop people in a car and walking up and down the street.

So it was very informative to see their reactions and see how they are moving forward in a direction of making sure their officers are aware of everything that's happening.

Okay.

That's helpful.

Thank you very much.

Anybody want to add to that or yeah.

Um I wear a t-shirt.

Somebody came in with one.

And I've weared a lot, I we had to work and I weighed out.

And a lot of people, and it's a light-skinned lady, so they say, you got your license on your shirt.

But it opened like she said, it opens the door for conversation.

You know, when we did with the police precinct at Southwest, the children were there, or the disabled were there.

And the police said that it gave them a better understanding because they had a visual connection to see the spectrum of autism, to see the difference in the person with ADHD, how, you know, they just look like everybody looks the same.

You know, um it could be more forums, like you said, a conversation piece.

You you know, you just talk about it, even coming in here.

It was a huddle of police standing out front, and I got out the Uber, and I was like, um, can I go this way to get to do anybody know anything about the Eric's ID law?

And they all start looking around.

One officer was like, Yeah, I said, Can I get in this way?

He said, Yeah.

You know, so I just kept going, but a lot of times I'll get into a conversation and I tell people, hey, you heard about Eric's ID law?

Go with Eric Grantham, you know, and it's just word of mouth.

Okay.

Alright, that's helpful.

I really appreciate it.

Um, I know Counselor Parker, I think I had to step away, so he's not here.

Um, but I really appreciate your testimony and support for this legislation and your recommendations for us as we uh get this feedback and then the committee moves to be able to move it forward.

So thank you all very much.

Appreciate your testimony.

Uh let me call our next group of witnesses.

I have Antoine Marshall.

All right, I think Mr.

Marshall's actually joining us online on Zoom.

All right, Lisa Haynes.

Is Ms.

Haynes here?

Okay, excellent.

Kirk Spells.

Excellent.

If you'll come on up, sir.

Camden Cole.

Camden Cole.

Okay, excellent.

Thank you.

Um Patricia Stamper.

All right, Ms.

Stamper, if you'll come on up.

All right, so we should have Antoine Marshall online.

And so um, got it.

Mr.

Marshall, I'm gonna turn to you first.

Uh and we see you on Zoom, so you'll just have to unmute yourself, and then when you're ready to do your testimony after that, we'll go to Ms.

Haynes, Mr.

Spells, Ms.

Cole, and then Ms.

Stamper after that.

So uh Mr.

Marshall, when you're ready.

Alright, thank you.

Good morning to all, and uh, thank you for hearing my testimony.

Uh as said uh earlier, my name's uh Antoine Marshall.

I am the local president of uh CWA 81266 in Connecticut, and I'm a proud advocate and supporter of the Eric's ID law.

This law is important because the hidden disabilities are real, even when they're not immediately visible to others.

Many of us have family members, friends, neighbors, or loved ones who live with autism, PTSD, anxiety, and other developmental disabilities, hearing impairments, and other conditions that could affect the way persons communicate and their behavior during stressful situations.

Too often people with hidden disabilities are misunderstood what may appear as noncompliance, nervousness or confusion, or unusual behavior, could actually be someone struggling with sensory overload, fear, or difficulty processing information.

In interactions with law enforcements or first responders, those misunderstandings can escalate quickly.

Eric ID law helps create awareness, understanding, and safer outcomes.

The voluntary butterfly symbol gives an individuals and families the added layer of protections while also encouraging the officers and emergency personnel to respond with patience and compassion.

I support this law because everyone deserves dignity, understanding, and opportunity to feel safe in their community, especially those living with challenges that cannot always be seen.

So I want to thank you for your time and hopefully supporting this legislation as we can promote compassion, inclusion, and public safety for all.

Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr.

Marshall.

Next let me turn to Miss Hayden's.

Good morning.

Um, to Chairman Allen, the committee, Januse Lewis George, Councilmember, and Zachary Parker and their absence.

My name is Lisa Haynes, and I'm here today to stand in strong support of Eric's ID Law Bill B260619.

I met Eric and his mother while at the Martin Luther King Awards breakfast in January.

I reached out to them via email because Eric's story captured my heart.

His level of empathy, enthusiasm, care, and concern, granted me a great deal of respect for him in this plight.

My advocacy for individuals with disability did not begin in a classroom, a union office, or in a government hearing room.

It began when I was 10 years old, growing up in southern Indiana, babysitting for a family whose son had special needs.

That experience opened my eyes to the fact that some of the most significant challenges people are facing are not always visible to the public.

As I grew older, I matriculated through Indiana University.

I worked in a model autism unit.

My commitment is now to the Washington Teachers Union as the general vice president, but I continue to champion with the teachers and the students and families that may have invisible disabilities that may be involved in moments of confusion, anxiety, sensory overload, or crisis.

This is why Eric's ID law is so important.

Invisible disabilities, including autism, traumatic brain injuries, intellectual disabilities, and other neurological or developmental conditions often are misunderstood.

During interactions with law enforcement, emergency responders or public officials, behaviors associated with these disabilities may be mistaken for noncompliance, defiance, intoxication, or suspicious conduct.

Such misunderstandings can unnecessarily escalate situations that require patience and understanding and appropriate accommodations.

Eric's ID law provides a simple but powerful tool.

It gives individuals and families a voluntary way to communicate critical information that can help first responders and law enforcement recognize that a disability may be present and adjust their approach accordingly.

It promotes safety, dignity, and better outcomes for all involved.

This legislation is not about granting special treatment, it's about fostering understanding and ensuring that a person is not placed at risk simply because their disability cannot be seen.

It's about creating opportunities for communication before a misunderstanding becomes a crisis.

As a lifelong advocate, I believe that passing Eric's law for equity, inclusion, and civil rights is another opportunity for us to demonstrate that leadership and affirm that all residents, including those with invisible disabilities, deserve to be recognized, respected, and protected.

I urge the council to pass Eric's ID law and help make the District of Columbia safer and more inclusive place for all.

I thank you for this opportunity to testify, and I'm happy to answer any questions.

Thank you very much.

Next, let me turn to Mr.

Spells.

Mr.

Spells, sorry, if you can push the microphone's on.

Okay, yes.

Greetings and good morning to everyone.

Greetings, Councilmember Allen and members of the panel and to the sponsor.

I'm Kirk L.

Spells.

I was born and raised in DC and worked in DC my entire career.

However, I live in Maryland now, but I still visit DC multiple times a month.

There's no place like home.

Reasons for Eric's ID law in DC.

DC is no different from Maryland.

I digress.

DC is different in Maryland and all other states and cities in the union.

We all know this city is the most important and potent city in the world.

DC also encompasses Galudet University, the first and only federally funded university specifically for students with disabilities.

Those are deaf and nonverbal students.

But DC is the same.

It has many individuals with disabilities that we can't see, hear, or understand, i.e., invisible disabilities.

These include attention deficit, hyperactivity disorder, bipolar disorder, autism, deaf or nonverbal, just to name a few.

This is where Eric's ID law comes into play.

As a parent of a 19-year-old son who has multiple diagnosed disorders, we and he knows the importance of his ID.

He is one of the over 22,000 ID holders in Maryland with the butterfly, thanks to Linda and Eric for their efforts and dedication.

His ID speaks for him, he can get nervous, quiet, or if he chooses not to speak, which is his right.

DC already has endorsements on IDs, such as being an organ donor, or if you are holder of a commercial driver's license, or if you have a motorcycle endorsement, DC already does these things.

When we think things are difficult, we say it will take an act of Congress.

Well, literally, this will take an act of Congress to become a law in DC.

Let's make it happen and be on the right side of history.

Thank you for my time.

Thank you very much, Mr.

Spells.

Camden Cole, let me turn to you next.

Here you go.

Good morning.

My name is Camden Cole, and I am a junior at Edmund Brooke School.

I am also a teen in the Nation's Capital Chapter of Jack and Jill of America.

As a new driver, I spend a lot of time thinking about safety.

Not just my own safety, but the safety of my passengers, my friends, and other people on the road.

Like many teenagers, I'm excited about the freedom that comes with driving, but I also understand the responsibility that comes with it.

That is one reason I support Eric's Law.

When young people are driving with friends, situations can become stressful very quickly if there's an accident, a traffic stop, or another emergency.

For individuals with non-apparent disabilities, those moments can be even more overwhelming.

A person may communicate differently, process information differently, or react to stress in ways that others may not immediately understand.

Eric's law provides a voluntary way for someone to indicate a non-apparent disability on their driver's license or identification card.

This simple tool can help law enforcement officers and first responders better understand who they're interacting with and approach situations with greater awareness and care.

As a young driver, I want to know that if if one of my friends or passengers has a non apparent disability, there's a way to help prevent misunderstandings during critical moments.

Eric's law is about safety, communication, and treating people with dignity.

I encourage you to support this legislation and help make our roads and communities safer for everyone.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you very much.

And Ms.

Stamper now.

Good morning, Chairman Allen, Councilmember Zachary Parker, Councilmember Janice Lewis George, and members of the Committee of Transportation.

My name is Patricia Stamper.

I'm a Ward 7 resident, homeowner, mother educator, and candidate for public office.

I'm here today in support of Eric's ID amendment act of 2026.

I live with challenges that many district residents face every day.

I have ADHD, anxiety, and sleep apnea.

But guess what?

I have to get up and function every day like every other adult.

Like many people with disabilities and neurodivergent conditions, I work hard to stay organized, meet deadlines, manage appointments, and navigate complex government systems.

What I've learned is that something as simple as obtaining, replacing or maintaining identification can become a significant barrier.

For many residents, an ID is not just an identification card.

It is an access to employment, housing, health care, education, transportation, banking, voting, and public services.

When government processes are difficult to navigate, the burden fall hardest on people who already are carrying additional challenges, people with disabilities, people with people that are seniors or classify themselves as seniors, low-income residents, people experiencing housing instability, and individuals managing physical or mental health conditions.

I support this legislation because it recognizes a simple truth, access matters.

When we remove unnecessary barriers to obtaining identification, we strengthen civic participation, improve access to services, and help residents remain connected to their communities.

As someone who has spent years working on an education education and community engagement, I have seen firsthand how a missing document or an expired ID can prevent a person from moving forward with employment benefits, school enrollment, housing applications, and many other opportunities.

The district should continue leading with policies that make government more accessible, more responsive, more humane.

I urge the committee to move forward with this legislation.

Thank you for the opportunity to testify, and for once in my life, I'm leaving 40 seconds on the floor.

Ms.

Stamper, I'm gonna note that for the record.

I appreciate it.

Um, thank you all very much for your testimony.

Um Ms.

Cole, thank you for for sharing your experience.

I was curious just can you share a little bit more about what um just with that car full of young people uh you're driving around?

What are some of the conversations you've had with friends and classmates?

Do you have some friends and classmates who live in Maryland and are and kind of have this as an option or aware of it?

Um, just kind of curious what's the awareness level of kind of this law thus far in Maryland, just kind of in your own conversations with your own colleagues and peers.

Yes.

Well, I live in DC, so I think like well, at school, I go to a progressive school in DC, and a lot of people at my school um experience disabilities.

And in my history class, we recently talked about um like ableism and how there used to not be um a lot of like people who really understand people who do have disabilities.

Um so I think that's where a lot of my compassion comes from seeing people around me at my school being treated differently.

Um, yeah, and I did just get my driver's license, so I'm trying to be more aware about my surroundings and how I can help others.

Yeah.

Well, thank you for also being a responsible driver on the roads of DC.

Um appreciate that.

Um, Mr.

Spells, appreciated your your testimony, and always welcome back into DC.

Um, and I but I think actually you talked about, and it was something I I mentioned on an earlier panel.

Um, part of what I think is really compelling about this, in addition to what it can the the real life implications it can mean, is that as a region, whether you live or work in the district, Prince George's County, Montgomery County, haven't heard about it yet from Virginia, but okay, them too.

Um, but we move around a lot, right?

Like there's a lot of mobility between either visiting family, coming for work, going to events, and so there's a benefit, actually, in having something that is standardized, so that um if you're a law enforcement officer, for example, on MPD, you're gonna have the same training and the same understanding because you're gonna see a Maryland license probably just about as often as you see a DC license, right?

So there's some benefits to having that standardization across both just what IDs look like as well as the training that goes with it.

So just as you kind of mentioned living in Maryland now, but coming back and forth a lot.

I I think that's the reality for a lot of folks uh of going back and forth in a in a significant way.

Yes, sir.

Well, I do agree.

Uh if you just looked at route 210 southbound in the morning or route five coming from Maryland into DC or on the PM hours, those same cars are coming back.

So I do agree.

Uh I just want to add also that um my son was uh so he rides the bus in Charles County.

We live in Charles County as a matter of fact for for free.

So he migrated somehow to DC uh last summer.

Um we didn't know where he was.

He cut his f his FIMA off of his phone.

Um and I called a sheriff's office in Charles County, they put a missing persons alert out on him.

And I get a call about 4 30 in the morning.

It's NPD.

Before they say anything, they say Mr.

Spells, he's okay.

Yeah, he didn't even have his I the ID, he didn't even have it then, but still MPD over in 7D were handling with kid gloves because they just knew something was a little different uh with them.

So I just want to commend MPD while I had this opportunity.

Yeah, no, I appreciate that very much.

And I think um, you know, we heard earlier from uh Councilman Clark, for example, and Laurel, about the the officers in Laurel already are getting a similar type of training, right?

And our MPD officers get training, but you'd need it to be uh specific to something that's new with our ID, but I don't want anybody to be under the impression that um our training academy isn't trying to be thoughtful around this already of making sure that that um that the right type of training goes into all of our officers at ongoing education.

Um, but there'd be a little bit of new training with a new symbol on an ID, but I I don't think it's that heavy of a lift because I think that the tr a lot of training probably already is built in.

Uh this just helps uh improve it and again standardize it across both.

Um so I I appreciate that.

And then um Miss Angel, you look like you want to jump in on that last comment.

I didn't I couldn't tell you.

I thought I thought you put your hand up, so I just want to make sure I'll give you a chance.

Oh no, I was just kind of exercising my thumb.

Sorry, all right.

Well, I appreciate well I thank you all for your strong support for this legislation and free recommendations, and I know I don't have any colleagues here for any additional questions, but really appreciate your time and advocacy.

So thank you all very much.

All right, let me turn to our next panel of witnesses.

I have Tamia Wiley, public witness, Glenda Smith, public witness, Janine Hodge, public witness.

Alright, Ms.

Hodges here.

Tanae Dolphin, member with the Jack and Jill of America Inc.

Nation's capital chapter.

And is joining us online, Saniah Spradley with Jack and Jill of America.

Also online, okay.

All right, join us online.

All right, and Savannah Mitchell, who's a member of Jack and Jill of America, with the Nation's Capital Chapter, and I know it has a very proud mother here, and we're proud of you being here.

And I know that she's waiting in the wings just in case she's needed, but you got this.

All right.

Okay, so uh why don't we start with Ms.

Wiley?

Okay, when you're ready.

Alright, good afternoon, Chairperson and member of the committee.

My name is Timmy O'Wiley, and I am here today in strong support of DC Bill 26-0619, the Eric's ID Amendment Act of 2026.

This legislation is a simple yet meaningful step toward making our community safer, more inclusive, and more responsive to the needs of residents with non-apparent disabilities.

Many individuals live with disabilities that are not immediately visible, including autism, traumatic brain injuries, PTSD, epilepsy, cognitive disabilities, and other conditions that can affect communication, behavior, or interactions during emergencies.

Too often misunderstandings occur because first responders, public safety personnel, or others are unaware that a person may have a disability.

Those misunderstandings can escalate situations, create unnecessary fear, and place individuals and their families at risk.

The Eric's ID Amendment Act provides residents with a voluntary option to identify a non-apparent disability on their identification card.

This small accommodation can help foster understanding, improve communication, and encourage more informed interactions during traffic stops, emergencies, and other encounters.

Importantly, this bill respects people's choice.

No one is required to disclose a disability.

Instead, it empowers individuals who wish to share this information to do so in a way that may enhance their safety and their dignity.

At its core, the legislation is about recognition and respect.

It acknowledges that disabilities are not always visible, and that the public systems should be designed to serve all residents.

By passing the bill, the district will demonstrate its commitment to accessibility, inclusion, and the well-being of people with disabilities and their families.

I urge the council to pass the Eric's ID Amendment Act of 2026 and help make the district a safer and more inclusive place for everyone.

Thank you for this opportunity to testify, and I'm happy to answer any questions.

Excellent.

Thank you very much, Ms.

Wiley.

Next, let me turn to Glenda Smith.

Good morning.

Hi there.

Good morning, um, Chairman Allen and the committee.

My name is Glenda Few Smith.

I'm the executive director of So Kids SOAR, nonprofit that works with youth with physical and developmental disabilities, and I've been doing that since 2011.

Um, but first off, I come here as a mother.

I think for any parents, um, the goal is to create a safe space, safe community for your children.

It's, you know, it's hard enough being a parent, so the more we can do to make it safe, make um an inclusive environment, that's something I will always advocate for.

Um, and I think secondly, as the executive director of So Kids SOAR, we provide adaptive programming for youth at this call and developmental disabilities throughout the DC area, Maryland, and Virginia.

We work with about 1,500 families in all three states.

Um, I think it's important and on us typically developing people to educate ourselves on the best ways to interact with people of different abilities.

Um, we've already heard and seen past stories of what happens um when that proper education is not there.

Um, and I'm still learning every day how I can better my understanding, my communication and interacting with the families and participants that I serve as well.

Um, I know everyone's touched a lot about why this legislation is so important, but I also wanted to touch on just the trickle-down effect of what Eric and Linda are doing as well.

Um, he's an incredible young man to be to be this brave and step up and advocate for his community and other youth like him.

Um, and I think in the grand scheme of things, it empowers others with disabilities to advocate for equality and the self-actualization of their dreams.

Um, and I think I just also wanted to touch on um just the marketing too that Mr.

Parker asked about earlier.

Um, we I actually got the opportunity to meet Eric and Linda through a participant of mine who is hosting a podcast for my organization.

And so being able to just hear what he has done, like I mentioned before, it will just spread throughout the community to just empower more kids to, you know, advocate for themselves.

But yeah, we are we have been able to promote Eric's great work through our podcast too and on our social media stream.

So, you know, big supporter of this legislation, and thank you so much for having me today.

I'm open to answering any questions as well.

Fantastic.

Thank you very much.

Uh, Ms.

Hodge, I'll turn to you next.

Good morning.

My name is Navee Williams.

I am here to represent Anacostia High School.

I'm in the 10th grade.

I'm also here to speak in support of Eric's law.

This law gives people with hidden disabilities, such as autism and developmental disorders, the choice to add a butterfly symbol and words, hidden disability to the Merlin driver's license or state ID.

This program is completely voluntary and is meant to help first responders and law enforcement better understand when someone may communicate or react differently.

Too often people with non-apparent disabilities are misunderstood during stressful situations.

Behaviors such as avoiding eye contact or not responding quickly can be mistaken for defiance instead of a sign of disability.

A simple symbol can help encourage officers to slow down and communicate clearly and approach the situation with more patience and understanding.

Eric's ID Law is about dignity, safety, and giving families peace of mind.

It is not force anyone to disclose a disability, but it may provide an option for those who believe it could help them during an emergency situation.

Laws like this recognize that every disability is visible and not everyone deserves to be.

Oh, my bad.

And everyone deserves to be treated with respect.

I urge you to support Eric's ID Law and help create a safer, more inclusive community for people with hidden disabilities.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Thank you very much, Ms.

Williams.

Um, and just to make sure I have my notes correct.

So you're not Janine Hodge.

Um, can you say what your name is?

Can you say what your name is again one more time?

Navee Williams.

Okay, Nivea, thank you very much.

Okay.

Uh next we're gonna turn online to Tanae Dolphin and then Saniah Spradley, and then Miss Mitchell will come to you after that.

Alright, so Ms.

Dolphin.

Good morning, Chairman Allen, members of the committee, transportation, and uh the staff.

My name is Tanea Dolphin.

It's been a minute since I've had the opportunity to testify in front of the council.

And I'm the mother of a son with autism and other hidden disabilities.

I'm here today to strongly urge this committee to advance B 20619, the Eric's ID Amendment Act of 2026.

As a mother, there are a few things more terrifying than wondering whether your child will be understood in a moment of fear, stress, confusion, or crisis.

My son's disabilities are not always immediately visible.

He is bright, funny, loving, and capable, but he also processes the world differently.

He can become overwhelmed, he may struggle with communication during stressful interactions, he may not respond the way others expect.

And like many parents of children with hidden disabilities, I carry the constant fear that one misunderstanding, one misunderstanding could lead to uh devastating consequences.

That fear is not irrational.

We have seen far too many tragic examples across the country of law enforcement officers being unaware or untrained, and I'm glad that ours are, to respond to individuals with disabilities, particularly young black men and boys.

Families like mine live with the painful knowledge that behaviors associated with autism, anxiety, sensory overload, or communication challenges may be inter misinterpreted for as defiance, aggression, or noncompliance.

We ask ourselves questions no parent should ask.

What happens if my child freezes or gets agitated?

What happens if he cannot process instructions quickly enough?

What happens if law enforcement sees it as a threat instead of a disability?

That is why Eric's ID law is so important.

Under this law, residents with hidden disabilities can voluntarily place the butterfly symbol on the driver's license or identification card to help first responders and law enforcement alert that the individual may have communication challenges or require accommodations.

As you know, the law was inspired by Eric Carpenter and his mother, residents of Maryland.

I'm going to skip and say I also stand before you as a member of Nations Capital chapter of Jack and Jill of America.

An organization has long championed inclusivity, understanding, advocacy, and support for all children.

Collectively, many of us have proudly supported the efforts of Eric's ID Law in Maryland, and we believe the district now has the opportunity to demonstrate similar leadership.

Families in the district deserve the same support Maryland families now have.

Parents should not have to live with the fear of a child's disability could be mistaken for criminal behavior.

Young people with hidden disabilities deserve to move through their community safely and with dignity.

I urge the council to work with disability advocates, law enforcement educators, families, and community organizations to implement this law.

Thank you so much for this time.

Thank you very much, Ms.

Dolphin.

And you're right, it's a bit of minute, but it's good to see you again.

So thank you for thank you.

Thank you.

Let me turn next to Ms.

Bradley, who's also joining us online.

There we go.

Good morning.

Hello.

Hi, my name is Jade Moore, and I'm actually reading this testimony on behalf of my daughter who's 11th grader Edmund Burke.

She has final exams today.

So I am gonna read her testimony.

That sounds like a pretty good excuse.

So thank you for filling in.

Yes, absolutely.

Um, good morning, chairperson and members of the committee.

Thank you for the opportunity to testify.

My name is Sanias Bradley.

I'm a young resident of Washington, DC.

I attend Edmund Burke on Connecticut Avenue, and I'm a member of the nation's capital, Jack and Jill.

I am testifying to strongly urge the council to pass legislation adopting Eric's ID law in the district.

As a young person growing up in the district, I'm aware of how quickly a casual encounter can spiral out of control.

For those of us navigating a transition into adulthood, a traffic stop or a public interaction is already highly stressful.

For those living with a hidden disability like autism, severe anxiety, or a mental health condition that stress can become paralyzing, leading them to act out.

Under immense pressure, behaviors like a lack of eye contact, pacing, or failure to comply are often misread by law enforcement.

What an officer might see as deliberate defiance and intoxication or aggression is often just the person possibly experiencing overstimulation or a psychiatric crisis or a communication barrier.

Some of my family friends informed me about intense situations they've gone through where their nonverbal sons, with their nonverbal sons with police, where the DC police weren't trained to deal with their nonverbal autistic sons, and they just assumed that they were being noncompliant.

The consequences of these misunderstandings can be catastrophic.

Nationally, individual individuals showing signs of mental illness are over seven times more likely to be killed during police encounters than the general public.

Research shows that an estimated 7% to 31% of all police calls involve a person showing signs of mental health barriers.

In a city like DC, where approximately 11.5% of our population lives with a disability, we cannot afford to treat these encounters lightly.

They are a daily reality.

We do not have to look far to see what happens when officers lack training or have an improper reaction to a scene.

Just outside of DC, we have witnessed horrible outcomes in recent months.

Like Alex Lamori in March 2026 of Columbia, Maryland.

A 25-year-old young man living independently with disabilities called 911 himself for a wellness check during a suicidal crisis.

He was met with lethal force in a parking lot because of lack of communication in a matter of seconds.

Or we can speak about John Haley.

In May 2025 in Baltimore, a 27-year-old man experiencing a severe mental health crisis had his parents call 988 crisis line to help.

Officers responded instead of specialized instead of the specialized crisis team, resulting in an escalation where Haley was shot 12 times and left paralyzed.

While the lethal details are debated in court, so Eric's ID law provides a practical solution.

Law enforcement agencies are required to provide reasonable modifications in their practices.

But an officer cannot accommodate a need, they cannot see.

An explicit voluntary marker on an ID solves this instantly, giving individuals a silent voice to trigger their lethal protections when verbal communication fails.

Finally, I want to emphasize that an ID indicator cannot stand alone.

An indicator card is a powerful tool, but it is too late.

But it is a too late factor if an individual is too disoriented or frightened to teach their to reach into their pocket during an intense crisis.

Therefore, this council must pair Eric's ID law with mandatory training, forcing local law enforcement to have training specifically tied to recognizing this symbol and attempting to de escalate.

And crisis teams ensure our city's 988 response infrastructure and mental health corresponders teams are fully integrated, so armed officers are not the default response to a health care crisis.

In conclusion, passing Eric's ID law is about having human dignity, safety, and a commitment to community-led solutions.

It ensures that when a person in Washington, D.C.

is at their most vulnerable, our city chooses understanding over ignorance or stereotype over de-escalation over force.

I urge this committee to move this law forward to protect our lives of our neighbors, our friends, and our youth.

Thank you.

Sorry, thank you very much.

And then just so I make sure I have our notes correct.

Was it Miss Morton?

Um, I'm Miss Moore, Jade Moore, and I read it on behalf of my daughter, Sinaias Bradley.

Okay, got it.

Thank you.

I just want to make sure we had your name correct.

Okay.

Thank you very much.

All right.

And now, Miss Mitchell.

If you'll pull that microphone a little close to you so we can hear you, and then whenever you're ready.

Yeah, there you go.

Perfect.

Hi, Councilman Allen A members.

My name is Savannah, and I am eight years old.

I I am with Jack and Joe, Ink Nations Capital Chapter.

I am here today because I want to support X Law.

This is about protecting my friends with non-apparent disabilities.

My mom says that means a person who may be different, but their differences isn't something you can see just by looking at them.

I have family and friends who are amazing and different.

Sometimes it is hard for people to know that just by looking at them, they might act a little different when they are scared or excited.

And that can make things confusing for police officers or other grown-ups.

Eric, Eric's law will let kids and grown-ups add a pretty butterfly to their ID card.

The butterfly is a special sign that says I might need a little extra time or help to talk or feel safe.

It is like a friendly reminder so everyone can be kind and patient.

I don't have a non-apparent disability myself, but I care about my community and other kids who do.

I want them to feel safe when they meet police officers or need help.

Butterflies mean hope and change, and this law will let a lot of people feel understood and stem scared.

Please vote yes for Eric's law so more families in Washington, DC can have this important tool.

It's a small thing on a car, but it can make a really big difference.

Thank you for listening to me.

Miss Mitchell, great job.

Is this your first time in the Wilson building?

You did a I is this your first time testifying?

Yes, you did a phenomenal job.

And uh I know we're all proud of your mom, too.

Um, that you did a great job, so wonderful.

Thank you so much for sharing that and for thinking about your friends, your family, your community, the way you talked about it.

Really appreciate that.

Um, I think that's what this bill is trying to get at.

So thank you.

Um I wanted to a couple of quick follow-ups here.

You know, we've talked a little bit about how in DC, we do have um, like within our MPD training academy and other things, we do have efforts to try to help make sure that officers are being trained, um, they're recognizing um individuals, and understanding de-escalation, understanding how to approach each unique person.

But let's be honest, we wouldn't even be here and having this conversation if we felt like that was just going perfectly.

So I do think um, you know, we can both say, hey, listen, I'm proud that we're working on training, we're trying to get better, we're trying to get better, and at the same time, bill like this is trying to help fill some of the gaps to make sure that we're doing right uh by all our residents.

Um, so I I just kind of want to note that because I know we talked about glad to see that we've got some of these trainings taking place.

Um, but we wouldn't even be here if that was all perfect.

Uh so we recognize there's still work to do, there's still improvements to be made.

I think that's the spirit uh of where this legislation is headed.

So thank you.

Um I don't, I mean, you guys did such a great job.

I don't think I really necessarily have any specific questions here.

Um, you know, I think um I think both Miss Dolphin mentioned this around the training, but I think uh Miss Moore, you talked about this too.

You know, one of and representative uh Thompson mentioned this on our very first panel a couple hours ago when we got started, that this isn't um, this is a legislation that makes sense, it's also not gonna fix everything, right?

So when we think about the interactions that take place, and this is why that training is so important that would be folded into this.

Um, if the officer never gets to the point of having an ID in front of them to see that symbol or to know that, um, there's a lot of interaction that takes place before you ever get to that.

And so that's what the training piece I think is really important to this.

Uh it makes a whole lot of sense.

So I really appreciate it.

Thank you all very much.

Thank you.

Um, I believe delegate tolls is here now.

Okay, excellent.

All right.

So, delegate tolls, um, I want to make sure we brought you up.

Thank you for joining us, absolutely.

And then um, Mr.

Jackson, you had shared that you wanted to testify.

So we'll go ahead and bring you up as well.

And we're very glad you were able to make it delegate tolls.

Yeah, Mr.

Jackson, if you'll just sit over there.

Um, so delegate tolls will turn to you when you're ready.

Um, if you'll just push the button so the red light comes on, then the mic will be on.

Thank you so much uh for uh allowing me to come right in, uh, Mr.

Mr.

Chairman, um Alan and members of the Transportation and Environment Committee.

I am again delegated Karen Tolls, and again, I had a function this morning, and I apologize uh about that.

Uh shout out to Councilmember Bonds office, uh, my girlfriend Julie here who made sure I was able to get up here smoothly.

So so thank you, my friend, and some of my friend Councilmember Bonds.

Um, but again, I'm delegate Karen's holes, and I represent Prince and Prince George's county in the Maryland House of Delegates District 25.

And so I'm honored to support um today B260619, the Eric's ID Amendment Act of 2026.

Eric and Linda Carpenter are good and dear friends of mine who worked really hard in the state of Maryland uh to get this bill forward.

And I can tell you, it first started about as far as I know, back in 2022, um, when I was in a state house that session, my former suite mate who has a child that's um autistic and put this bill forward.

And when the bill did not pass, she was so emotionally distraught.

It was a lot of things happening um with George Floyd.

Had that happened, you know, during COVID.

So it was so much happening, and she was so scared that her young black sons was going to have encounters with the police.

And I didn't realize, you know, how serious it was, and so I saw how emotional she was when the bill did not pass.

So to know that in 20 uh 25, we were able to put a bill forward in Maryland that would allow for a marker on a driver's license is something that I think is important nationwide, whether you're in what Maryland, the District of Columbia, you know, Virginia.

We need to be able to protect um, you know, not just our children, but also anyone who's dealing with a disability, seen or unseen.

Um, and so I sat on judiciary, and so I've heard uh the cases and and concerns that have come up with our law enforcement.

Um to know that law enforcement in Maryland is supporting this legislation.

Um, and I'm sure I'm not sure of law enforcement in in DC and Washington DC is supporting it as well.

Um, but it's critically important that we have synergy around our you know, DMV uh to support this very important, you know, bill.

Um and it would um require, you know, doesn't have any more required, you know, um disclose their their disability, but it does allow for um individual and families to have a voluntary tool um that can facilitate um that they can facilitate during this critical interaction, and so um it's so important um that you all get this bill out of your committee uh to support individuals again with seen and unseen uh disabilities.

Um and so I'm happy to know that my neighbors uh will be putting this bill forward so that we can protect all of those in a DMV.

And again, I want to thank Lynn um with Eric who made sure and Linda made sure I got here today to support to talk about this legislation and be in support of it.

So again, also want to thank delegate Taylor, who was a stalworth in getting this bill forward.

Um her son is my nephew, and so again, I have close friends um who I know this bill would support.

Um, and so I thank you for your time.

Absolutely, thank you very much.

Um, and delegate if you're gonna hold on just for a moment, Mr.

Jackson testify them and come back with a couple of questions.

Sure.

Mr.

Jackson.

Um yeah, doing Mr.

Allen.

Um first, uh, good job to Eric.

You're about to get your law passed, there's a lot of people in here.

And um, and um, yeah, that's really needed.

I remember me being in school, my my because I went to special needs schools and my teachers, they were talking about the scenario, and it's kind of like history because they were talking about like in 2017, and now it's coming law, what, 20 this year, and um well, good thing, good job for that, Eric.

But I can talk about my particular bill, Mr.

Allen.

You know what my bill is, it's three days of free tutoring from the DV, and three days of free driving lessons from the D.

That's the bill that I want.

And um, I'm working with Mr.

Robinson over there.

His team just sent me an email and he's it's it's the same course, it's the same course I damn like, but it might work the second time.

Who knows?

Um, and so I'm here to try to get that passed.

And I really should I should talk to Eric because this is what the third city, third district that's probably passed your law.

You got a good successor, I like that.

And um, so I'm just here for funny I name my law after my name because you name your law after your name.

And mine's just manual Killius Jackson, driver education expanding law.

So that's why I called it.

And well, hopefully, um you put that on your calendar and you pass that some time, because Anthony and your staff, they were like, there might not be funding for this.

It doesn't matter because the next mayor, um, she might do it look like Janice is gonna win.

Everyone's everyone said they're gonna go for Janice.

Um, well, um, everyone is saying um the next mayor might implement my my implement the law that I need to help me uh pass the uh driver education test and and it will help everyone pass the driver education test.

So I guess that's all I have to say, and hopefully you pass my bill and uh got to talk to Eric.

Well, I got a lot of people here for you.

Good job.

And that's it.

Thank you, Mr.

Jackson.

I appreciate it.

Um, and yeah, uh we'll make sure you guys exchange information as well.

Um so thank you.

Um delegate, I one of the things that was really beneficial, obviously, as a fellow legislator, is uh having Maryland go first.

Uh you've got lessons learned, you've got things that went as you predicted or things that didn't go as predicted, and we certainly benefit from that.

And so I'd asked um Delegate Taylor earlier to kind of help talk through some of the differences or some of the the um aspects of the legislation that you guys had to consider and and work your way through.

So I guess kind of similar question from your perspective as it went through a couple of sessions before it was finally passed.

Um big elements that you would recommend that we consider as we look at this legislation, take this feedback that we've heard today, things that we would need to be thoughtful around from implementation standpoint or any kind of lessons learned that you want to share with us, advice you have for us as we deliberate on this bill.

Sure, thank you, Mr.

Chairman, for for that question.

Um I can tell you that as I sat um, you know, on the floor with my colleague in 2022, one of the things she said to me that was surprising, and let me say I was a co-sponsor, but um, but even when I co-sponsor, I uh am really involved, so delegate Saylor really led this effort.

But I can tell you from you know, this time around, also when my colleague put this bill forward was the advocates.

Surprisingly, the disability community advocates was really um initially against it because it's sensitive to let folks know you have a disability, and in an effort to protect that, the disability community did have some challenges there.

Um, but sometimes it's not, you know, we have to let folks know that, you know, particularly what we're seeing in certain climates that you know, take a pause, take a breather.

There could be, you know, something else we need to look at.

It may not be what it seemed to be, um, particularly if you're dealing with law enforcement or another entity that's having to interact with someone uh with autism or some other challenge, you know, um challenge um health issue.

And so I think the disability community is one I think you would like that you will move you know cautiously with and that you would be empathetic um with what they are saying, and obviously it worked out because we have a new law, and also it was very good to have law enforcement on board um with this, uh and I know that they were 100% behind it, and obviously there were some issues that had to be worked out behind the scenes, you know, with Eric and Linda and with the major sponsors of the bill.

Um, you know, but it also helped that you had over in the Senate side a chair where where the bill would go through.

Um, and so the other with a third challenge, I think outside of disability community, law enforcement, obviously the agency.

So um, you know, our MBA had to be willing to put this forward, um, to put this butterfly, even though that there was some concern about another type of emblem that that they almost didn't go with the butterfly.

So is this stay true to what if the butterflies is what Eric wants, um, and the council member wants to have, I would suggest, you know, you move forward with that.

And I think it's a good indication around the country to have synergy.

If you have a butterfly, and you know, Maryland let's have the same thing in the district of Columbia.

So working through the agency, the funding mechanism, um, whether they're going to take the time to make those changes, because you know how agencies are, they say it cost me more money to do this.

And you know, I'm a former council member as well, and Prince George's, so I've hit heard it from both ends, local and state level, where you ask them to change something, it costs money.

But guess what?

You all put the money in there to do that.

And if you believe in this bill, then you will put the money forward um to have MBA and quite honestly, it shouldn't it shouldn't take that much to that much change, you know, just to put a butterfly on the bill or do some additional paperwork.

And so I would just say working through those three issues, those those are some of the concerns I've had, but I think that those are easy fixes, you know.

Um, and so I again I thank you for the question.

Yeah, that's really helpful.

Um, is there anything and delegate Taylor kind of helped echo what you talked about regarding um some initial it sounds like concerns within the disability community, yeah, but then kind of continuously continued conversation, continued collaboration, kind of kept working.

Is there anything in particular that you think um helped bring parts of the disability community on board and in support of this effort that kind of overcame whatever the hesitation or concern earlier expressed was?

And um, I'm not sure exactly what was like the key thing that makes some to make them get over the edge, but I can tell you what did not hurt was the advocacy that Eric had coming to Maryland.

You know, being on uh what was it, good morning America or the View or wherever you was on did not definitely did not hurt.

So you don't want to be, you want to be helpful at that point, right?

If you on national TV, you want to be helpful, you don't want to be the, you know, the entity to hold a good policy back.

Um, and um, so I think that helped.

And then obviously, um, you know, the more you put a bill forward, I think it really starts to wear people out to figure you know.

My thing is I don't want to hear a no, I want to figure out how we can work together to get it done, and I think awesomely that's what happened in their private conversations.

Um, and then being able to do the butterfly.

You're not saying on a driver's license, hey, I have the disability.

It's a silent notification to anyone that is stopped, or you know, have to pull out their ID for some reason.

It's not it's like if you know, you know.

So I think that helped um with getting the disability community on getting them on board as well.

Is that it's just it's like a silent thing, no one has to involve involuntary.

Right, it's involuntary, but also too, it doesn't say that it doesn't say that you have a disability, the person can choose to do that, you know.

So it doesn't, it doesn't take away from the advocacy that the disability community is doing because it's not something that somebody is screaming out that hey, I have this concern or this or or this, you know, health challenge.

I think that's what really was helpful with that silent notification.

If you know, you know.

Sort of like if you wear like an expensive bag.

If you know, you know, right.

All right.

Well, that's really helpful.

And I again I think as uh as fellow legislators, it's helpful for us to kind of hear uh kind of how you work your way through it, and that'll help us in our process.

So I'm really grateful to you and your colleagues helping share share that experience and the lessons learned as we then look to move our bill forward here.

And please call on us anytime, Mr.

Chairman.

I thank you for your flexibility at your entire committee.

Oh, I'm very glad you're able to make it.

So thank you very much.

Thank you so much.

All right, um, this is gonna end our public witness portion.

We're gonna move to the to our DMV director and our government witness.

Um, Eric, what usually we hold hearings we kind of group bills together under kind of one agency.

I want to let you know, so today's hearing, we have um the Washington Commanders and your bill.

I want to know I kept a tally here, the number of witnesses we had.

So you outscored the commanders 24 to nothing.

Um nobody came here to talk about the commander's license plate, uh, but that is technically the bill.

So you outscored uh the commanders 24 to nothing.

So good job.

Congratulations.

All right, uh, Director Robinson, we'll have you come on up now.

All right, so now we're gonna move to our government witness portion.

So Gabriel Robinson's the our director for the department of motor vehicles, and he's gonna actually testify on both of the bills.

So I guess they got one point on the board.

All right, director, we're gonna do our quick swearing in.

Then I'll turn it over to you for your testimony, and then we'll turn to some questions after that.

So please raise your right hand.

You swear affirmative penalty of perjury, the testimony about to give the committee on transportation and the environments of truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

I do.

Thank you very much, sir.

Wow, it's right at 12.

So now I gotta say good afternoon.

All right, good afternoon, Director Robinson.

Uh, thank you for your time here, and I'll turn it over to you.

Well, good afternoon, Chairperson Allen, members of the committee and staff.

My name is Gabriel Robinson, and I serve as the director of the District of Columbia Department of Motor Vehicles, known as DC DMV.

I appreciate the opportunity to testify today on two bills before the committee.

B 260548, the Washington Commander's Motor Vehicles Identification Tag Amendment Act of 2025, and B-26Z619, the Eric's ID Amendment Act of 2026.

DC DMV is committed to providing high quality customer service and ensuring our policies reflect the needs, values, and diversity of district residents.

Both of these bills will allow the agency to serve the community, expand choice for residents, and strengthen our mission of accessibility, safety, and civic pride.

DC DMV strongly supports B-260548.

Specialty plates are an important way for residents to express community identity and support meaningful local causes.

The Washington Commanders continue to hold a deep historical and cultural significance for many district residents, and interest in this specialty plate has been clear for several years.

Authorizing the mayor to design and issue a commander's plate will allow DC DMV to introduce a high-demand license plate option similar to other sports related and community themed plates.

Moreover, dedicating proceeds to state athletic activity programs and office funds aligns with the district's broader commitment for supporting youth development, athletics, and recreation.

From an operational perspective, DC DMV is well positioned to implement this change.

The process for designing, producing, and issuing specialty tags is one we manage routinely, and implementation would not have any significant operational challenges.

We're ready to collaborate with the mayor's office and this committee to ensure an efficient rollout that meets both residential residents' expectations and programmatic goals.

We are pleased to offer enthusiastic support for this bill and look forward to giving commanders' fans a way to display their pride.

DC DMV also strongly supports B-260619, the Eric's ID Amendment Act of 2026.

This amendment will allow residents to voluntarily include a notation on their license permit or identification card that they have a non-apparent disability.

This is a thoughtful, this is a thoughtful and residential-centered proposal.

Many disabilities are not visible, and individuals may face challenges during emergency situations, interactions with first responders responders, and other moments when clear communication is critical.

A voluntary notation can help bridge that gap by providing immediate, discrete information that enables more informed and sensitive engagement.

DC DMV is committed to ensuring that credentials are both secure and supportive of residents' needs.

We already have maintained a set of optional indicators on credentials such as organ donation and veterans designation.

The addition of a non-apparent disability indicator is consistent with the practice and can be implemented without within our existing credential system.

I want to, I would want to also work closely with stakeholders, disability advocates, the executive office of the mayor and council to ensure the program is implemented in a way that protects privacy, it avoids stigmas, and maintains accuracy.

With those considerations in place, we believe the bill would meaningfully assist residents who choose to use the designation.

Chairperson Allen and members of the committee, thank you for this opportunity to share DC DMV's strong support for both bills under consideration today, B 260548 and B 260619, each represents meaningful steps toward towards expanding choice, improving accessibility, and strengthening the connection between district government services and the public reserve.

Thank you, and I would look forward to answering questions you may have.

Excellent.

Thank you very much, Director.

Let me just move through a couple of quick questions.

First, let me go to Bill 548, so the commander's tag.

Um we have existing tags for our professional teams, Mystics, Wizards, the NATs.

Would it be reasonable to assume the process to create the tag is going to look roughly similar to what the DMV has done before for those tags, which in essence is the team logo, followed by the space where the numerical license numbers are given?

Correct.

It will work very similar.

We will work with the team.

We will work, of course, with the office of the mayor as well in this committee to put together a design that we all could be proud of that the team is proud of.

Residents are proud of.

Well, we will work with all the stakeholders to come up with a design and a process that everyone uh can use and be proud of.

Okay, great.

Are any like logo trademark issues that you have to navigate to to do that?

Or that's why you work with a team and just everyone kind of comes to a consensus?

Sure, we we definitely have to work with the team, uh, as we did with the other uh teams that we have.

So they are very much involved in the process, and I imagine the process will be very similar for under commanders.

Okay.

Um, and then from a timeline perspective, once a law is passed and then its effective date, do you have a sense of approximately how long that that process looks?

Is it a three to six-month process?

Is it a one-year process?

What do you what would you estimate the timeline to be?

So they have designs of tags is what takes the longest, right?

Uh, to come to a consensus with all the stakeholders that are involved with the design of a tag.

Uh, of course, if you suggested going through licensing uh requirements that we may have to use different logos and other symbols that may be on the tag, so those could play parts in how long it would take for uh implementation of the process.

So it could be anywhere uh after the design of the tag, uh, anywhere from three to six months on the low end.

It could be a little longer if we run into other challenges.

Got it.

But with a at least projected opening day in the new stadium of 20 this 2030 season, four years from now, we'd reasonably assume we'll be able to get that knocked out before the 2030 season.

Long before then.

All right, thank you.

Um, all right, and I can't uh miss the opportunity, of course.

One of our most recent bills that DMV was very supportive of and we worked on the Purple Heart uh special license plate.

I know the goal had been we're aiming for August 7th, which is National Purple Heart Day.

Do we feel like we're still on track for hitting that?

We are on track.

I will say, as I spoke with your staff before this hearing, uh we did recently receive some requested changes uh from the veteran community on the design that we had recently uh displayed for them and they agreed to and they did make some recommended changes, which we did accept, and so we're going through the process of trying to implement those changes, but I'm still optimistic that we will still meet that target date of August 7th, if not sooner.

All right.

Well, I appreciate the work of you and your team on that, and if we can help support that process, just let us know and appreciate it.

All right, let me switch then to Bill uh 619, Eric's ID now.

Um, so appreciate your testimony and and support obviously indicating uh your desire to work with different stakeholders.

For our IDs that currently exist, the agency does have a policy for specific type of disability identifiers, it's not required in law, it's just the agency has that discretion to be able to work with applicants, correct?

Correct.

So we the DC D and V, we currently do allow for special indicators on our credentials, driver's license and identification cards for for four different hidden disabilities or some more obvious.

A total of 3,431 DC credentials already are participating in that program.

Okay, thank you.

And is that uh does that credential is the demarcation a symbol or something for all of those different, or is it a is it spec to visual impairment autism?

Is it specific to that disability or is it a generalized symbol?

So there's no symbol associated with the current program.

The current program outlines on the back of the license exactly what uh the four options are if you've selected.

So if you select it um uh intellectual uh development disability, then that would be listed on the back of the credential.

So it will be very specific about what it is.

If it's autism and you select an autism, it won't talk about the the degree of autism uh perhaps, but it would give a very specific indication that it's autism.

Okay, unlike in Eric's bill, uh it's more general uh to give uh an indication that there is something that you should look out for.

The current indicators that we have that would I would say still remain in place even if this Eric Bill uh ID bill was to pass, uh the current indicators would still remain as an option.

I think the bill is written in such a way that uh the Eric's ID amendment act does not impede one's ability to receive one of the four indicators that I currently have that's more specific.

Yeah, I think I read it the same way because again it's voluntary, so uh it's a putting the power in the hands of the person to say which and how do they want that symbol to work?

That is correct.

Um, in terms of the um the current process, I'm trying to make sure I understand our current process compared to what's here.

Does the does the individual need to provide medical documentation or for a current process, not the bill, or is it um that the person just identifies and says, I want to select this uh identifier?

So the current process for the indicators we have today work very similar to Eric's ID amendment act.

There's no paperwork requirement, there's no documents that one would need, it is completely voluntary.

You can add it or remove it at any time at your discretion.

Um it is a simple check mark on your application that you would like for us to add that indicator on the back of your credential.

Got it.

Okay.

So from a uh operations and an implementation standpoint, uh, if this law is to pass, doesn't sound like it changes your process too dramatically from the standpoint of it's voluntary, it's a request by by the resident to then signify, and it's not like you've got a uh you don't you don't already create a uh database uh medical records, you don't do that.

So that's not gonna change under this law.

That will not change under this law.

Uh the DMV will not be creating um uh a medical database that is in connection with Eric's law or the current process process that we have.

For the current process, is there a fee associated with anyone adding an identifier on their credential under the current process?

There's no fee uh individual can add uh or remove it during the uh initial process of issuance during the renewal process, or if you have a current credential that say you have four years left on, you can add it by getting a duplicate.

Now there's a cost for the duplicate, but you could add it at that time.

And I assume that uh for Eric's uh ID, it will work similar for individuals who may cur carry a credential today that would like to add it, assuming that it passed, uh, they would need to buy a duplicate, uh, so they will be purchasing a duplicate, but with that, they will have the ability to add the indicator uh if the Eric's ID amendment was to pass.

Got it.

Okay.

I know I want to know you were here for the entirety of the hearing, so I appreciate you heard a lot of uh all of the public testimony.

One of the things we heard from the State Board of Education uh representatives talked about our DC one card.

Obviously, uh a good number of young people don't yet have a credential.

Um not everybody even who uh turned 16 is going to look to get a driver's license, but so we'll have a large number of young people, for example, that don't have a credential anyway, but they have a DC one card.

Um so some of this is gonna be falling outside the jurisdiction of the DMV, but just any thoughts to the recommendation around trying to have some consistency between a DC one card and a kid ride-free type of benefit and what someone may see on a DMV issued credential.

I agree that consistency matters uh if the um intent of the bill is to um add traction and awareness that there are these uh non-apparent disabilities, they do exist, and you may not know looking at an individual.

So uh in the spirit of what I think uh Eric and Linda are uh doing with this bill, it would make sense that there would be some consistency between uh other documents that may display uh the symbol.

Uh in fact, the District of Columbia DMV, assuming that it passed, is looking to use the exact same symbol that the Maryland DMV uh is using.

So I did speak to Eric and Linda when they met with me earlier this week that if indeed if it was passed, that would they be comfortable and okay with that uh and they they were so uh but I do think consistency matters for educational and awareness purposes.

Yeah, I agree with you.

Uh I mean that's important.

As you've talked to your colleagues and peers in Maryland, any lessons learned around their implementation that you'd recommend for us to consider for the legislation?

Um any kind of unanticipated uh kind of hurdles they had to overcome or other ways that we can help support should this bill pass, we help support the DMV be able to operationalize and implement.

So I did speak to my Maryland colleagues uh what we speak often, and so uh they really did not express many issues or concerns.

Um I think their biggest issue was the the butterfly symbol, should it be in color or not?

And of course, I have the same limitations as they they have.

Um but I think once uh there was some consensus that the black butterfly would be acceptable and and useful to convey the same message.

Uh I think that uh really put them in a position uh to be uh to not you know face any other hurdles.

I will say in the the bill that's proposed here, it there is um a requirement that there's a notation on the back of the credential to say that there is a non-apparent uh disability.

My proposal would be to to strike that line item uh because there is no indication or verbiage on the back of the credential in Maryland, and I agree with that.

The the verbiage is the butterfly itself.

Uh and so the bill in DC does require that there is some written explanation of the butterfly on the back.

And I think that should be removed from the bill in its current format.

Other than that, the DMV is supportive of that.

I think the verbiage on the back would be for individuals who may want to use the current indicators that I have because we do use the back of the credential.

For those indicators, Eric's ID law is really meant is a front-facing indicator, and there's supposed to be awareness and training about the butterfly itself without having to turn and read.

Got it.

That's uh that's really helpful.

Um so as we think about the legislation, we want to make sure we can double check everything.

Make sure that we preserve the existing identifiers that are uh the people can choose with the DMV as it is today.

Yes.

And then for individuals who want to choose voluntarily to put the butterfly symbol on to change that language so that it doesn't require a second thing, because as you said, it's a front-facing you've already put the you've already put the indicator on.

You don't need to put a second indicator on the back.

Exactly.

And and so my recommendation is to strike that one line.

I think it's just one line uh in the bill uh that would not require me to do that.

Um, speaking with my colleagues in Maryland who only use the front-facing indicator that worked for them.

There's no indication on the back of what it you know what it is, and it would not disturb my process for the current indicators that I have.

Okay, that's helpful.

Um, and then lastly, again, this falls outside of the DMV's jurisdiction, but the recommendation that we heard from the state board was to ensure that we work with MPD or other law enforcement that they have training about what this symbol looks like, what does it mean, how do you help approach uh when you see the symbol?

Any uh any kind of recommendations or feedback that you've heard from your counterparts in Maryland about um how they approach that in terms of their partnerships with uh law enforcement or other agencies.

So uh and speaking with my counterparts in Maryland, they did participate in ensuring that their law enforcement partners had the information they need in terms of the design of the butterfly, maybe help set some objectives for them as they um as the law enforcement community worked on their training.

Um, but we do have a longstanding partnership with MPD uh training academy.

Uh we have uh we work with them today on a number of other trainings.

And so I do imagine that if this bill uh if this bill was to pass uh we would be in partnership with MPD's training academy to ensure they had all the designs and information that they needed to ensure that whatever training they came up with, it was representative of what was actually being issued at the DMV.

Yeah, okay, that's helpful.

Um we can certainly follow up after the hearing too to make sure uh we check in with MPD, their training academy, and others uh to see if there's anything else we need to add to.

All right, I don't have any other questions.

I appreciate it, Director.

Um, and uh we can certainly follow up after the hearing too if we have any additional thoughts or questions to work with you and your and your team.

So thank you very much.

All right, thank you.

So this is gonna conclude the committee's public hearing on bill 26-548, the Washington Commanders Motor Vehicle Identification Tags Amendment Act of 2025 and Bill 26-619, Eric's ID Amendment Act of 2026.

I want to thank all of our public witnesses for their testimony, including Director Gabriel Robinson and the DMV.

The record for today's public hearing is going to close on Thursday, June 18th, 2026.

So if anybody wanted to submit additional comments for the record, they can do so through the council's hearing management system at Limbs.dccounsel.gov backslash hearings until then.

The next scheduled meeting of the committee will actually be in just a few minutes.

Uh, when the committee will hear from the public and government witnesses for bill 26-565, the Strengthening air pollution Permitting amendment act of Twenty Twenty Six and bill 26-571, the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Study Amendment Act of 2026.

The time is now 1223 p.m.

And the Committee on Transportation and the Environment is now going to stand in or no the time is now 1223 p.m.