Rio's Law

In The Politics of Autism, I write:

[M]any police departments have trained officers and other first responders how to spot signs of autism and respond accordingly.  Some organizations have also published identification cards that ASD adults can carry in order to defuse potential conflicts. Virginia provides for an autism designation on driver licenses and other state-issued identification cards. Once again, however, the dilemma of difference comes into play. One autistic Virginian worries: “Great, so if I get into an accident, who’s the cop going to believe, the guy with the autistic label or the guy without it?” Clinical psychologist Michael Oberschneider is concerned about the understanding level of first responders: “I think many people still think of Rain Man or, more recently, the Sandy Hook Shooter, when they think of autism even though very few people on the autistic spectrum are savants or are homicidal and dangerous.”

WSB-TV in Atlanta:

 Georgia lawmakers are proposing a new, voluntary license plate for drivers with autism spectrum disorder or other developmental disabilities.

Senate Bill 433, also called Rio’s Law, would create a special license plate for people and vehicles with drivers or family members with eligible conditions.

According to the legislation, license plates would feature a “Just Bee Yourself” symbol or other appropriate signage deemed appropriate by the Georgia Department of Driver Services Commissioner.

The bill also amends state code to provide additional training for peace officers and members of law enforcement regarding encounters with those on the autism spectrum or with developmental disabilities.

In 2019, Layla Luna was driving in Los Angeles with her autistic son Rio when a police car pulled them over.  The flashing lights upset him greatly.  Last year, Shaun Chornobroff reported at The South Caroline Daily Gazette:

Luna founded Just Bee, an organization that aims to make communities more autism friendly, in 2019, while still living in California. After her family was told to leave a pizza restaurant when Rio started to have sensory overload, Luna said she asked herself, “Why can’t people just be nice?”

She wondered if the situation would’ve gone differently if the employees understood that Rio was autistic and were trained on how to respond: “That was my call to action,” she said.

In 2021, Luna ditched Los Angeles for Mount Pleasant, leaving behind her previous career as a dancer and choreographer.

She met Gov. Henry McMaster later that year at a state Chamber of Commerce event. She shook his hand and said she was going to make South Carolina the first autism-friendly state.

It’s a moment she chuckles when reflecting on. But Luna was sincere.

In 2023, Just Bee launched an app Luna describes as “the Yelp of autism.”
...

Her advocacy also led to the creation of a specialty license plate with the Just Bee emblem. It’s meant to alert officers before they approach the vehicle that someone inside is autistic or neurodivergent and could have a sensory reaction.

A sample license plate for South Carolina drivers who are autistic or are the parents of children with autism spectrum disorder. (Courtesy of the S.C. Department of Motor Vehicles)

Luna first mentioned the idea of a specialty license plate to Carl Ritchie when he was a Mount Pleasant City councilman — a year before he was elected Charleston County sheriff.

He connected Luna with Rep. Kathy Landing, R-Mount Pleasant, who introduced legislation in January 2024 to create the Just Bee plates. Her proposal got wrapped into a broader bill creating multiple specialty plates, which the Legislature passed unanimously and McMaster signed last May.
...
She and Luna see “Rio’s law” as a step toward minimizing those situations.

The plate became available in February.