A. As used in this section, "disability that can impair communication" means a condition with symptoms that can impair the ability of a person with such condition to receive, send, process, or comprehend concepts or verbal, nonverbal, or graphic symbol systems, including autism spectrum disorders as defined in § 38.2-3418.17 and hearing loss.
B. The Department shall include on the application for registration of a motor vehicle an option for the vehicle owner to, if applicable, voluntarily indicate that he or a person who will regularly occupy his vehicle has a disability that can impair communication. On any application on which the applicant indicates that a person who will regularly occupy his vehicle has such a disability, the Department may require the applicant to certify that he has the consent of the regular occupant of the vehicle to release information pursuant to subsection D.
C. Any vehicle owner with a driver's license indicator authorized pursuant to subsection K of § 46.2-342 or special identification card indicator authorized pursuant to subsection L of § 46.2-345 or whose vehicle is regularly occupied by an individual with such an indicator shall be eligible for the registration indicator. Vehicle owners with a driver's license indicator or special identification card indicator and vehicle owners whose vehicle is regularly occupied by an individual with a driver's license indicator or special identification card indicator may apply to the Department for a registration indicator in a manner prescribed by the Commissioner.
D. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection A of § 46.2-208, the Department shall provide information regarding vehicle registrants who have indicated, pursuant to subsection B or C, that they or individuals who will regularly occupy their vehicles have a disability that can impair communication with employees and agents of criminal justice agencies as defined in § 9.1-101. The Department shall confirm the presence or absence of a registration indicator indicating that the registrant or a person regularly occupying the vehicle of a registrant has a disability that can impair communication, but it shall not provide information about the type of health condition or disability that the registrant or a person regularly occupying the vehicle of a registrant has.
E. Any vehicle owner who has a registration indicator indicating that the registrant or a person regularly occupying the vehicle of a registrant has a disability that can impair communication may have such indicator removed by requesting such removal, in writing, to the Department.
2020, c. 786; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, cc. 358, 359, 421.