This story was originally produced by The Keene Sentinel. NHPR is republishing it in partnership with the Granite State News Collaborative.
Five months after it was originally set to launch, the state’s Blue Envelope program is up and running.
Gov. Kelly Ayotte signed a new law a year ago directing the New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles to create and distribute the distinctive envelopes for use by people with autism spectrum disorder.
The bill aimed to ease potential communication issues by providing an easily recognizable piece of written information and guidance for police that people with autism could carry in their cars to help them communicate with law enforcement during, for example, a traffic stop. It passed with bipartisan support.
But by the end of April, the envelopes weren’t available at regional DMVs, and a spokesperson for the New Hampshire Department of Safety, which oversees the DMV, didn’t have information available about the program.
State Rep. Jodi Newell, D-Keene, was a vocal advocate for getting the program off the ground.
“New Hampshire got this one right on paper. The law instituting the Blue Envelope Program reflects the kind of thoughtful, human-centered policymaking we need more of, practical, respectful and focused on real-world impact,” Newell wrote in a letter to the editor published in The Sentinel. “But passing a law is only the first step. Implementation is where lives are actually changed.”
The blue envelopes are now available for free at the DMV office in Keene.
