House committee hears bill to shorten driver suspensions for some people with epilepsy

Lansing — The House Health Policy Committee on Tuesday heard testimony on House Bills 4,306 and 4,307, sponsored by Representative Vanderwall and Representative DeBoer, that would allow physician input to reduce the standard six-month license suspension after an epileptic seizure to three months in certain cases and create limited exceptions for special circumstances.

Supporters, including the Epilepsy Foundation of Michigan and clinicians, told the committee the bills would let treating health professionals supply evidence that a person’s seizures are controlled or were caused by a one-time, controllable event — for example a medication change or a nocturnal seizure — and that those patients could safely resume driving sooner. "Driving eligibility decisions should be based on a person's unique medical history, their seizure control, and input from the treating health care practitioner," said Andrea Shottefer,…