Committee adopts substitute to add brain‑injury marker on driver IDs; supporters cite safety and de‑escalation

Committee staff presented a substitute for House Bill 6 79 (Representative Ventrella sponsor) to establish a driver's‑license marker indicating a diagnosed brain injury and to assign the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement (LCLE) responsibility for related training (the substitute removes a requirement that the training be a separate course and swaps agency responsibility from DPS to LCLE).

Representative Ventrella described the marker as voluntary and said the substitute broadens coverage from “traumatic brain injury” to “brain injury” to include a wider population. Ventrella said the Department of Motor Vehicles recommended waiting for a new driver‑license system in 2028, and he said he was working to minimize any fiscal impact by weaving short training elements into existing law‑enforcement training.

Three witnesses gave emotional testimony. Pamela Donahoe described her son’s traffic stop where an officer repeatedly asked if he was drunk and allegedly dismissed his pleas that he had a brain injury; she said the exchange nearly led to a dangerous escalation. Katie Myers recounted emergency brain surgery and lasting communication challenges that can make stops and hospital interactions traumatic; Kimberly Hill of the Brain Injury Association of Louisiana described the proposal as a safety tool with an application process requiring diagnosis documentation.

The committee adopted the substitute bill and voted to report HB 6 79 via substitute to the full House.

What happens next: The substitute was adopted and the bill reported; staff and the author signaled follow up on implementation timing and training content.