86R15779 BPG-D
By: Hughes S.C.R. No. 52
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, Samuel Dale Allen has worked tirelessly to improve
interactions between law enforcement and Texans with health
conditions that may impede communication; and
WHEREAS, A San Antonio native, Samuel Allen was diagnosed
with high-functioning autism as a child; he began advocating for
others with autism as a student, and he has helped educate the
public about the condition; moreover, he has raised vital awareness
of the misunderstandings that can occur when an officer makes a
traffic stop involving someone with autism, Asperger Syndrome, mild
intellectual disabilities, deafness, speech disorders, or other
impediments; his accomplishments earned him a Spirit of Giving
Award from the San Antonio Business Journal; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Allen has been a strong voice in support of
S.B. 976, which allows a person with a communication impediment the
option to disclose this information when registering their vehicle
through the Department of Motor Vehicles; this would place the
diagnosis in the Texas Law Enforcement Telecommunication System,
ensuring that an officer is alerted prior to approaching the
vehicle, while maintaining the privacy of the driver; and
WHEREAS, Through his dedicated efforts, Samuel Allen is
helping to make encounters safer for officers and people with
communication impediments, and his contributions have earned the
respect and admiration of his fellow citizens; now, therefore, be
it
RESOLVED, That the 86th Legislature of the State of Texas
hereby commend Samuel Allen for his civic engagement and advocacy
for individuals with communication impediments and, contingent on
the passing of S.B. 976, recognize Section 502.061, Transportation
Code, as the Samuel Allen Law.