Snyder OKs Bills To Link Emergency Contact Info With IDs

LANSING (AP) - Laws enacted by Gov. Rick Snyder will let Michigan residents have their emergency contact information linked to their driver's license or state ID.

The bills signed Tuesday are intended to help police responding to an accident quickly identify a victim's emergency contact through state records. Supporters say it also will comfort families of people with dementia or Alzheimer's disease.

It requires the secretary of state, in conjunction with the state police, to develop and implement a system by 2017 to obtain emergency contact info voluntarily from those with a driver's license or state ID card.

Snyder says the change will save law enforcement time and give families "peace of mind" knowing they will be contacted quickly should a friend or relative be in an emergency.