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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Fourth Legislature, Second Regular Session
deaf; hard of hearing; deafblind
Purpose
Requires the Arizona Commission for the Deaf and the Hard of Hearing (ACDHH) to act as a bureau of information for the deafblind and organizations providing services for the deafblind. Requires ACDHH to make recommendations to the Legislature on statutory changes to optimize the language acquisition and literacy development of deaf and hard of hearing children.
Background
ACDHH provides information to the deaf and the hard of hearing to improve their quality of life. Under current law, ACDHH's duties include, but are not limited to: 1) informing the deaf and the hard of hearing of available services; 2) studying issues relating to the deaf and the hard of hearing, and making recommendations on these issues; 3) reviewing the problems of the deaf and the hard of hearing relating to the need for auxiliary aids in public places; 4) making recommendations to state organizations on meeting the needs of the hard of hearing; and 5) making recommendations to the Legislature regarding statutory changes needed for a statewide newborn child hearing loss screening program (A.R.S. § 36-1944).
According to federal law, deaf-blind means any individual who: 1) has a combination of visual loss and chronic hearing impairment that causes difficulty in attaining independence in daily life activities; 2) despite the inability to be measured accurately for hearing and vision loss, has severe hearing and visual disabilities that cause difficulty in attaining independence in daily life activities; or 3) meets other requirements prescribed by the U.S. Secretary of Education (29 U.S.C. § 1905).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Requires ACDHH to act as a bureau of information to the deafblind, state agencies and institutions providing services to the deafblind, local agencies of government and other public or private community agencies and programs.
2. Requires ACDHH to make recommendations to the Legislature regarding statutory changes needed:
a) to develop and support statewide newborn child hearing loss screening programs; and
b) on assessment standards that optimize the language acquisition and literacy development of deaf and hard of hearing newborns, infants and children.
3. Requires ACDHH to make recommendations to state agencies, political subdivisions and institutions on how to meet the needs of the deaf, the hard of hearing and the deafblind.
4. Defines deafblind as a person who:
a) is deaf or hard of hearing and who has vision loss of varying degrees that affects the person's ability to communicate and receive environmental and auditory information; or
b) has a combination of vision and hearing loss that does not equate to total deafness and blindness.
5. Makes technical and conforming changes.
6. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Prepared by Senate Research
January 13, 2020
CRS/KS/kja