ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Fifty-sixth Legislature

First Regular Session

House: ED DP 10-0-0-0 | 3rd Read 60-0-0-0

Senate: GOV DPA 8-0-0-0 | 3rd Read 27-1-2-0

Final Read: 58-0-1-0-1

HB 2456: ASDB; continuation

Sponsor: Representative Pingerelli, LD 28

Transmitted to the Governor

Overview

Continues the Arizona State Schools for the Deaf and the Blind (ASDB) for four years.

History

The state Constitution requires the Legislature to provide for the education and care of pupils who are hearing and vision impaired (Ariz. Const. art. 11, sec. 1). In 1912, the First Legislature established ASDB (Laws 1912, Chapter 36).

ASDB serves children who are blind, visually impaired, deaf, hard of hearing or deafblind. ASDB maintains two campuses, the Phoenix Day School for the Deaf and the Tucson campus, that offer educational and support services to students. Additionally, ASDB operates the Early Childhood and Family Education Program to provide intervention services to children from birth to three years old. Finally, ASDB provides itinerant services to children attending school districts and charter schools through five regional cooperatives (A.R.S. Title 15, Chapter 11).

The ASDB Board of Directors consists of: 1) the Governor; 2) the Superintendent of Public Instruction (or designee); 3) one member from the Commission for the Deaf and the Hard of Hearing; 4) one member from the Governor's Council on Blindness and Visual Impairment; and 5) six other appointive members. Of the six appointive members, one member must be a school district employee who works with the school district's program for sensory impaired individuals and, for three of the five remaining appointive members, preference must be given to those with experience of and knowledge in sensory impaired education. All members (except the Governor and the Superintendent of Public Instruction) are appointed by the Governor (A.R.S. § 15-1321).

ASDB is set to terminate on July 1, 2023 (A.R.S. § 41.3023.03).

Both the House of Representatives and Senate Education Committees of Reference recommended that ASDB be continued for eight years.

Provisions

1. Continues, retroactive to July 1, 2023, ASDB until July 1, 2027. (Sec. 2, 4)

2. Repeals ASDB on January 1, 2028. (Sec. 1)

3. Contains a purpose statement. (Sec. 1)

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7. HB 2456

8. Initials CH Page 0 Transmitted

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