HB 111 is sponsored by Elvi Gray-Jackson (D), Robert Myers (R), Andi Story (D), C.Johnson, Will Stapp (R), Dan Saddler (R), Mike Cronk (R), Calvin Schrage (N), Andy Josephson (D), Armstrong, DeLena Johnson (R), Bryce Edgmon (N), George Rauscher (R), Ashley Carrick (D), Sumner, Rebecca Himschoot (N), Wright, Sarah Vance (R), Kevin McCabe (R), Andrew Gray (D), Groh, and Jamie Allard (R).

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Alaska 33rd Legislature (2023-2024) Status: Passed House Bipartisan · 9 R · 5 D · 3 I cosponsors

HB 111 — An Act relating to public school students who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Last action May 13, 2024 — (S) Moved CSHB 111(EDC) Out of Committee

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Introduced
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In Committee
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Passed House
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Passed Senate
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To Executive
6
Enacted

This bill died with 33rd Legislature (2023-2024). It reached “Passed House” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.

This bill is no longer active — its legislative session has ended, so there are no live odds of enactment. It would have to be reintroduced in the current session to move again.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

66 added · 73 removed

Plain-language change summary

The recent amendments to Bill HB 111 add provisions focused on improving support and resources for students who are deaf or hard of hearing. The changes include establishing a centralized program for deaf students that offers residential services and requires school districts to work collaboratively with the state to provide comprehensive information to parents about communication methods and available services. These updates are significant because they aim to ensure that deaf students have access to the educational environments and resources that best support their learning and communication needs.

~~33-LS0504\S~~33-LS0504\A CS ~~FOR~~ HOUSE BILL NO.

~~111(EDC)~~111 IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE - SECOND SESSION BY ~~THE~~REPRESENTATIVES ~~HOUSE~~ALLARD, ~~EDUCATION~~Groh, ~~COMMITTEE~~Gray, ~~Offered:~~McCabe, Vance, Wright, Himschoot, Sumner, Carrick, Rauscher, Edgmon, D.Johnson, Armstrong, Josephson, Schrage, Cronk, Saddler, Stapp, C.Johnson, Story Introduced:

~~5/1/23~~3/13/23 Referred:

Education, Finance ~~Sponsor(s):~~A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED "An Act relating to public school students who are deaf or have a hearing impairment." BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:

REPRESENTATIVES ALLARD, Groh, Gray, McCabe, Vance, Wright, Himschoot, Sumner, Carrick, Rauscher, Edgmon, D.Johnson, Armstrong, Josephson, Schrage, Cronk, Saddler, Stapp, C.Johnson, Story SENATORS Myers, Gray-Jackson A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED "An Act relating to public school students who are deaf or hard of hearing." BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:

~~AS 14.30.272 is amended by adding new subsections to read:~~

(c) A school district shall (1) provide a parent of a child who is deaf or hard of he, or who the school district suspects may be deaf or hard of hearing, with comprehensive, neutral, and unbiased information regarding (A) hearing technology, including hearing aids, bone-anchored hearing aids, cochlear implants, and remote microphone systems;

~~(B) different methods of communication for a child who is deaf or hard of hearing, including listening and spoken language, a bilingual approach, cued speech, and total communication;~~

~~(C) services and programs that are designed to meet the needs of children who are deaf or hard of hearing;~~

and (D) support and advocacy services offered by public and HB0111b -1- CSHB 111(EDC) New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED] 33-LS0504\S private agencies and other entities knowledgeable about the needs of children who are deaf or hard of hearing;

(2) allow the parent of a child who is deaf or hard of hearin,gor who the school district suspects may be deaf or hard of hearing, to choose the method of communication that the parent determines is most appropriate for the child and provide services using the parent's chosen method of communication for the child;

and (3) deliver services to a child who is deaf or hard of he, or who the school district suspects may be deaf or hard of hearing, through professionals with training, experience, and a background in the chosen method of communication.

(d) A school district shall inform a parent of a child who is deaf or hard of hearing, or who the school district suspects may be deaf or hard of hearing, of the school district's duties and of the parent's rights provided under (c) of this section.

~~(e) In this section, (1) "bilingual approach" means the development of both sign language and English language literacy skills as a child's mode of receptive and expressive communication;~~

(2) "cued speech" means a visual communication system that uses hand shapes and placements in combination with the mouth movements of speech to identify the phonemes of spoken language that look similar to one another;

~~(3) "deaf" means possessing hearing levels that, with or without hearing technology, substantially affect a child's ability to understand spoken language;~~

~~(4) "hard of hearing" means possessing hearing levels that, with or without hearing technology, affect a child's ability to understand spoken language;~~

(5) "listening and spoken language" means communication that focuses on maximizing listening through the use of hearing technologies, professional intervention, and family involvement and support to facilitate the acquisition and development of the spoken language of the child's home and community;

~~(6) "total communication" means the combined use of signs, speech, speech-reading, auditory training, visual aids, manual gestures, and writing to convey information.~~

~~CSHB 111(EDC) -2- HB0111b New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED] 33-LS0504\S * Sec.~~

(b) ~~The~~Notwithstanding ~~department~~(a) ~~shall~~of ~~establish~~this ~~and~~section, ~~operate~~for a ~~centralized~~child ~~program~~who ~~for~~is ~~the~~ deaf and whose primary language or method of communication is determined to be ~~made~~American ~~available~~Sign toLanguage ~~deaf~~under ~~students~~AS in14.30.278(d), the ~~state.~~least restrictive environment is in an educational environment with other students whose primary language or method of communication is American Sign Language.

The department shall establish and operate a centralized program for the deaf to be made available to deaf students in the state.

If a school district operates the program, the school district shall annually submit a plan of operations to the department for approval and shall perform all duties of a local school district related to special education under state and federal law, except that the school district is only required to offer transportation to students HB0111a -1- HB 111 New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED] 33-LS0504\A who reside in the district.

~~HB0111b~~* ~~-3-~~Sec. ~~CSHB~~ ~~111(EDC)~~ ~~New~~ ~~Text~~ ~~Underlined~~ ~~[DELETED~~ ~~TEXT~~ ~~BRACKETED]~~

AS 14.30.278 is amended by adding new subsections to read:

(d) An individualized education program for a child who is deaf or has a hearing impairment must include a language and communication plan that (1) identifies the primary language or method of communication most effective and appropriate for the child;

(2) provides opportunities for direct communication with peers and professional personnel in the primary language or method of communication identified under this subsection;

(3) describes the education program options available to the child;

(4) describes the necessary qualifications, including fluency in the primary language or method of communication identified under this subsection, of the teacher and other professional personnel who will implement the program for the child;

(5) addresses access limitations to academic instruction, school services, and extracurricular activities for the child;

(6) provides for assistive devices and services;

and (7) requires accommodations for the child in communications with, and the physical environment of, the school.

(e) To determine the primary language or method of communication most effective and appropriate for a child who is deaf or has a hearing impairment, a school district shall (1) provide for an assessment of the child's aptitude for acquiring American Sign Language, conducted by an American Sign Language specialist who has a degree from an accredited college, university, or postsecondary institution or who is fluent in American Sign Language;

HB 111 -2- HB0111a New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED] 33-LS0504\A (2) consider the child's prognosis for hearing loss throughout the child's developmental years;

(3) consider the primary language or method of communication of the child's primary household and family members;

and (4) consider the child's natural tendency to use a language or method of communication when interacting with other children.

(f) The individualized education program developed for a child who is deaf or has a hearing impairment and whose primary language or method of communication is determined to be American Sign Language may provide speech services separately from instruction in core subjects.

HB0111a -3- HB 111 New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

Latest

~~33-LS0504\S~~ CS ~~FOR~~ HOUSE BILL NO.

33-LS0504\A HOUSE BILL NO.

~~111(EDC)~~ IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE - SECOND SESSION BY ~~THE~~ ~~HOUSE~~ ~~EDUCATION~~ ~~COMMITTEE~~ ~~Offered:~~

111 IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE - SECOND SESSION BY REPRESENTATIVES ALLARD, Groh, Gray, McCabe, Vance, Wright, Himschoot, Sumner, Carrick, Rauscher, Edgmon, D.Johnson, Armstrong, Josephson, Schrage, Cronk, Saddler, Stapp, C.Johnson, Story Introduced:

~~5/1/23~~ Referred:

3/13/23 Referred:

Finance ~~Sponsor(s):~~

Education, Finance A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED "An Act relating to public school students who are deaf or have a hearing impairment." BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: