Legislative Bills Session

Onwards and Upwards���

Kim Bianco Majeri ���

State Legislative Affairs Program

Legislative Training���

Assistance with Legislative Process���

Monitoring Bills During Session���

State Legislative Affairs Program

•  Interpreters

• Deaf Schools

• EHDI/Early Intervention

• Mental Health

Top Issues

If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading. ���

~ Lao Tzu

Positive Changes

• Mental Health

• LEAD-K

• Deaf Child Bill of Rights

• Language Deprivation Mandate

Mental Health• Access to Mental Health services through

direct communication

• Cultural and linguistic affirmative approaches

• Uses of technology

• Training/Development

• Establish a continuum of options/services

• Statewide coordinator

Language Acquisition and Education for Deaf Kids

( LEAD-K)

• ASL Benchmarks/assessments

• Monitoring/tracking language development

• If child is not progressing, change strategies

• Publish data

Deaf Child Bill of Rights• Right to acquire language, ASL and English,

at the earliest possible age

• Right to appropriate assessments at regular intervals

• Parents to get full information, including school options

• Qualified professionals and direct instruction

• Tracking and decision making

Language Deprivation Mandate

• LEAD-K Bill

• Deaf Child Bill of Rights

• Mental Health Bill

• sep Fed and state laws

Additional ideas

• Interpreter licensure

• State Commissions

• Communication Access Funds

Where our people are

They’re here too!

All politics is local. ���

Big challenges

Step back, survey, reflect and find a way!