H-1403

AN ACT Relating to a hearing-impaired demographical study; creating new sections; and making an appropriation.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that many hearing-impaired youth and adults do not use available public and private resources and services for the simple reason that the available communications methods are not constructed or targeted for the hearing-impaired. The legislature recognizes the need for an accurate state-wide hearing-impaired demographical study. The results will be beneficial to the state and public and private research and product development firms.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in this section apply throughout this act.

(1) "Deaf" means a condition or person with severe or complete absence of auditory sensitivity and the primary receptive communication mode is visual or tactile, or both.

(2) "Deaf-blind" means a condition or person that is identified as hard-of-hearing or deaf, and has a vision impairment of sufficient limitations that is not correctable by optometric means.

(3) "Hard-of-hearing" means a condition or person with some absence of auditory sensitivity and with residual hearing that is sufficient to process linguistic information through audition, with or without amplification, under favorable listening conditions; or other auditory handicapping conditions.

(4) "Hearing-impaired" means a condition or person that is identified as hard-of-hearing, deaf, or deaf-blind.

(5) "State research team" means a team of professionals, including: A full-time psychologist, social worker, statistical study specialist, and education specialist, and a part-time audiologist, speech pathologist, and occupational therapist.

(6) "Visual language" means an ability to communicate by using one or more visual communication tools and languages that are used by the hearing-impaired.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. The secretary of the department of social and health services shall create a state research team to conduct a state-wide hearing-impaired demographical study. In conducting the study the team shall:

(1) Inventory resources available to ensure consistent, effective, and equitable utilization for the study;

(2) Develop interagency agreements to ensure consistent, effective, and equitable utilization of the resources available for the study; and

(3) Maintain and manage the data base, tracking system technical assistance, agreements, and other mechanisms that will support the study.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. The secretary of the department of social and health services shall submit the report to the appropriate legislative committees by January 1, 1992. The study report shall:

(1) Contain easily readable and understood statistical data that is complete and accurate to the best knowledge of the research team;

(2) Be reported by each legislative district, county, and state geographical area;

(3) Contain statistical data about the different categories of hearing loss, visual language modes, and income levels;

(4) Include ethnic, educational, occupational, social, and employment categories; and

(5) Be available at no cost to a person or agency that solicits a request.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. The sum of seven hundred twenty-five thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 1993, from the general fund to the department of social and health services for the purposes of a hearing-impaired demographical study.