BILL REQ. #:  H-1654.1 

Read first time 02/18/2003.   Referred to Committee on Children & Family Services.

     AN ACT Relating to deaf education; and creating new sections.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   (1) Under current law, the primary purpose of the school for the deaf is to educate and train hearing impaired children in the state. In addition to having responsibility for the supervision and management of the school, the superintendent of the school for the deaf is required to: Provide information about educational programs, instructional techniques, materials, equipment, and resources available to students with auditory impairments to the parent or guardian, educational service district superintendent, and the superintendent of the school district where the student resides; and serve as a consultant to the office of the superintendent of public instruction, provide instructional leadership, and assist school districts in improving their instructional programs for students with hearing impairments.
     (2) In order to fulfill its obligation to the hearing impaired residents of the state, the legislature finds that the school for the deaf must continually examine its role, in consultation with parents, students, advocacy groups, researchers, teachers, and school districts throughout the state, to ensure that the needs of hearing impaired children in the state are being met, both now and in the future.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   (1) There is established a deaf education task force. The focus of the task force shall be an examination of the role of the school for the deaf in the education and training of hearing impaired children in the state.
     (2) The membership of the task force must include the following: Parents of hearing impaired children; hearing impaired adults; representatives of organizations that advocate for hearing impaired individuals; researchers on hearing impairment; individuals specializing in the education of hearing impaired individuals; and representatives of local school districts.
     (3) The task force shall consist of fifteen members as follows:
     (a) Eleven members appointed by the governor upon the recommendation of the board of trustees of the school for the deaf; and
     (b) Four members of the legislature, one from each political caucus of the house of representatives to be appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives and one from each political caucus of the senate to be appointed by the president of the senate, each of whom shall serve as ex officio members of the task force.
     (4) The task force shall elect a chair from among its members. Vacancies in the membership of the task force shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointments.
     (5) Nongovernmental members of the task force shall be reimbursed for travel expenses in accordance with RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060. Legislative members of the task force shall serve without additional compensation but shall be reimbursed for travel expenses in accordance with RCW 44.04.120 while attending sessions of the task force or on official business authorized by the task force.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   The deaf education task force shall develop a strategic plan for the school for the deaf. The strategic plan must include, at a minimum, the following:
     (1) The appropriate service delivery model for serving hearing impaired children throughout the state;
     (2) The role of the school for the deaf in the development of quality services for hearing impaired children throughout the state;
     (3) The role of the school for the deaf in providing direct and indirect services to hearing impaired children both on campus and in the children's local communities; and
     (4) The role of the school for the deaf in relation to local school districts and other partners throughout the state.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4   (1) The deaf education task force shall report to the governor and the appropriate fiscal and policy committees of the legislature no later than December 1, 2004.
     (2) The deaf education task force shall expire January 1, 2005.