EDUCATION FOR DEAF & HARD OF HEARING, the official text

Enrolled HB 39 
 Relating to public school students who are deaf or hard of hearing. 
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 * Section 1. AS 14.30.272 is amended by adding new subsections to read: 
 (c) A school district shall, in collaboration with the department and to the 
 maximum extent possible, 
 (1) provide 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, 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 
 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 hearing, or 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 hearing, 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 American 
 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, 
 speechreading, auditory training, visual aids, manual gestures, and writing to convey

information. 
 * Sec. 2. AS 14.30.276 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 
 (b) The department shall support one or more programs for the deaf to be 
 made available to deaf students in the state. The program may provide residential 
 services as part of its educational program in consultation and collaboration with a 
 nongovernmental organization that provides services to people who are deaf and hard 
 of hearing. If a school district operates a 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 required to offer transportation only to students who 
 reside in the district. If a school district determines that placement in the program is 
 appropriate for a child who resides in the district, the school district that makes the 
 placement retains the school district's responsibilities for special education for that 
 child under state and federal law.