Bill Text: HI SCR195 | 2010 | Regular Session | Amended

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Children with Disabilities; Sign Language; Simultaneous Communication

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2010-04-21 - (S) Resolution adopted in final form. [SCR195 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2010-SCR195-Amended.html

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STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2897

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.C.R. No. 195

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2010

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Education and Housing, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 195 entitled:

 

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION URGING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO ESTABLISH APPROPRIATE REQUIREMENTS FOR INDIVIDUALS IN THE DEPARTMENT WHO PROVIDE INSTRUCTION TO CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES, INCLUDING BOTH THOSE WHO HEAR AND THOSE WHO ARE DEAF OR HARD OF HEARING, TO INCORPORATE THE USE OF SIGN LANGUAGE AND OTHER MEANS OF COMMUNICATION DURING INSTRUCTION TO ENHANCE THEIR STUDENTS' LEARNING,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to urge the Department of Education to establish appropriate requirements for individuals in the Department who provide instruction to children with disabilities, including both those who hear and those who are deaf or hard of hearing, to incorporate the use of sign language and other means of communication during instruction to enhance their students' learning.

 

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by one private organization and four individuals.  Testimony in support of the intent of this measure was submitted by one state agency.  Written testimony presented to the Committee may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

 

     Your Committee finds that children with disabilities should be provided the best possible opportunities to learn, which include simultaneous communication (the use of sign language and oral communication) and total communication (sign language, oral communication, and visual cues) approaches during instruction.

 

     Your Committee received proposed amendments to clarify some of the terms used and the intent of this measure.  Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Clarifying that the intent of this measure is to enable educators and others to incorporate simultaneous and total communication methods during the instruction of children with disabilities;

 

     (2)  Removing references to sign language interpreters, as sign language interpreters provide services only to deaf and hard of hearing individuals, rather than to all children with disabilities;

 

     (3)  Amending the title to reflect its amended purpose; and

 

     (4)  Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education and Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 195, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 195, S.D. 1.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Education and Housing,

 

		____________________________ NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair