Alaska 2025-2026 Regular Session

Alaska House Bill HB39 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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2	2	HB0039a -1- HB 39
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5	5	34-LS0199\A
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11	11	HOUSE BILL NO. 39
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13	13	IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA
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15	15	THIRTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE - FIRST SESSION
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17	17	BY REPRESENTATIVE ALLARD
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19	19	Introduced: 1/17/25
20	20	Referred: Prefiled
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22	22
23	23	A BILL
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25	25	FOR AN ACT ENTITLED
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27	27	"An Act relating to public school students who are deaf or hard of hearing." 1
28	28	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 2
29	29	* Section 1. AS 14.30.272 is amended by adding new subsections to read: 3
30	30	(c) A school district shall, in collaboration with the department and to the 4
31	31	maximum extent possible, 5
32	32	(1) provide a parent of a child who is deaf or hard of hearing, or who 6
33	33	the school district suspects may be deaf or hard of hearing, with comprehensive, 7
34	34	neutral, and unbiased information regarding 8
35	35	(A) hearing technology, including hearing aids, bone-anchored 9
36	36	hearing aids, cochlear implants, and remote microphone systems; 10
37	37	(B) different methods of communication for a child who is deaf 11
38	38	or hard of hearing, including listening and spoken language, a bilingual 12
39	39	approach, cued speech, and total communication; 13
40	40	(C) services and programs that are designed to meet the needs 14
41	41	of children who are deaf or hard of hearing; and 15 34-LS0199\A
42	42	HB 39 -2- HB0039a
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45	45	(D) support and advocacy services offered by public and 1
46	46	private agencies and other entities knowledgeable about the needs of children 2
47	47	who are deaf or hard of hearing; 3
48	48	(2) allow the parent of a child who is deaf or hard of hearing, or who 4
49	49	the school district suspects may be deaf or hard of hearing, to choose the method of 5
50	50	communication that the parent determines is most appropriate for the child and 6
51	51	provide services using the parent's chosen method of communication for the child; and 7
52	52	(3) deliver services to a child who is deaf or hard of hearing, or who 8
53	53	the school district suspects may be deaf or hard of hearing, through professionals with 9
54	54	training, experience, and a background in the chosen method of communication. 10
55	55	(d) A school district shall inform a parent of a child who is deaf or hard of 11
56	56	hearing, or who the school district suspects may be deaf or hard of hearing, of the 12
57	57	school district's duties and of the parent's rights provided under (c) of this section. 13
58	58	(e) In this section, 14
59	59	(1) "bilingual approach" means the development of both sign language 15
60	60	and English language literacy skills as a child's mode of receptive and expressive 16
61	61	communication; 17
62	62	(2) "cued speech" means a visual communication system that uses 18
63	63	hand shapes and placements in combination with the mouth movements of speech to 19
64	64	identify the phonemes of spoken language that look similar to one another; 20
65	65	(3) "deaf" means possessing hearing levels that, with or without 21
66	66	hearing technology, substantially affect a child's ability to understand spoken 22
67	67	language; 23
68	68	(4) "hard of hearing" means possessing hearing levels that, with or 24
69	69	without hearing technology, affect a child's ability to understand spoken language; 25
70	70	(5) "listening and spoken language" means communication that 26
71	71	focuses on maximizing listening through the use of hearing technologies, professional 27
72	72	intervention, and family involvement and support to facilitate the acquisition and 28
73	73	development of the spoken language of the child's home and community; 29
74	74	(6) "total communication" means the combined use of signs, speech, 30
75	75	speech-reading, auditory training, visual aids, manual gestures, and writing to convey 31 34-LS0199\A
76	76	HB0039a -3- HB 39
77	77	New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]
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79	79	information. 1
80	80	* Sec. 2. AS 14.30.276 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 2
81	81	(b) The department shall support one or more programs for the deaf to be 3
82	82	made available to deaf students in the state. The program may provide residential 4
83	83	services as part of its educational program in consultation and collaboration with a 5
84	84	nongovernmental organization that provides services to people who are deaf and hard 6
85	85	of hearing. If a school district operates a program, the school district shall annually 7
86	86	submit a plan of operations to the department for approval and shall perform all duties 8
87	87	of a local school district related to special education under state and federal law, 9
88	88	except that the school district is only required to offer transportation to students who 10
89	89	reside in the district. If a school district determines that placement in the program is 11
90	90	appropriate for a child who resides in the district, the school district that makes the 12
91	91	placement retains the school district's responsibilities for special education for that 13
92	92	child under state and federal law. 14