2016 Regular Session APPROVED
SENATE CONCURRENT STUDY REQUEST NO. 1
BY SENATOR COLOMB
A CONCURRENT STUDY REQUEST
To request the Senate Committee on Senate and Governmental Affairs and the House
Committee on House and Governmental Affairs to meet and function as a joint
committee to study the feasibility of providing an interpreter for the hearing impaired
and closed captioning of legislative proceedings.
WHEREAS, hearing loss is among the most common problems in our population,
with more than ten percent of Americans suffering from some sort of hearing impairment;
and
WHEREAS, closed captioning and interpreter services allow persons with hearing
impairments to have access to television programming by displaying the audio portion of a
television program as text on the television screen; and
WHEREAS, the same such courtesy should be extended to constituents so that they
are privy to legislative proceedings and may be actively involved in the legislative process;
and
WHEREAS, the first use of closed captioning on televisions in America began in
1980; and
WHEREAS, the Television Decoder Circuitry Act of 1990 was passed by Congress
giving the Federal Communications Commission the power to enact rules on the
implementation of closed captioning; and
WHEREAS, it is important that we utilize technology in the most efficient way to
enhance communication with constituents that are hearing impaired so that they will have
equal access to the political process; and
WHEREAS, the stated purpose of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is to
provide a clear and comprehensive national mandate for the elimination of discrimination
against individuals with disabilities; and
WHEREAS, to achieve the goals of the ADA, state government services must be
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equally accessible to individuals with disabilities; and
WHEREAS, the state of Louisiana provides internet streamed legislative sessions
and hearings, but fails to offer closed captioning and an interpreter for the hearing impaired;
and
WHEREAS, there are nearly 2,804,831 deaf citizens, and over 78, 451 citizens with
hearing impairments in Louisiana who could benefit from captioning and interpreter
services; and
WHEREAS, providing closed captioning and interpreting of legislative sessions and
hearings would ensure Louisiana's compliance with Title II of the ADA.
THEREFORE, the Legislature of Louisiana requests that the Senate Committee on
Senate and Governmental Affairs and the House Committee on House and Governmental
Affairs study the feasibility of providing an interpreter for the hearing impaired and closed
captioning of legislative proceedings.
The Legislature of Louisiana further requests that the joint committee report its
findings to the legislature by February 1, 2017.
A copy of this Study Request shall be transmitted to the Department of Health and
Hospitals, Louisiana Commission for the Deaf.
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