RÉSUMÉ DIGEST
ACT 146 (HB 253) 2017 Regular Session Smith
New law revises terminology in existing law referring to the deaf and persons who are hard
of hearing by deleting and making substitutions for derogatory, inaccurate, and obsolete
terms.
New law provides for the following changes in terminology throughout existing law:
(1)New law changes "deaf person" and "hearing-impaired person" to "the deaf and hard
of hearing".
(2)New law changes "the hearing-impaired" to "the deaf or hard of hearing".
(3)New law changes "hearing impairment" to "hearing loss".
New law provides for the following changes to terminology in existing law relative to
identification of hearing loss in infants:
(1)New law changes "infants at risk" to "infants susceptible to a hearing disability".
(2)New law changes "at-risk", when referring to a person, to "susceptible".
(3)New law changes "at-risk questionnaire" and "at-risk registry" to "susceptibility
questionnaire" and "susceptibility registry", respectively.
New law provides for revision of terminology relative to the deaf and hard of hearing in
administrative rules, policy documents, professional resources, reference materials, manuals,
and other governmental publications.
New law sets forth the following legislative findings and declarations of intent:
(1)Language used to refer to persons with disabilities and other persons with
exceptionalities shapes and reflects attitudes toward and perceptions of those persons
by society.
(2)The legislature intends to delete from existing law terms that convey negative or
derogatory perceptions of persons with disabilities and other persons with
exceptionalities, and to provide through new law for appropriate terminology which
conveys no indignity toward persons with hearing loss.
(3)The legislature intends that no provision of new law shall alter or affect in any way
the substance, interpretation, or application of existing law or existing administrative
code.
New law stipulates that nothing in new law shall be construed to expand or diminish any
right of or benefit for any person provided by existing law or existing administrative code.
Effective August 1, 2017.
(Amends R.S. 4:715(B)(2), R.S. 14:32(D)(3) and 39(D)(3), R.S. 17:43(B)(2) and 1942(B),
R.S. 21:51(C) and 52(A) and (B), R.S. 22:245, 1027(A), and 1038(C)(2)(a) and (E), R.S.
36:259(N), R.S. 37:2446.1(B)(7) and 2651(7)(b)(v)(hh), R.S. 40:1580.1(A) and 2208, R.S.
42:1119(B)(2)(a)(i), R.S. 45:1355(A), the heading of Ch. 30-A of Title 46 of the La. Revised
Statutes of 1950, R.S. 46:2261, 2262(A) and (C), 2262.1(intro. para.), (4), and (12), 2263(3),
(4), and (6)-(8), 2264(A), (C), and (D), 2265(A)(intro. para.), (9), and (10), 2266(1) and (3)-
(5), 2352(7)(a) and (10)(a)(intro. para.), 2361, 2362(2)-(6), 2363-2365, 2367, 2368(B), and
2372, R.S. 47:6301(A)(3), the heading of Part X of Ch. 1 of Title 49 of the La. Revised
Statutes of 1950, R.S. 49:181(A), and C.Cr.P. Art.401.1(B)(intro. para.))