HLS 17RS-946 ORIGINAL
2017 Regular Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 36
BY REPRESENTATIVE SMITH
LEGISLATIVE AGCY/LAW INST: Requests a study and recommendations by the La.
State Law Institute concerning the prospective use of the term "d/Deaf" in law
1 A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
2To urge and request the Louisiana State Law Institute to study the prospective use of the
3 term "d/Deaf" in law, and to report findings of the study in the form of
4 recommendations to the legislature concerning the term.
5 WHEREAS, the Legislature of Louisiana recognizes that language used to refer to
6persons with disabilities and other persons with exceptionalities shapes and reflects attitudes
7toward and perceptions of those persons by society; and
8 WHEREAS, through consideration of legislative instruments such as House Bill No.
963 of the 2014 Regular Session and House Bill No. 253 of this 2017 Regular Session, the
10legislature has engaged in careful review and evaluation of terminology in Louisiana law
11referring to persons with disabilities; and
12 WHEREAS, the deaf community encompasses distinct cultures, the members of
13which self-identify with either the term "deaf" (lower case) or "Deaf" (capitalized); and
14 WHEREAS, "deaf" and "Deaf" are distinct in that the former term refers, generally,
15to persons who identify with people who have hearing ability, and who regard their own
16hearing loss solely in medical terms; while the latter, capitalized term refers to people who
17identify as culturally deaf, and whose life experiences are shaped primarily by deaf culture;
18and
19 WHEREAS, the combination term "d/Deaf" has emerged as an inclusive means of
20referring to these two groups within the deaf community; and
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HCR NO. 36
1 WHEREAS, proponents of wider use of "d/Deaf" in written language argue that the
2term is more than a linguistic expedient as it embodies both sense and reference and has a
3generally accepted definition; and
4 WHEREAS, like the law, language is a human creation which evolves to meet the
5needs of human society.
6 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
7urge and request the Louisiana State Law Institute to study the prospective use of the term
8"d/Deaf" in law and to report findings of the study in the form of recommendations to the
9legislature concerning the term.
10 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Louisiana State Law Institute shall report
11findings and recommendations resulting from the study requested by this Resolution to the
12legislature no later than thirty days prior to the convening of the 2018 Regular Session.
13 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
14director of the Louisiana State Law Institute and to the executive director and each member
15of the Louisiana Commission for the Deaf.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HCR 36 Original 2017 Regular Session Smith
Requests the La. State Law Institute to study the prospective use of the term "d/Deaf" in law
and to report recommendations concerning the term to the legislature.
Requests a report of its findings and recommendations to the legislature no later than 30 days
prior to the 2018 R.S.
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