ENROLLED
2017 Regular Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 36
BY REPRESENTATIVE SMITH
A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
To urge and request the Louisiana State Law Institute to study the prospective use of the
term "d/Deaf" in law, and to report findings of the study in the form of
recommendations to the legislature concerning the term.
WHEREAS, the Legislature of Louisiana recognizes that 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; and
WHEREAS, through consideration of legislative instruments such as House Bill No.
63 of the 2014 Regular Session and House Bill No. 253 of this 2017 Regular Session, the
legislature has engaged in careful review and evaluation of terminology in Louisiana law
referring to persons with disabilities; and
WHEREAS, the deaf community encompasses distinct cultures, the members of
which self-identify with either the term "deaf" (lower case) or "Deaf" (capitalized); and
WHEREAS, "deaf" and "Deaf" are distinct in that the former term refers, generally,
to persons who identify with people who have hearing ability, and who regard their own
hearing loss solely in medical terms; while the latter, capitalized term refers to people who
identify as culturally deaf, and whose life experiences are shaped primarily by deaf culture;
and
WHEREAS, the combination term "d/Deaf" has emerged as an inclusive means of
referring to these two groups within the deaf community; and
WHEREAS, proponents of wider use of "d/Deaf" in written language argue that the
term is more than a linguistic expedient as it embodies both sense and reference and has a
generally accepted definition; and
Page 1 of 2 HCR NO. 36 ENROLLED
WHEREAS, like the law, language is a human creation which evolves to meet the
needs of human society.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
urge and request the Louisiana State Law Institute to study the prospective use of the term
"d/Deaf" in law and to report findings of the study in the form of recommendations to the
legislature concerning the term.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Louisiana State Law Institute shall report
findings and recommendations resulting from the study requested by this Resolution to the
legislature no later than thirty days prior to the convening of the 2018 Regular Session.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
director of the Louisiana State Law Institute and to the executive director and each member
of the Louisiana Commission for the Deaf.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
Page 2 of 2