House of Representatives

HB 2619

education; American sign language

Sponsors: Representatives Burton Cahill,

Lopez L, Cannell, Sedillo, et al

 

dpa s/e

Committee on Education

x

Committee on Appropriations

 

Caucus and COW

 

Third Read

 

 

As Passed the House

 

HB 2619 requires school districts, community colleges and public universities to offer American Sign Language (ASL) as a foreign language.

 

Current Status

HB 2619 was amended in the Education Committee with a strike-everything amendment that requires the State Board of Education, by September 1, 2003, to adopt rules allowing school districts to include ASL course credits taught by a certified ASL instructor from the Arizona Commission for the Deaf and the Hard of Hearing to qualify as a foreign language credit on the pupil’s transcript.  The rules shall not require a school district to offer ASL courses.

 

Proposed Strike-Everything amendment to HB 2619

The proposed strike-everything amendment to HB 2619 requires the State Board of Education, by September 1, 2003, to adopt rules allowing school districts to include ASL course credits taught by an Arizona Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing instructor to qualify as a foreign language academic credit towards the pupil’s transcript.  School districts are not required to offer ASL courses.

 

History

The Arizona Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (ACDHH), established in 1978, consists of 14 members appointed by the Governor for three-year terms.  Of the 14 members, five are deaf; five are hard of hearing; one is a parent of a deaf person; one is selected from the Arizona Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf; one is a hearing aid dispenser licensed; one is a licensed physician; one is a clinical audiologist; one is from each of the Departments of Education, Health Services, and Economic Security; and one is from The Arizona State Schools for the Deaf and Blind in Tucson or The Phoenix Day School of the Deaf.  The goal of the ACDHH is to improve the quality of life for deaf and hard-of-hearing residents of Arizona.

 

Provisions

·          Requires the SBE, by September 1, 2007, to develop rules requiring school districts to establish ASL as a foreign language to be taught by an instructor who is ASL-certified from the ACDHH.  Pupils may obtain academic credits for completing coursework.

·          Declares that community colleges and public universities, by September 1, 2007, shall establish ASL as a foreign language to be taught by an instructor who is ASL-certified from the ACDHH.  Pupils may obtain academic credits for completing coursework.

 

Amendments

HB 2619 was amended in the Education Committee with a strike-everything amendment as follows:

·          Requires the State Board of Education, by September 1, 2003, to adopt rules allowing school districts to include American sign language (ASL) course credits taught by a certified ASL instructor from ACDHH to qualify as a foreign language credit on the pupil’s transcript.

·          Prohibits the rules from requiring a school district to offer ASL as courses.

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·          45th Legislature                 

·          Second Regular Session      3          April 2, 2002

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