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1
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, Current medical, scientific, and academic
3 evidence clearly demonstrate that listening and speaking
4 communication skills and literacy in the English language
5 provide deaf and hard of hearing children with the best
6 opportunity to: (1) achieve a high quality of life and maximum
7 contribution to society with a corresponding reduction in total
8 cost to society, (2) participate in the spoken language
9 communication of their families, their schools, their
10 communities and society at large, (3) participate in the
11 mainstream classroom setting, and (4) progress in the general
12 education curriculum with a minimum of support; and
 
13     WHEREAS, There are a large number of public entities
14 involved with the services of Hearing Screening for Newborns,
15 Early Intervention, and public deaf education, and it is very
16 difficult for all the public entities to communicate with one
17 another and more difficult for parents to navigate through the
18 system; and
 
19     WHEREAS, Both the early intervention system and public
20 education system should provide a choice of communication
21 options to deaf and hard of hearing children; and
 
22     WHEREAS, Both the early intervention system and the public
23 education system should be non-biased and well-informed when
24 sharing information with children and their families on the
25 available options; and
 
26     WHEREAS, Communication options in Illinois should include
27 sign language options, auditory options, auditory-oral and
28 auditory-verbal, and the Cued Speech option; therefore, be it
 
29     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
30 NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE

 

 

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1 SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that there is created the Joint Task
2 Force on Deaf and Hard of Hearing Education Options consisting
3 of 8 members appointed as follows: 2 members of the Senate
4 appointed by the President of the Senate, 2 members of the
5 Senate appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate, 2
6 members of the House of Representatives appointed by the
7 Speaker of the House of Representatives, and 2 members of the
8 House of Representatives appointed by the Minority Leader of
9 the House of Representatives; and be it further
 
10     RESOLVED, That all members of the Task Force shall serve
11 without compensation; and be it further
 
12     RESOLVED, That the chairperson of the Task Force shall be
13 selected by the members from among its membership and shall
14 meet at the call of the chairperson; and be it further
 
15     RESOLVED, That the Task Force can appoint members as it
16 sees fit to serve as representatives of the deaf and hard of
17 hearing population of Illinois or the Illinois education system
18 for the deaf and hard of hearing; and be it further
 
19     RESOLVED, That it is the duty of the Task Force to
20 undertake a comprehensive and thorough review of education and
21 services available to the deaf and hard of hearing in Illinois
22 with the intent of making recommendations that would ensure
23 that: (1) one public entity, which represents and supports all
24 of the communication and service options for the deaf and hard
25 of hearing, from birth until the age of 3, would be responsible
26 for the entire Hearing Screening for Newborns and the Early
27 Intervention system in the State, (2) the public education
28 system, beginning at the age of 3, would be responsible to
29 represent and support all of the communication and service
30 options for the deaf and hard of hearing in the State, (3) a
31 comprehensive and official State document would be developed to
32 describe what services are provided, the procedures, and who is

 

 

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1 responsible, and (4) all groups would be non-biased and
2 consistent in the information they provide to parents and
3 families of the deaf and hard of hearing; and be it further
 
4     RESOLVED, That the Task Force may request assistance from
5 any entity necessary or useful for the performance of its
6 duties; and be it further
 
7     RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall issue a report with its
8 recommendations to the General Assembly on or before January 1,
9 2005.