HJ0043 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HJ0043 LRB094 11741 CSA 43859 r

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The provision of a free appropriate public education (FAPE) for a student with hearing loss can only occur with full communication access to education; and

WHEREAS, Full communication access depends upon a language-rich environment that fosters age-appropriate communication and language development, utilizes language-proficient educational staff, and provides for direct communication with staff and peers; and

WHEREAS, Children and youth who are deaf or hard of hearing face unique and significant barriers related to language and communication that profoundly affect most aspects of the educational process; and

WHEREAS, Attending to a student's communication needs and language development is a vital prerequisite for access to educational opportunities that lead to literacy and academic achievement; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that there is created the Joint Task Force on Deaf and Hard of Hearing Education Options, consisting of fifteen members appointed as follows: the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, President of the Senate, and Minority Leader of the Senate shall each appoint one member; the following entities shall each appoint one member: the Illinois Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission, the Illinois State Board of Education, the Illinois Supervisors of Programs for Individuals who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing, the Helen Keller National Center, the Early Intervention System, the Hearing and Vision Connections, the Illinois School for the Deaf, the Illinois Hands and Voices parent organization, and the Newborn Hearing Screening Program; the Deaf Education Program in Illinois at MacMurray College and the Illinois State University shall each appoint one member; and be it further

RESOLVED, That all members of the Task Force shall serve without compensation; and be it further

RESOLVED, That all members of the Communication Options Committee established by the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission with the collaboration of the State Board of Education shall continue in their representation on the Joint Task Force on Deaf and Hard of Hearing Education Options; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Task Force can appoint members as it sees fit to serve as representatives of the deaf and hard of hearing population of Illinois or parents of children with hearing loss representing each of the following communication options: Oral/aural, Cued Speech, Total Communication, and American Sign Language; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the duty of the Task Force is to undertake a comprehensive and thorough review of education and services available to the deaf or hard of hearing children in Illinois with the intent of making recommendations that would recognize communication as fundamental to a deaf or hard of hearing child's most basic of needs; ensure communication-driven service delivery of the early intervention system and the public education system with programs and services addressing the unique communication needs of each child through communication assessment, development, and access; establish uniform methods and procedures within the early intervention system and the public education system that shall be non-biased and well-informed when sharing information with children and their families on the available communication options and community resource awareness; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Task Force, working with the Illinois Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission, the Illinois State Board of Education, the Early Intervention System, the Illinois School for the Deaf, and the Newborn Hearing Screening Program, shall assist those entities in developing interagency agreements and programs and procedures regarding universal, early identification of hearing loss and effective interface between medical and educational services; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Task Force may request assistance from any entity necessary or useful for the performance of its duties; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall issue a report with its recommendations to the General Assembly on or before January 1, 2007.