New Hampshire § 186-C-35 - Section 186-C:35 Advisory Council Established.

§ 186-C-35. Section 186-C:35 Advisory Council Established.

There is hereby established an advisory council on the education of children who are deaf or hard of hearing. I. Members of the council shall be as follows: (a) One professional with experience in using assistive technology. (b) Two teachers of the deaf, one of whom is a regular and effective user of American Sign language and one of whom is a regular and effective user of oral/aural or speech based English. (c) Two parents of deaf or hard of hearing students, one of whom is a regular and effective user of American sign language and one of whom is a regular and effective user of oral/aural or speech based English. (d) Two representatives of the deaf and hard of hearing community, one of whom is a user of American sign language and one of whom is a user of oral/aural or speech based English. (e) One administrator of a college or university program in interpreter training. (f) One director of special education in a public school system. (g) One public school administrator. (h) One member of the New Hampshire Speech-Language-Hearing Association, appointed by the association. (i) One representative of the department of health and human services familiar with services for children who are deaf or hard of hearing, appointed by the commissioner of the department of health and human services. (j) One representative of the early hearing detection and intervention program, in the department of health and human services, appointed by the commissioner of the department of health and human services. (k) One representative of the department of education, division of special education, appointed by the commissioner of the department of education. (l) One member of the New Hampshire Association or Audiologists, appointed by the association. (m) One member of the New Hampshire Association of the Deaf, appointed by the association. II. The commissioner of the department of education shall appoint the members under subparagraphs I(a)-I(c) and the commissioner of the department of health and human services shall appoint the members under subparagraphs I(d)-I(g). Each member shall serve a 2-year term. III. The members of the council shall elect a chairperson from among the members. The first meeting of the council shall be called by the member appointed under subparagraph I(a). The first meeting of the council shall be held within 45 days of the effective date of this section. IV. The council shall advise the department of education and the department of health and human services on the needs and services provided to deaf and hard of hearing children in New Hampshire. In addition to such duties as may be assigned by the departments, the council shall determine the number of children within the state who are identified as being deaf and hard of hearing, the number of those children currently receiving services from both public and private agencies, the types of services being received, the types of services requested by parents or guardians, and areas of need. V. On or before November 1, the council shall submit an annual report its findings and any recommendations for proposed legislation to the speaker of the house of representatives, the president of the senate, the education committees in the house and senate, the New Hampshire commission on deafness and hearing loss established in RSA 125-Q, the house clerk, the senate clerk, the governor, and the state library.