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SB0008B -1- CSSB 8(EDC)
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CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 8(EDC)
IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA
THIRTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE - FIRST SESSION
BY THE SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE
Offered: 5/7/25
Referred: Finance
Sponsor(s): SENATOR GRAY-JACKSON
A BILL
FOR AN ACT ENTITLED
"An Act relating to public school students who are deaf or hard of hearing." 1
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 2
* Section 1. AS 14.30.272 is amended by adding new subsections to read: 3
(c) A school district shall 4
(1) provide a parent of a child who is deaf or hard of hearing , or who 5
the school district suspects may be deaf or hard of hearing, wi th comprehensive, 6
neutral, and unbiased information regarding 7
(A) hearing technology, includi ng hearing aids, bone-anchored 8
hearing aids, cochlear implants, and remote microphone systems; 9
(B) different methods of communication for a child who is deaf 10
or hard of hearing, including listening and spoken language, a bilingual 11
approach, cued speech, and total communication; 12
(C) services and programs that are designed to meet the needs 13
of children who are deaf or hard of hearing; and 14
(D) support and advocacy services offered by public and 15
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CSSB 8(EDC) -2- SB0008B
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private agencies and other entities knowledgeable about the nee ds of children 1
who are deaf or hard of hearing; 2
(2) allow the parent of a child who is deaf or hard of hearing , or who 3
the school district suspects may be deaf or hard of hearing, to choose the method of 4
communication that the parent determines is most appropriate fo r the child and 5
provide services using the parent's chosen method of communication for the child; and 6
(3) deliver services to a child who is deaf or hard of hearing , or who 7
the school district suspects may be deaf or hard of hearing, th rough professionals with 8
training, experience, and a background in the chosen method of communication. 9
(d) A school district shall info rm a parent of a child who is deaf or hard of 10
hearing, or who the school district suspects may be deaf or har d of hearing, of the 11
school district's duties and of the parent's rights provided under (c) of this section. 12
(e) In this section, 13
(1) "bilingual approach" means the development of both sign la nguage 14
and English language literacy skills as a child's mode of recep tive and expressive 15
communication; 16
(2) "cued speech" means a visual communication system that use s 17
hand shapes and placements in combination with the mouth moveme nts of speech to 18
identify the phonemes of spoken language that look similar to one another; 19
(3) "deaf" means possessing hearing levels that, with or witho ut 20
hearing technology, substantially affect a child's ability to u nderstand spoken 21
language; 22
(4) "hard of hearing" means possessing hearing levels that, wi th or 23
without hearing technology, affect a child's ability to understand spoken language; 24
(5) "listening and spoken language" means communication that 25
focuses on maximizing listening through the use of hearing tech nologies, professional 26
intervention, and family involve ment and support to facilitate the acquisition and 27
development of the spoken language of the child's home and community; 28
(6) "total communication" means the combined use of signs, spe ech, 29
speech-reading, auditory training, visual aids, manual gestures , and writing to convey 30
information. 31
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SB0008B -3- CSSB 8(EDC)
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* Sec. 2. AS 14.30.276 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 1
(b) The department shall estab lish and operate a centralized p rogram for the 2
deaf to be made available to deaf students in the state. The pr ogram must provide 3
residential services as part of its educational program. The pr ogram may be operated 4
by a school district under an agr eement with the department. If a school district 5
operates the program, the school district shall annually submit a plan of operations to 6
the department for approval a nd shall perform all duties of a l ocal school district 7
related to special education unde r state and federal law, excep t that the school district 8
is required to offer transportation only to students who reside in the district. If a school 9
district determines, in consultation with the child's parents, that placement at the 10
program is appropriate for a ch ild who resides in the district, the school district that 11
makes the placement retains th e school district's responsibilit ies for special education 12
for that child under state and fe deral law. The department shal l provide to a school 13
district that operates the program funding for students who attend the program. 14