| HB 1783 does
one thing. It changes the name of the Missouri Commission for the
Deaf to the Missouri Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. HB
1783was passed by the House on 4/2/02, and sent to the Senate where
it has been assigned to the Senate Aging, Families and Mental Health
Committee. That committee will hold a public hearing on HB 1783
tomorrow (Tuesday) morning at 9:00 am in Senate Hearing Room #2.
MCD was informed tonight
that there will be a Senate Committee Substitute bill introduced in
the morning which would replace HB 1783 with a bill that would do
two things:
(1) change the name of the Commission, and
(2) mandate the recognition of certain RID and NAD
certifications, and allow the holders
of those certifications to go direct to licensure and
obtain a license without having to
convert their certifications to MICS certifications.
While MCD happily supports the recognition of RID and NAD
certifications as detailed in SCS SB 882, and has been working for a
long time to develop the rules necessary for quick and automatic
conversion of RID and NAD certifications, it does not support this
new proposed substitute language which would in effect create
parallel certification systems in Missouri.
Advocates who wish to oppose this proposed substitute language can
do so by either testifying in person at the public hearing tomorrow,
or sending an e-mail, fax or letter to the members of the committee
with your written comments. And, of course, the members of the
committee can always be reached by telephone. The members of the
Senate Aging, Families and Mental Health Committee are as follows:
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