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Posted
April 28, 2005
HB 530(ASL Bill) Scheduled for Public Hearing in the
Senate |
At the request of the Missouri Commission for the
Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Representative Danie Moore introduced HB
530, which is the companion bill to SB 454 and contains exactly the
same language. If enacted into law, HB 530 would give students in
all public educational institutions in Missouri credit for taking
American Sign Language (ASL) classes if those classes are offered in
the regular curriculum of the institutions. It would also allow
students to earn ASL credit by proficiency if an educational
institution offers courses in ASL. And it would allow students to
use ASL to satisfy “foreign language” or “language arts” admission
and graduation requirements at any public institution of higher
education in Missouri. HB 530 has passed the House and was referred
to the Senate Education Committee and has been scheduled for a
public hearing next Tuesday, May 3rd, at 12:30 pm in Senate
Committee Room # 1.
All advocates who would like to see this bill passed are urged to
attend that hearing and testify in support of HB 530. If you cannot
attend the hearing, and you have not already done so, please send me
(roy.miller@mcdhh.mo.gov) a letter of support for HB 530/SB 454 so
that I can add it to the pile of support letters to present to the
Senate Committee members next Tuesday. I now have over 200 letters
of support for HB 530/SB 454!. And if you have already sent me a
letter of support, it would help if you would e-mail, fax or call
the chairman of the Senate Education Committee before Tuesday with
the simple message: "PLEASE SUPPORT HB 530 AS IT WOULD BENEFIT MANY
DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING MISSOURIANS AT NO COST TO THE STATE." The
chairman of that committee is Senator Gary Nodler from Joplin (phone
573-751-2306; fax 573-751-2894; e-mail to gary_nodler@senate.mo.gov).
Everyone should be encouraged at this point. We have gotten further
with the ASL bill this year than ever before, and we stand a
reasonable chance of seeing it pass the legislature. Keep those
letters coming, and let your local legislators know that you support
HB 530/SB 454.
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For more information about legislation/issues,
contact
MCDHH@mcdhh.mo.gov
This report is being posted by the Missouri Commission for the
Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
4-28-05 |
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