Bill Text: CA AB322 | 2017-2018 | Regular Session | Amended

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Public social services for deaf persons.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2017-09-01 - In committee: Held under submission. [AB322 Detail]

Download: California-2017-AB322-Amended.html

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Amended  IN  Assembly  March 21, 2017

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2017–2018 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 322

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Introduced by Assembly Member Mullin

February 07, 2017

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An act to amend Section 10621 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to public social services. services, and making an appropriation therefor.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 322, as amended, Mullin. Public social services for deaf persons.

Existing law requires public social services for the deaf and hard of hearing to be available in at least 3 regions throughout the state. Existing law provides that public social services for the deaf and hard of hearing includes, but is not limited to, complete communication services through interpreter services by a professional interpreter for the deaf, as specified, and counseling. Existing law requires the State Department of Social Services, with the advice of persons knowledgeable about the provision of public social services to deaf and hard-of-hearing persons, to establish the criteria for funding public social services for the deaf and hard of hearing.

This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to those provisions.

This bill, commencing with the 2017–18 fiscal year and each fiscal year thereafter, would continuously appropriate, without regard to fiscal year, $8,200,000 from the General Fund to the department for the purpose of providing deaf access program services, as specified. The bill would require that $3,000,000 of that amount be used to provide deaf access program services to deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals who reside in a linguistically isolated household, as defined.

Digest Key

Vote: MAJORITY2/3   Appropriation: NOYES   Fiscal Committee: NOYES   Local Program: NO  

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Bill Text

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

 (a) (1) Commencing with the 2017–18 fiscal year and each fiscal year thereafter, eight million two hundred thousand dollars ($8,200,000) shall hereby be continuously appropriated, without regard to fiscal year, from the General Fund to the State Department of Social Services for the Deaf Access Program for the purpose of providing deaf access program services, as described in Section 10621 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.

(2) Three million dollars ($3,000,000) of the appropriation pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be used to provide deaf access program services, as described in Section 10621 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, to deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals who reside in a linguistically isolated household, in their primary language.

(b) For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:

(1) “Adult” means an individual 14 years of age or older.

(2) “Linguistically isolated household” means a household in which all adults speak a language other than English and none speaks English very well.

SECTION 1.Section 10621 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:

10621.

Public social services for the deaf and hard of hearing shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following services:

(a)Complete communication services through interpreter services by a professional interpreter for the deaf possessing the comprehensive skills certification of the national Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, or the equivalent, teletypewriter relay, and, when necessary, training in communication skills.

(b)Advocacy to assure deaf and hard-of-hearing persons receive equal access to public and private services.

(c)Job development and job placement.

(d)Information and referral.

(e)Counseling, including peer counseling.

(f)Independent living skills instruction.

(g)Community education about deafness and being hard of hearing.