Bill Text: IL SR0528 | 2017-2018 | 100th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Urges the Office of the Governor to work in collaboration with the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission to develop a report of recommendations to help ensure the Commission is better able to serve the deaf, hard of hearing, and DeafBlind community.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Passed) 2017-05-31 - Resolution Adopted; 053-000-000 [SR0528 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2017-SR0528-Introduced.html

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SENATE RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, There are over 384,000 individuals in Illinois who
are deaf or have a severe hearing loss; and
WHEREAS, There are over two million individuals in Illinois
who have mild to severe hearing loss; and
WHEREAS, In Illinois, there are nearly 500 children who are
identified with a hearing loss each year; and
WHEREAS, Hearing loss can happen at any point from birth to
late adulthood; and
WHEREAS, About 2.4 million people in the United States are
DeafBlind; and
WHEREAS, In Illinois, there are about 655 DeafBlind
individuals, but statistics regarding populations with hearing
loss may be underreported due to individuals denying or
refusing to admit as having any kind of hearing or vision loss;
and
WHEREAS, The needs and interests of the deaf, hard of
hearing, and DeafBlind community are diverse; and

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WHEREAS, In 1995, various leaders in the deaf and hard of
hearing community began discussions for the necessity of a
governmental body in Illinois to focus on the needs of
individuals with hearing loss; and
WHEREAS, The Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission was
established in 1997 to be the coordinating and advocating body
that acts on behalf of the interests of persons in Illinois who
are deaf or hard of hearing, including children, adults, senior
citizens, and those with any additional disability; and
WHEREAS, News reports and various citizens, including
individuals with hearing loss, have raised concerns that the
Commission has been unable to serve the community to the best
of its ability; therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL
ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the Office of
the Governor to work in collaboration with the Deaf and Hard of
Hearing Commission to develop a report of recommendations to
help ensure the Commission is better able to serve the deaf,
hard of hearing, and DeafBlind community; and be it further
RESOLVED, That at a minimum, the final report shall include
an analysis of and recommendations on the following issues:

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(1) Hiring freezes placed on or at the Commission;
(2) Any official orders that limit the functions of the
Commission, including orders that have come from the Office
of the Governor, the Governor's Office of Management and
Budget, the Department of Central Management Services, or
any other appropriate entities;
(3) Whether the transfer of the administration of the
Interpreter for the Deaf Licensure Act of 2007 to the
Department of Financial and Professional Regulation will
better benefit interpreters and the deaf, hard of hearing,
and DeafBlind community, and any positive and negative
effects the transfer would have, including, but not limited
to, any change in related fee amounts;
(4) Whether the Commission should be housed within the
Department of Human Services, and the report shall include,
at minimum, the following:
(a) If the move will provide the Commission with
more resources and administrative help so that it can focus
on providing specialized services for the deaf, hard of
hearing, and DeafBlind community; and
(b) If the move can allow for the Commission to

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operate as an independent entity and not create conflicts
of interest between the Department program staff who
currently serve deaf, hard of hearing, and DeafBlind
populations, the Commission, and the populations that the
Commission serves; and
(5) Identifying groups or populations with hearing
loss that have been underserved or are not formally
recognized; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the Office of the Governor and the Deaf and
Hard of Hearing Commission shall take input and testimony from
individuals from the community to be included in the report;
and be it further
RESOLVED, That the Office of the Governor and the Deaf and
Hard of Hearing Commission shall develop a method to allow for
individuals who prefer to remain anonymous to submit their
input or testimony anonymously; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the Office of the Governor and the Deaf and
Hard of Hearing Commission shall promulgate any developed
methods to receive input from the community; and be it further
RESOLVED, That no later than January 1, 2018, the Office of
the Governor and the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission shall

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submit a report of their findings and recommendations to the
General Assembly; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the Office of the Governor and the Deaf and
Hard of Hearing Commission shall make this report available to
the public, including, but not limited to, by posting it to the
appropriate official agency website.