Bill Text: NJ S2532 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires DOH to collect and coordinate data on language proficiency of children who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced) 2024-02-08 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee [S2532 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-S2532-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator M. TERESA RUIZ
District 29 (Essex and Hudson)
SYNOPSIS
Requires DOH to collect and coordinate data on language proficiency of children who are deaf or hard of hearing.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning the deaf and hard of hearing and supplementing Title 26 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. As used in this act:
"Division" means the Division of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in the Department of Human Services.
b. In a manner that is consistent with federal and State privacy laws, the Department of Health, in coordination with the Departments of Human Services and Education, shall collect and compile searchable data regarding the general educational progress and language proficiency of each child in this State who is diagnosed as deaf or hard of hearing from birth to the age of 10, as determined by the Department of Health.
c. Data that is to be collected and compiled pursuant to subsection b. of this section shall be collected and compiled by the Departments of Health and Education using a centralized data platform and shared by the division, as appropriate, within the Department of Human Services and with the Department of Education and the Department of Health to assist the departments in the development and administration of programs that are intended to benefit children who are deaf or hard of hearing. The division shall share the collected data only with the informed, written consent of a child's guardian or parent.
2. The Commissioner of Health shall adopt rules and regulations, in accordance with the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), as are necessary to effectuate the provisions of this act.
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the Department of Health (DOH) to collect and coordinate data on the language proficiency of children who are deaf or hard of hearing.
The bill provides that, in a manner that is consistent with federal and State privacy laws, the DOH, in coordination with the Departments of Human Services (DHS) and Education (DOE), is to collect and compile searchable data regarding the general educational progress and language proficiency of each child in this State who is diagnosed as deaf or hard of hearing from birth to the age of 10, as determined by the DOH.
Under the bill, data is to be collected and compiled using a centralized data platform and shared by the Division of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (division), as appropriate, within the DHS and with the DOE and DOH to assist the departments in the development and administration of programs that are intended to benefit children who are deaf or hard of hearing. The division is to share the collected data only with the informed, written consent of a child's guardian or parent.
