Two recent bills addressing deaf children’s educational needs have been addressed by legislators in South Dakota, according to an article on the Keloland website.
House Bill 1228, which modifies the age range for South Dakota’s Language Equality and Acquisition for Deaf Kids (LEAD-K) Law‘s language and developmental literacy milestones from birth to age 5 to birth to age 21, regardless if the child receives special education or related services. According to the article, the House Education Committee voted 9-6 to endorse the bill, and will be debated in the House on February 27. If approved, the change would take effect on August 1, 2021.
Senate Bill 117, which would mandate that the state’s Department of Education create certain programs for deaf and hard-of-hearing children under the 1993 Deaf Child’s Bill of Rights, failed to be approved. According to the article, “it fell six ayes short, 18-17.” Senator Reynold Nesiba “gave notice he planned to reconsider it.”
To read the article in its entirety, please click here.
Source: Keloland
