I 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5831 
To require a demonstration program on the accession as Air Force officers 
of candidates with auditory impairments. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 15, 2018 
Mr. TAKANO (for himself, Mr. DELANEY, and Mr. LANGEVIN) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services 
A BILL 
To require a demonstration program on the accession as 
Air Force officers of candidates with auditory impairments. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Keith Nolan Air Force 
Deaf Demonstration Act of 2018’’. 
SEC. 2. DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM ON ACCESSION OF 
CANDIDATES WITH AUDITORY IMPAIRMENTS 
AS AIR FORCE OFFICERS. 
(a) DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM REQUIRED.—Begin-
ning not later than 90 days after the date of the enact-
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ment of this Act, the Secretary of the Air Force shall carry 
out a demonstration program to assess the feasibility and 
advisability of permitting individuals with auditory impair-
ments (including deafness) to access as officers of the Air 
Force. 
(b) CANDIDATES.— 
(1) NUMBER OF CANDIDATES.—The total num-
ber of individuals with auditory impairments who 
may participate in the demonstration program shall 
be not fewer than 15 individuals or more than 20 in-
dividuals. 
(2) MIX
AND
RANGE
OF
AUDITORY
IMPAIR-
MENTS.—The individuals who participate in the 
demonstration program shall include individuals who 
are deaf and individuals who have a range of other 
auditory impairments. 
(3) QUALIFICATION FOR ACCESSION.—Any indi-
vidual who is chosen to participate in the demonstra-
tion program shall meet all essential qualifications 
for accession as an officer in the Air Force, other 
than those related to having an auditory impair-
ment. 
(c) SELECTION OF PARTICIPANTS.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary of the Air 
Force shall— 
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(A) publicize the demonstration program 
nationally, including to individuals who have 
auditory impairments and would be otherwise 
qualified for officer training; 
(B) create a process whereby interested in-
dividuals can apply for the demonstration pro-
gram; and 
(C) select the participants for the dem-
onstration program, from among the pool of ap-
plicants, based on the criteria in subsection (b). 
(2) NO PRIOR SERVICE AS AIR FORCE OFFI-
CERS.—Participants selected for the demonstration 
program shall be individuals who have not previously 
served as officers in the Air Force. 
(d) BASIC OFFICER TRAINING.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The participants in the dem-
onstration program shall undergo, at the election of 
the Secretary of the Air Force, the Basic Officer 
Training course or the Commissioned Officer Train-
ing course at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. 
(2) NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS.—Once individ-
uals begin participating in the demonstration pro-
gram, each Basic Officer Training course or Com-
missioned Officer Training course at Maxwell Air 
Force Base, Alabama, shall include not fewer than 
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four, or more than six, participants in the dem-
onstration program until all participants have com-
pleted such training. 
(3) AUXILIARY AIDS AND SERVICES.—The Sec-
retary of Defense shall ensure that participants in 
the demonstration program have the necessary auxil-
iary aids and services (as that term is defined in sec-
tion 4 of the Americans With Disabilities Act of 
1990 (42 U.S.C. 12103)) in order to fully partici-
pate in the demonstration program. 
(e) COORDINATION.— 
(1) SPECIAL ADVISOR.—The Secretary of the 
Air Force shall designate a special advisor to the 
demonstration program to act as a resource for par-
ticipants in the demonstration program, as well as a 
liaison between participants in the demonstration 
program and those providing the officer training. 
(2) QUALIFICATIONS.—The special advisor shall 
be a member of the Armed Forces on active duty— 
(A) who— 
(i) if a commissioned officer, shall be 
in grade O–3 or higher; or 
(ii) if an enlisted member, shall be in 
grade E–5 or higher; and 
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(B) who is knowledgeable about issues in-
volving, and accommodations for, individuals 
with auditory impairments (including deafness). 
(3) RESPONSIBILITIES.—The special advisor 
shall be responsible for facilitating the officer train-
ing for participants in the demonstration program, 
intervening and resolving issues and accommoda-
tions during the training, and such other duties as 
the Secretary of the Air Force may assign to facili-
tate the success of the demonstration program and 
participants. 
(f) REPORT.—Not later than two years after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Air 
Force shall submit to the appropriate committees of Con-
gress a report on the demonstration program. The report 
shall include the following: 
(1) A description of the demonstration program 
and the participants in the demonstration program. 
(2) The outcome of the demonstration program, 
including— 
(A) the number of participants in the dem-
onstration program that successfully completed 
the Basic Officer Training course or the Com-
missioned Officer Training course; 
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(B) the number of participants in the dem-
onstration program that were recommended for 
continued military service; 
(C) the issues that were encountered dur-
ing the program; and 
(D) such recommendation for modifications 
to the demonstration program as the Secretary 
considers appropriate to increase further inclu-
sion of individuals with auditory disabilities 
serving as officers in the Air Force or other 
Armed Forces. 
(3) Such recommendations for legislative or ad-
ministrative action as the Secretary considers appro-
priate in light of the demonstration program. 
(g) APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES OF CONGRESS DE-
FINED.—In this section, the term ‘‘appropriate commit-
tees of Congress’’ means— 
(1) the Committee on Armed Services, the 
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pen-
sions, and the Committee on Appropriations of the 
Senate; and 
(2) the Committee on Armed Services and the 
Committee on Appropriations of the House of Rep-
resentatives. 
Æ 
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