An Act To Establish the Education Bill of Rights for Deaf and Hard-of-hearing Children
Maine Legislature, Session 123, LD 1901
Committee Amendment CA_A_H468 (House)

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 1335, L.D. 1901, Bill, "An Act To 
Establish the Education Bill of Rights for Deaf and Hard-of-hearing Children" 
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following: 
'Resolve, To Analyze the Feasibility of Establishing an Education Bill of 
Rights for Deaf and Hard-oC-hearing Children' 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the title and before the summary and 
inserting the following: 
'Sec. 1. Analysis of basic education rights proposed for deaf and hard-of-
hearing children. Resolved: That the Department of Education and the Maine 
Educational Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and the Governor Baxter School for 
the Deaf shall jointly convene a working group to analyze the feasibility of establishing 
basic education rights for deaf and hard-of-hearing children. The working group shall 
consider the legislative initiatives proposed during the First Regular Session of the 123rd 
Legislature, including analyses of the following issues: 
1. 
The eligibility of any infant with a documented hearing loss, prior to 
demonstration of any developmental delay, for early intervention services through the 
Child Development Services System; 
2. 
The establishment of an individualized communication plan as part of the 
individualized family service plan or the individualized education plan established for 
each deaf or hard-of-hearing child who has been determined to be a child with a 
disability; 
3. The involvement of experts in the field of deaf and hard-of-hearing education in 
the individualized family service plan teams and the individualized education plan teams 
for each deaf or hard.of-hearing child who has been determined to be a child with a 
disability; 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
.,. 
~ 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT ,A " 
to H.P. 1335, L.n. 1901 
4. The qualifications of teachers, interpreters and other education personnel who 
provide professional services to deaf and hard-of-hearing children; 
5. The extent to which the basic education rights considered by the working group 
for deaf and hard-of-hearing children are consistent with or exceed current federal and 
state rules and laws for deaf and hard-of-hearing children who have been detennined to 
be children with disabilities; 
6. The clarification and definition of all tenns that pertain to the basic education 
rights proposed for deaf and hard-of-hearing children; 
7. 
The recodification of all existing provisions contained in the Department of 
Education Chapter 101 special education rules that pertain to deaf and hard-of-hearing 
children into a single section of the rules to increase the accessibility of these rules and 
minimize confusion regarding these provisions; 
8. The special challenges that confront small schools and schools located in rural 
areas of the State pertaining to the fiscal and human resource capacity of these schools to 
provide education programs for deaf and hard-of-hearing children, including the 
availability of consultation services, distance learning and telecommunications resources 
available to schools through the Maine Educational Center for the Deaf and Hard of 
Hearing and the Governor Baxter School for the Deaf; and 
9. The status of current laws or pending legislation in other states that pertain to the 
provision of basic education rights for deaf and hard-of-hearing children, including any 
analyses of current laws or pending legislation that may be available from the National 
Conference of State Legislatures; and be it further 
Sec.2. Report. Resolved: That, no later than January 31,2008, the Department 
of Education and the Maine Educational Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and the 
Governor Baxter School for the Deaf shall jointly submit a report to the Joint Standing 
Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs that includes their findings and 
recommendations, including suggested legislation, regarding any necessary changes to 
the current statutes and rules pertaining to early intervention services and the education 
delivery system for deaf and hard-of-hearing children; and be it further 
Sec. 3. Legislation. Resolved: That the Joint Standing Committee on Education 
and Cultural Affairs may submit a bill to the Second Regular Session of the 123rd 
Legislature to implement its recommendations on matters relating to the report submitted 
pursuant to section 2.' 
SUMMARY 
This amendment replaces the bill with a resolve to require the Department of 
Education and the Maine Educational Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and the 
Governor Baxter School for the Deaf to jointly convene a working group to analyze the 
feasibility of establishing a set of basic education rights for deaf and hard-of-hearing 
children. The amendment requires that, no later than January 31, 2008, the Department 
of Education and the Maine Educational Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and the 
Governor Baxter School for the Deaf jointly submit a report that includes their findings 
and recommendations, including suggested legislation, to the Joint Standing Committee 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
.. ,. 
.f). 
~ 
.. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 'f"r" to H.P. 1335, L.D. 1901 
on Education and Cultural Affairs. The amendment also authorizes the Joint Standing 
Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs to submit a bill to the Second Regular 
Session ofthe 123rd Legislature to implement its recommendations on matters relating to 
the report. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 06/04/07 Mac:.. 
LD 1901 
LR 542(03) 
An Act To Establish the Education Bill of Rights for Deaf and Hard-of-hearing Children 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment "It" 
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Minor cost increase - General Fund 
Additional costs to the Department of Education and the Maine Educational Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing 
and the Governor Baxter School for the Deaf to conduct the required analysis can be absorbed within existing 
budgeted resources. 
LR0542(03) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1