An Act To Enhance the Duties and Responsibilities of the Director of the Division for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Late Deafened
Maine Legislature, Session 125, LD 1638
Committee: Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development
Sponsors: GILBERT, AYOTTE, BLODGETT, CHIPMAN, CLARK, O'BRIEN, WALLACE
Amends: 26 MRSA §1413-B, 26 MRSA §1413-E

Legislative Document 
No. 1638 
H.P. 1228 
House of Representatives, December 20, 2011 
An Act To Enhance the Duties and Responsibilities of the Director 
of the Division for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Late Deafened 
Submitted by the Department of Labor pursuant to Joint Rule 204. 
Received by the Clerk of the House on December 16, 2011.  Referred to the Committee on 
Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and 
ordered printed pursuant to Joint Rule 401. 
HEATHER J.R. PRIEST 
Clerk 
Presented by Representative GILBERT of Jay. 
Cosponsored by Representatives: AYOTTE of Caswell, BLODGETT of Augusta, CHIPMAN 
of Portland, CLARK of Millinocket, O'BRIEN of Lincolnville, WALLACE of Dexter. 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  26 MRSA §1413-B, sub-§1-A is enacted to read: 
1-A.  Supervise vocational rehabilitation counselors for the deaf.  Provide direct 
supervision and oversight of vocational rehabilitation counselors who provide counseling 
to deaf, hard-of-hearing and late-deafened persons and who are within the division of 
vocational rehabilitation within the Bureau of Rehabilitation Services; 
Sec. 2.  26 MRSA §1413-E, as amended by PL 2009, c. 174, §19, is further 
amended to read: 
§1413-E.  Director of the Division for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Late Deafened 
1.  Director. The Director of the Bureau of Rehabilitation Services shall appoint the 
Director of the Division for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Late Deafened, who is 
responsible for administering the Division for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Late 
Deafened and its programs and policies, including generating and seeking out financial 
aid, grants and money and overseeing vocational rehabilitation counselors who provide 
counseling to deaf, hard-of-hearing and late-deafened persons and who are within the 
division of vocational rehabilitation within the Bureau of Rehabilitation Services. 
2.  Director of the Division for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Late Deafened; 
staff; qualifications. The Director of the Division for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Late 
Deafened and the staff must be knowledgeable of the needs of the deaf, hard of hearing 
hard-of-hearing and late deafened late-deafened persons and possess the ability to 
communicate on a meaningful basis with those persons. 
SUMMARY 
This bill clarifies that the Director of the Division for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing and 
Late Deafened has oversight of vocational rehabilitation counselors who work in the 
Department of Labor, Bureau of Rehabilitation Services's division of vocational 
rehabilitation and serve deaf, hard-of-hearing and late-deafened persons.  The bill also 
removes language that provides that the Director of the Bureau of Rehabilitation Services 
appoints the Director of the Division for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Late Deafened.