Act 629 of the 1980 Louisiana Legislative Session established the Louisiana Commission for the Deaf to provide programs and services and to improve communication access to individuals who are D/deaf, DeafBlind, and hard of hearing. Since then, there have been many improvements for individuals who are D/deaf, DeafBlind, and hard of hearing – including the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990. As such, certain areas of LCD’s historical responsibilities warranted revision in order to support effective implementation of ADA requirements.
Since 2019, LCD Board members, staff, and Dept. of Health leaders have worked to identify needed changes. On February 28 of this year, Senator Sharon Hewitt (R-District 1) filed Senate Bill 98 (SB 98) to propose these recommended amendements during the 2022 Regular Session. The bill aims to: eliminate reference to services that no longer exist or are no longer under LCD purview; clarify authority surrounding Louisiana American Sign Language Interpreter workforce; and expand LCD’s ability to adapt services through rulemaking.