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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

  
 
2    WHEREAS, There are over 384,000 individuals in Illinois who 
3are deaf or have a severe hearing loss; and
  
 
4    WHEREAS, There are over two million individuals in Illinois 
5who have mild to severe hearing loss; and
  
 
6    WHEREAS, In Illinois, there are nearly 500 children who are 
7identified with a hearing loss each year; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Hearing loss can happen at any point from birth to 
9late adulthood; and
 
10    WHEREAS, About 2.4 million people in the United States are 
11DeafBlind; and
 
12    WHEREAS, In Illinois, there are about 655 DeafBlind 
13individuals, but statistics regarding populations with
hearing 
14loss may be underreported due to individuals denying or 
15refusing to admit as having any kind of hearing
or vision loss; 
16and
 
17    WHEREAS, The needs and interests of the deaf, hard of 
18hearing, and DeafBlind community are diverse; and
  
 
 
 
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1    WHEREAS, In 1995, various leaders in the deaf and hard of 
2hearing community began discussions for the
necessity of a 
3governmental body in Illinois to focus on the needs of 
4individuals with hearing loss; and
  
 
5    WHEREAS, The Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission was 
6established in 1997 to be the coordinating and
advocating body 
7that acts on behalf of the interests of persons in Illinois who 
8are deaf or hard of hearing,
including children, adults, senior 
9citizens, and those with any additional disability; and
  
 
10    WHEREAS, News reports and various citizens, including 
11individuals with hearing loss, have raised concerns
that the 
12Commission has been unable to serve the community to the best 
13of its ability; therefore, be it
  
 
14    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL 
15ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the Office of 
16the Governor to work in collaboration with the Deaf and Hard of 
17Hearing Commission to develop a report of recommendations to 
18help ensure the Commission is better able to serve the deaf, 
19hard of hearing, and DeafBlind community; and be it further
 
20    RESOLVED, That at a minimum, the final report shall include 
21an analysis of and recommendations on the
following issues:
 
 
 
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1        (1) Hiring freezes placed on or at the Commission;
 
2        (2) Any official orders that limit the functions of the 
3    Commission, including orders that have come from the
Office 
4    of the Governor, the Governor's Office of Management and 
5    Budget, the Department of
Central Management Services, or 
6    any other appropriate entities;
 
7        (3) Whether the transfer of the administration of the 
8    Interpreter for the Deaf Licensure Act of 2007 to the 
9    Department of Financial and Professional Regulation will 
10    better benefit interpreters and the deaf, hard of
hearing, 
11    and DeafBlind community, and any positive and negative 
12    effects the transfer would have, including,
but not limited 
13    to, any change in related fee amounts;
 
14        (4) Whether the Commission should be housed within the 
15    Department of Human Services, and the report
shall include, 
16    at minimum, the following:
 
17            (a) If the move will provide the Commission with 
18    more resources and administrative help so that it
can focus 
19    on providing specialized services for the deaf, hard of 
20    hearing, and DeafBlind
community; and
 
21            (b) If the move can allow for the Commission to 
 
 
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1    operate as an independent entity and not create
conflicts 
2    of interest between the Department program staff who 
3    currently serve deaf, hard of
hearing, and DeafBlind 
4    populations, the Commission, and the populations that the 
5    Commission
serves; and
 
6        (5) Identifying groups or populations with hearing 
7    loss that have been underserved or are not formally

8    recognized; and be it further
 
9    RESOLVED, That the Office of the Governor and the Deaf and 
10Hard of Hearing Commission shall take input
and testimony from 
11individuals from the community to be included in the report; 
12and be it further
 
13    RESOLVED, That the Office of the Governor and the Deaf and 
14Hard of Hearing Commission shall develop a
method to allow for 
15individuals who prefer to remain anonymous to submit their 
16input or testimony
anonymously; and be it further
 
17    RESOLVED, That the Office of the Governor and the Deaf and 
18Hard of Hearing Commission shall promulgate
any developed 
19methods to receive input from the community; and be it further 
 
20    RESOLVED, That no later than January 1, 2018, the Office of 
21the Governor and the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Commission shall 
 
 
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1submit a report of their findings and recommendations to the 
2General Assembly; and be it
further
  
 
3    RESOLVED, That the Office of the Governor and the Deaf and 
4Hard of Hearing Commission shall make this
report available to 
5the public, including, but not limited to, by posting it to the 
6appropriate official agency
website.