Bill > SB1637

This bill establishes a statewide communication access services program managed by the Missouri Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing to help state agencies and businesses comply with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The program will coordinate resources, address service gaps, and assist with the costs of providing communication access services, which are defined broadly to include qualified interpreters, real-time translation services, notetakers, captioning, and other methods to make information accessible to individuals who are deaf, deaf-blind, or hard of hearing. The commission will create a registry of communication access service providers, set training and equipment standards, maintain an informational website, offer consultation and technical assistance to agencies, and conduct outreach to expand services in underserved areas. The bill also authorizes scholarships for professional development and the administration of financial assistance for communication access services, funded by a dedicated "Communication Access Services Fund" which can receive state appropriations, gifts, donations, grants, and bequests, with any remaining funds not reverting to the general revenue at the end of a biennium. A program manager with relevant experience will be hired to oversee the program, and the commission is tasked with promulgating rules to implement these provisions, which will be subject to standard administrative procedures for rule-making.

Health and Social Services

https://www.senate.mo.gov/26info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&BillID=3539354