Bill > H3477

This bill mandates that public safety personnel, including fire service personnel, police officers, and emergency medical personnel (such as those working for ambulance services), receive training to gain a basic understanding of American Sign Language (ASL), which is a visual language used by the Deaf community. Specifically, it amends existing laws to require that fire departments establish training and ongoing education courses in ASL, that police training programs include ASL courses, and that individuals involved with ambulance services complete ASL courses. Furthermore, it allows for ASL courses to count towards continuing education credits required for emergency medical personnel.