Legislation Information
These legislative bills may be of interest to deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-blind individuals, their friends and families and professionals serving them. This is for informational purposes only. ODHH has no position on these bills. Please do not contact ODHH about these bills. If you know of other bills not listed here, please inform Eric Raff; ODHH Director at
Legislature
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To request reasonable accommodations: http://www.leg.wa.gov/legislature/Pages/ADAInfo.aspx
2011 Session - Legislative Bills
Current status of bills. Press “Ctrl” and Click on the link for more information about the bill. Scroll to bottom to see summary of the bills.
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Court reporter licensing |
H Judiciary |
01/14/2011 |
Feb 3 Executive session scheduled, but no action was taken in the House Committee on Judiciary at 10:00 AM. |
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Service animal |
H Judiciary |
02/01/2011 |
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Service animals/businesses |
H Judiciary |
02/01/2011 |
SB 5680(SLab/Comm/CP) |
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Court reporting licensing |
S Judiciary |
01/12/2011 |
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e |
State government |
S GovtOp & Elect |
01/27/2011 |
HB 1720(HSGTribalAff) |
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Education governance system |
S EL/K-12 |
02/02/2011 |
Feb 10 Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education at 1:30 PM. (Subject to change) |
Bill Digests (Summary)
HB 1205 - DIGEST
Addresses the licensing of court reporters.
HB 1727 - DIGEST
Eliminates the definition of "dog guide" and adopts the federal definition of "service animal."
HB 1728 - DIGEST
Adopts the federal definition of "service animal." Prohibits a person from preventing a service animal user and his or her service animal from entering a business where food for human consumption is sold or served.
SB 5052 - DIGEST
Requires a license for certain private court reporting firms or agencies doing business in the state. Requires a court reporting firm or agency licensed in the
state to comply with all rules and regulations pertaining to certified court reporters. Authorizes the director of the department of licensing to impose a civil penalty for a violation of chapter 18.145 RCW (court reporting practice act).
SB 5503 - DIGEST
Creates the department of enterprise services to provide centralized leadership in efficiently and cost-effectively managing resources necessary to support the delivery of state government services. Abolishes the department of general administration and the public printer and transfers their powers, duties, and functions to the department of enterprise services. Transfers certain powers, duties, and functions of the department of information services, the department of personnel, and the office of financial management to the department of enterprise services. Transfers certain powers, duties, and functions of the
department of personnel to the office of financial management. Requires the code reviser to prepare legislation for the 2012 regular session that changes all statutory references to the director or department of general administration to department of enterprise services.
ODHH Notes: ODHH administers the contract for provision of sign language interpreter services. See page 15. Sec. 206 (2): Last sentence says, “PROVIDED FURTHER, That the authority to purchase interpreter services and interpreter brokerage services on behalf of limited-English speaking or sensory-impaired applicants and recipients of public assistance shall rest with the department of social and health services in consultation with the department;”
DSHS has authority (delegated to ODHH) to administer the sign language interpreter services contract however the underline is an ‘amendment’ to existing law, now requiring DSHS to consult with the new Department of Enterprise Services (currently General Administration). You can find the entire RCW 43.19.190 here: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=43.19.190 (Look at Section 2) This is the Governor’s request legislation and ODHH has no position on this bill.
SB 5639 - DIGEST
Creates the department of education as an executive branch agency. Creates the P-20 education council to advise the secretary of the department of education on broad policy issues affecting the state's education system. Houses the superintendent of public instruction within the department of education, or transfers the powers and duties of the superintendent of public instruction to the department of education, depending on the outcome of the constitutional amendment eliminating the superintendent of public instruction as a statewide elected official. Transfers the powers, duties, and functions of the state
school for the blind, the Washington state center for childhood deafness and hearing loss, the office of the education ombudsman, and the professional educator standards board to the department of education. Abolishes the department of early learning, the state board of education, the state board for community and technical colleges, and the higher education coordinating board and transfers their powers, duties, and functions to the department of education. Requires the governor to appoint a transition team to plan the technical and practical steps required to bring the current state-level education agencies and structures into a new department. Requires the public employment relations commission to review the existing collective bargaining units within the department of early learning to determine if these units would be appropriate units within the department of education. Requires the code reviser to prepare legislation for the 2012 session to correct obsolete references resulting from the enactment of the act. Provides contingent effective dates.
ODHH Notes: This is a long bill. Type “deafness” in text search and you will find all the relevant sections pertinent to the WA State center for childhood deafness and hearing loss. You can find the entire RCW 72.40 (current law related to CDHL/WSD) here: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=72.40 This is the Governor’s request legislation and ODHH has no position on this bill.
