An Act to promote the inclusion of American Sign Language in the Commonwealth’s public schools, AKA The American Sign Language Inclusion Act
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Progress
Where this bill stands in the legislative process.
- Introduced
- Passed Senate
- Passed House
- To Governor
- Became Law
Overview
This bill, known as the American Sign Language Inclusion Act, aims to expand the availability of American Sign Language (ASL) instruction in Massachusetts public schools. The legislation seeks to integrate ASL into the curriculum, ensuring more students have the opportunity to learn and understand this vital form of communication. It’s intended to promote inclusivity and accessibility for students who are Deaf or hard of hearing, as well as for all students to foster cross-cultural understanding.
Key provisions
- Requires public schools to offer ASL courses.
- Encourages the development of ASL programs and resources.
- Supports the training and certification of ASL teachers.
- Promotes the inclusion of ASL in other subjects and school activities.
- Facilitates the creation of a statewide ASL curriculum framework.
- Supports the integration of ASL into existing educational programs.
- Requires schools to provide ASL interpretation services where needed.
- Establishes a task force to monitor and evaluate the implementation of the program.
Who is affected
- Students in Massachusetts public schools
- Deaf and hard of hearing students
- ASL teachers
- School administrators
- Parents and families of students
Notable changes
- Introduces mandatory ASL instruction in public schools.
Bill text
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Text extraction is in progress. View the official source.
Sponsors
Official sponsors from legislative records.
8 on record
Primary sponsor
Jacob R. Oliveira
Cosponsors
Antonio F. D. Cabral
Jacob R. Oliveira
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