§2352. Creation; board membership; terms; compensation

            A. The Louisiana Commission for the Deaf, hereinafter referred to as "the commission", is hereby created and established within the Louisiana Department of Health. The commission shall function as a program of the state and serve as the principal agency of the state providing leadership to promote the general welfare of d/Deaf, DeafBlind, and hard of hearing individuals. The secretary shall appoint a director in accordance with R.S. 46:2354.

            B. The commission shall be governed by a board which is hereby created as a separate and distinct body to support the work of the commission and to advocate on behalf of d/Deaf, DeafBlind, and hard of hearing communities and their families. The secretary shall promulgate rules to establish the roles and responsibilities of the board. The board shall consist of eighteen members as follows:

            (1) The assistant secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health, office of behavioral health, or his designee.

            (2) The president of the Louisiana Association of the Deaf or his designee.

            (3) The president of the Louisiana Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf or his designee.

            (4) The superintendent of the Louisiana School for the Deaf or his designee.

            (5) The secretary of the Department of Children and Family Services or his designee.

            (6) The superintendent of education or his designee.

            (7) The secretary of the Louisiana Workforce Commission or his designee.

            (8) The speaker of the House of Representatives or his designee.

            (9) The president of the Senate or his designee.

            (10) The secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health or his designee.

            (11) The executive director of the office of disability affairs or his designee.

            (12) In addition, the governor shall appoint seven lay members to the board, two of whom shall be deaf persons, one of whom shall be hard of hearing, one of whom shall be a parent of a deaf person, one of whom shall be a person who is DeafBlind, and two of whom shall be professionals who work with deaf persons. Each appointment by the governor shall be subject to Senate confirmation.

            C. A person shall be eligible for appointment to the board if his or her position, knowledge, or experience qualifies him or her to represent the concerns, needs, and recommendations of the d/Deaf, DeafBlind, and hard of hearing communities. All appointments shall be made for four years, except that if a vacancy occurs, the appointment shall be made only for the length of the unexpired term.

            D. The board shall meet and organize immediately after members are appointed and shall elect from its membership a chairperson, who shall serve for two years, and any other officers it deems necessary. The board may establish rules and regulations for its own procedure and for the administration of the affairs of the commission. The board shall meet at least once in each quarter of the fiscal year and may meet more often as deemed necessary by the chairperson.

            E.(1) Members of the board shall receive no salary for their services but shall be reimbursed for actual travel and other expenses incurred in the performance of their duties in accordance with travel regulations of the division of administration. Officers of the board shall be reimbursed for necessary and other expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.

            (2) A board member may receive services offered by the commission to the extent services are provided under the same terms and conditions as received by any d/Deaf, DeafBlind, or hard of hearing individual in this state. A board member receiving services offered by the commission shall not participate or have any involvement in any commission transaction or business matter regarding the provision of services received by the board member.

            NOTE: Subsection (F)(intro. para.) eff. until one or more of the 20 depts. of the executive branch is abolished or a const. amend. authorizing the creation of an additional dept. becomes effective, whichever is earlier. See Acts 2022, No. 128.

            F. Upon request of the board, the directors of the following agencies shall make themselves available for consultation and shall provide information regarding the services available to the deaf through their respective agencies:

            NOTE: Subsection (F)(intro. para.) as amended by Acts 2022, No. 128, eff. when one or more of the 20 depts. of the executive branch is abolished or a const. amend. authorizing the creation of an additional dept. becomes effective, whichever is earlier.

            F. Upon request of the board, the directors of the following agencies, and the secretary in the case of the Department of Elderly Affairs, shall make themselves available for consultation and shall provide information regarding the services available to the deaf through their respective agencies:

            (1) The Mental Health Advocacy Service.

            (2) The Louisiana Department of Health, office of aging and adult services.

            (3) The Louisiana Department of Health, office for citizens with developmental disabilities.

            (4) The governor's office of elderly affairs.

            (5) The Louisiana Department of Health medical assistance program.

            (6) The Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness.

            G. The board may request consultation or information, or both, from any state department or agency serving d/Deaf, DeafBlind, or hard of hearing persons.

            Added by Acts 1980, No. 629, §2; Acts 1992, No. 447, §4, eff. June 20, 1992; Acts 1993, No. 542, §1; Acts 1993, No. 712, §4, eff. June 21, 1993; Acts 1995, No. 924, §1; Acts 2008, No. 743, §7, eff. July 1, 2008; Acts 2009, No. 384, §5, eff. July 1, 2010; Acts 2010, No. 877, §3, eff. July 1, 2010; Acts 2010, No. 939, §8, eff. July 1, 2010; Acts 2013, No. 384, §5, eff. if one of the 20 depts. is abolished or an additional dept. is authorized by the electorate; Acts 2014, No. 791, §17; Acts 2022, No. 128, §1; Acts 2022, No. 128, §2, see Act; Redesignated from R.S. 46:2351.

            NOTE: Former R.S. 46:2352 redesignated as R.S. 46:2353 by Acts 2022, No. 128, §1.