HB 530 -- AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE (Moore)

COMMITTEE OF ORIGIN:  Higher Education

This bill treats American Sign Language (ASL) as a foreign
language for the granting of academic credit at public schools
and public higher education institutions.  Students may receive
academic credit for demonstrating proficiency or completing a
course with a passing grade.  The credit may be used to satisfy
the foreign language or language arts requirements, including
entrance requirements of public higher education institutions.
Nothing in the bill prohibits a department of a higher education
institution from establishing specific language requirements for
its majors that cannot be met by ASL, nor does the bill prohibit
the offering of noncredit courses in ASL.  The Missouri
Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and the Missouri
American Sign Language Teachers Association, upon request, will
assist in the development and teaching of the courses.

FISCAL NOTE:  No impact on state funds in FY 2006, FY 2007, and
FY 2008.

Missouri House of Representatives
93rd General Assembly, 1st Regular Session
Last Updated August 25, 2005 at 1:19 pm