Language Acquisition Tracking Program for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children - Establishment
HB0879 establishes a new Language Acquisition Tracking Program for deaf and hard of hearing children within the Maryland State Department of Education. The program is designed to monitor whether eligible children under age 9 are developing language skills at a rate comparable to their peers, using an advisory-council-approved assessment tool. The bill requires assessments within six months of diagnosis and every six months thereafter, and it allows parents or guardians to choose whether the tool measures signed language, spoken language, or both.
The bill also creates a State Coordinator of Language Acquisition for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children to oversee implementation, identify developmental milestones and language benchmarks, train educators and assessment specialists, and coordinate with other state and local entities. In addition, it creates a parent and guardian resource explaining milestones, benchmarks, and available services, and requires the Department to provide that resource to families, including in translated or accessible formats where needed. The bill further establishes an advisory council with representatives from education, health, the deaf and hard of hearing community, parents, and teachers to approve assessment tools, advise the coordinator, and review annual reports.
HB0879 would add a new subtitle to the Education Article, creating statutory duties for the State Department of Education, county boards, the Maryland Department of Health, and the Maryland School for the Deaf. It would require a new statewide tracking and reporting structure for language acquisition among eligible deaf and hard of hearing children, integrate findings into IFSPs, IEPs, and Section 504 plans when appropriate, and mandate annual public reporting beginning July 1, 2028. The bill also affects privacy and data reporting practices by requiring disaggregated reporting while limiting disclosure consistent with state and federal student privacy law.
The bill appears generally supportive and service-oriented in nature, with its stated purpose focused on early identification, family support, and improved educational outcomes for deaf and hard of hearing children. Because there are no committee transcripts or recorded votes in the provided materials, there is no direct evidence of formal opposition or support from legislators in the available record. The bill’s structure suggests an emphasis on collaboration among education, health, and deaf-community stakeholders rather than a partisan or ideological approach.
The main likely points of contention are the bill’s implementation details rather than its overall goal. Potential issues include the cost and administrative burden of creating a new coordinator position, developing or approving a language assessment tool, training staff, and producing annual reports. Another possible area of debate is the balance between signed and spoken language approaches, since the bill requires the program to accommodate both and seeks equal representation of expertise in each modality on the advisory council. Privacy, data collection, and the extent to which assessment results should be incorporated into individualized plans may also raise concerns among families, educators, and advocates.