2016

October 18, 2016 - LEAD-K VA Core Team presented to the Virginia Disability Commission to garner support for introducing legislation in the 2017 session.

2017

LEAD-K VA introduced HB 1873/SB 983  

• These bills were based off the National LEAD-K model bill 

  • coordinating agencies were assigned as Department of Behaviors Health and Developmental Services (DHBDS) and Department of Education (DOE) 

• HB 1873 was left in committee

• SB 983 was stricken from the committee docket by the Patron

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June 20, 2017- President of AG Bell Virginia Chapter presented to the Virginia Disability Commission - Presentation: Communicating All of the Options for Children Who Are Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing; SB 983 and HB 1873 (2017) – Lori Bobsin, Coordinator, Aural Habilitation Program, Lee Hartman, Mitchell Harry 

• supporters of LEAD-K made public comment in defense of the LEAD-K legislation following Bobsin's presentation

2018

LEAD-K VA introduced SB160/HB1410  

• No changes made to the 2017 bill versions that were reintroduced in 2018

• AG Bell introduced their own competing bill HB 676 [this bill was left in committee]

• SB 160 and HB 1410 were both left in committee

2019

LEAD-K VA introduced SB 1741  

• SB 1741 was revised to follow the Model Bill that came out of the meetings/agreement between National AG Bell and National LEAD-K  

• This bill also added the Virginia Department for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing as a coordinating agency 

• SB 1741 was referred to the Joint Commission on Health Care (JCHC) for further study

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JCHC conducted a study and published a report  - 7 policy options were presented for consideration by Joint Commission on Health Care members and they approved the option to take no action at that time despite the fact that 90% of the 265 public comments received were in support of  introducing legislation and budget amendment based on SB 1741 (pg 17 of report)

2020

LEAD-K VA introduced SB 564 

• This bill took a slightly different approach and made the Virginia Department of Health a coordinating agency  

• SB 564 passed unanimously on the Senate Floor​

• SB 564 crossed over to the House and was left in House Appropriations subcommittee ​

2021

LEAD-K VA planned to go back the 2019 bill version (SB1741) that follows the LEAD-K/AG Bell national agreement Model Bill

• Adjustments were made to the Ad Hoc Committee to ensure an even 5 - 5 split between ​proponents of oralism and proponents of bilingualism (ASL & English)

• We submitted  our proposal for the bill language to our proposed patrons.

• No legislation was proposed for the 2021 Session - the bill was dropped by potential patrons in the House and Senate - citing limitation on the numbers of bills allowed 

2022

LEAD-K VA introduced two bills (Sb 265 and HB 649) following the National LEAD-K Model Bill.

• Both bills passed unanimously through the Virginia House and Senate.

• SB 265 was signed into law on April 8, 2022

• The law goes into effect July 1, 2022.