Bill would add non‑voting hearing‑impaired representative to Governor’s Commission on Disability

Sen. Tim Lang introduced Senate Bill 68, which would add one non‑voting member to the Governor's Commission on Disability to represent issues facing people who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Richard Sallow, director of vocational rehabilitation, testified that adding the administrator of the Program for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing as an ex officio member would bring subject‑matter expertise to the commission and improve representation for roughly 3 percent of New Hampshire residents with hearing disabilities, according to his testimony. "The program for the deaf and hard of hearing brings specialized knowledge about the barriers faced by this community in employment, education, [and] accessing services," Sallow said. He also tied the change to federal priorities under the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Senators and witnesses noted that the commission already uses interpreters and CART (real‑time captioning) when required. Committee members voiced support for the proposal as a straightforward way to ensure the hearing‑impaired community has a regular seat at the table.

In executive session the committee moved the bill forward by voice vote; the transcript records committee members saying "Aye," but no roll‑call tally is included in the hearing text.

The bill was described in testimony as aligning state commission membership with federal accessibility and rehabilitation priorities and as a measure to strengthen inclusivity in the commission's decision‑making.