Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
House Education hears bill to add educational interpreters to quality‑educator programs and to clarify MSDB transportation
Summary
House Bill 151 would add educational sign‑language interpreters to the quality educator payment and loan‑assistance programs, allow participation by the Montana School for the Deaf and Blind in residency and TEACH programs, and clarify MSDB use of school buses for student transportation; proponents and informational witnesses described recruitment challenges and certification distinctions.
Representative Keogh opened House Bill 151 by saying the bill is aimed at recruitment and retention of educational interpreters, teachers of the deaf and other specialists, and that it contains statutory edits to ensure eligible positions can access the quality educator payment and loan‑assistance tools.
Paul Firthmeier, superintendent of the Montana School for the Deaf and Blind (MSDB), testified the school serves the entire state through campus and outreach programs and that prior changes to public‑service commission rules had impeded MSDB’s ability to provide routine student transportation home. He urged adding school buses explicitly to statute so MSDB could arrange transportation reliably and not force parents to provide monthly travel. Firthmeier said MSDB serves about 1,200 outreach…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
