427A.750 - Committee on Communication Services for Persons Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing and Persons With Speech Disabilities: Creation; membership; terms; vacancies; quorum; compensation; members h
427A.750 Committee on Communication Services for Persons Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing and Persons With Speech Disabilities: Creation; membership; terms; vacancies; quorum; compensation; members holding public office or employed by governmental entity; powers and duties.
1. The Committee on Communication Services for Persons Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing and Persons With Speech Disabilities is hereby created in the Division. The Committee consists of 11 members appointed by the Administrator. The Administrator shall appoint to the Committee:
(a) One member who is employed by the Division and who participates in the administration of the program of this State that provides services to persons with communications disabilities which affect their ability to communicate;
(b) One person who is a member of the Nevada Association of the Deaf;
(c) One member who is professionally qualified in the field of deafness;
(d) The Executive Director of the Nevada Telecommunications Association or, in the event of its dissolution, a member who represents the telecommunications industry;
(e) One member who is a consumer of telecommunications relay services;
(f) One member who is a consumer of Communication Access Realtime Translation or realtime captioning;
(g) One member who is a consumer of services provided by a person engaged in the practice of interpreting;
(h) One nonvoting member who is registered with the Division pursuant to NRS 656A.100 to engage in the practice of interpreting in a community setting and holds a certificate issued by the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc., or its successor organization;
(i) One nonvoting member who is registered with the Division pursuant to NRS 656A.100 to engage in the practice of interpreting in an educational setting and has completed the Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment administered by the Boys Town National Research Hospital, or its successor organization, and received a rating of his or her level of proficiency in providing interpreting services at level 4 or 5;
(j) One nonvoting member who is registered with the Division pursuant to NRS 656A.400 to engage in the practice of realtime captioning; and
(k) One member who represents educators in this State and has knowledge concerning the provision of communication services to persons with communications disabilities in elementary, secondary and postsecondary schools and the laws concerning the provision of those services.
2. After the initial term, the term of each member is 3 years. A member may be reappointed.
3. If a vacancy occurs during the term of a member, the Administrator shall appoint a person similarly qualified to replace that member for the remainder of the unexpired term.
4. The Committee shall:
(a) At its first meeting and annually thereafter, elect a Chair from among its voting members; and
(b) Meet at the call of the Administrator, the Chair or a majority of its members as is necessary to carry out its responsibilities.
5. A majority of the voting members of the Committee constitutes a quorum for the transaction of business, and a majority of the voting members of a quorum present at any meeting is sufficient for any official action taken by the Committee.
6. Members of the Committee serve without compensation, except that each member is entitled, while engaged in the business of the Committee, to the per diem allowance and travel expenses provided for state officers and employees generally.
7. A member of the Committee who is an officer or employee of this State or a political subdivision of this State must be relieved from his or her duties without loss of regular compensation so that the person may prepare for and attend meetings of the Committee and perform any work necessary to carry out the duties of the Committee in the most timely manner practicable. A state agency or political subdivision of this State shall not require an officer or employee who is a member of the Committee to make up the time he or she is absent from work to carry out his or her duties as a member of the Committee or use annual vacation or compensatory time for the absence.
8. The Committee may:
(a) Make recommendations to the Administrator concerning the establishment and operation of programs for persons with communications disabilities which affect their ability to communicate;
(b) Recommend to the Administrator any proposed legislation concerning persons with communications disabilities which affect their ability to communicate; and
(c) Collect information concerning persons with communications disabilities which affect their ability to communicate.
9. The Committee shall make recommendations to the Administrator concerning the practice of interpreting and the practice of realtime captioning, including, without limitation, the adoption of regulations to carry out the provisions of chapter 656A of NRS.
10. As used in this section:
(a) “Practice of interpreting” has the meaning ascribed to it in NRS 656A.060.
(b) “Practice of realtime captioning” has the meaning ascribed to it in NRS 656A.062.
(c) “Telecommunications relay services” has the meaning ascribed to it in 47 C.F.R. § 64.601.
(Added to NRS by 2009, 2377)