1. (a) There is a Hearing Aid and Language and Communication Video Loan Bank Program in the Department.

2. (b) The Program is established for the purpose of lending or providing:

   1. (1) Hearing aids on a temporary basis to a parent or legal guardian of an eligible individual who has no immediate access to a hearing aid to ensure that eligible individuals will have maximum auditory input throughout childhood, adolescence, and into young adulthood; and

   2. (2) Language and communication videos on a temporary basis and resources that may be downloaded from a website to a parent or legal guardian of an eligible individual to ensure that parents or legal guardians of eligible individuals have:

      1. (i) Access to resources that provide them with unbiased information about language and communication options to use with their deaf or hard of hearing child; and
      2. (ii) Resources to teach them the language or other means of communication that they choose to use with their deaf or hard of hearing child.
3. (c) The Program shall employ an otolaryngologist or a licensed audiologist.

Added by Acts 2011, c. 539, § 1, eff. June 30, 2011; Acts 2011, c. 540, § 1, eff. June 30, 2011. Amended by Acts 2016, c. 40, § 1, eff. July 1, 2016; Acts 2019, c. 741, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2019; Acts 2019, c. 742, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2019.