Section 195 Advisory council - Massachusetts Statutes

Section 195. The governor shall appoint an advisory council of no fewer than twelve and no more than twenty members. Persons shall be eligible for appointment if their position, knowledge or experience enables them to represent the concerns, needs and recommendations of deaf and hard of hearing persons, and if they have been nominated by the commissioner. The majority of the council members shall be persons who, for purposes of this section self-identify as deaf community members, late-deafened deaf, deaf or hard of hearing. Every reasonable effort shall be made to include an equal number of deaf community members, late-deafened deaf, deaf and hard of hearing members. Each member shall serve for a term of two years.

The commissioner shall nominate persons whose service will assure representation of the interests of parents, interpreters, the deaf community, late-deafened deaf persons, deaf and hard of hearing persons from all geographic areas of the commonwealth. The commissioner’s nominations shall be from a list provided by consumer groups and individuals representing such late-deafened deaf, deaf and hard of hearing persons, as well as parents and interpreters.

Advisory council members shall elect a chairperson, shall meet at least eight times per year, and shall serve without compensation. They shall be reimbursed for expenses necessarily incurred in the performance of their duties.