10624. (Amended by Stats. 2016, Ch. 94, Sec. 32.)

(a) The department, with the advice of persons knowledgeable about the provision of public social services to deaf and hard-of-hearing persons, shall establish the criteria for funding public social services for the deaf and hard of hearing.

(b) The criteria shall include, but shall not be limited to, demonstrated need for services, ability to provide services in a deaf or hard-of-hearing person’s preferred mode of communication, ability to secure community support, including written endorsements of local officials and organizations, including organizations of and for the deaf and hard of hearing, and funding from one or more public or private sources. Special consideration shall be given to the extent to which deaf and hard-of-hearing persons are included in the agency’s staff and in the case of a private nonprofit corporation on the board of directors.