There is hereby created the Council for the Deaf and the Hard of Hearing of the Department of Health and Human Services. The Council shall have duties including the following:
(1) To make recommendations to the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services for cost-effective provision, coordination, and improvement of services;
(2) To create public awareness of the specific needs and abilities of people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or deaf-blind and to consider the need for new State programs concerning the deaf, hard of hearing, and deaf-blind;
(3) To advise the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services during planning and implementation of services being provided to North Carolina citizens who are deaf, hard of hearing, or deaf-blind with respect to the quality, extent, and scope of those services;
(4) To advise the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services and the Superintendent of the Department of Public Instruction regarding planning, implementation, and cost-effective coordination of State programs providing educational services for persons who are deaf, hard of hearing, or deaf-blind; and
(5) To respond to the request of the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services for advice or recommendations pertaining to any matter affecting deaf, hard of hearing, or deaf-blind citizens of North Carolina.