Bill Text: NY S08031 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Relates to the licensing of sign language interpreters and creates a state board for sign language interpreting.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-03-11 - REFERRED TO HIGHER EDUCATION [S08031 Detail]
Download: New_York-2019-S08031-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 8031 IN SENATE March 11, 2020 ___________ Introduced by Sen. KRUEGER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher Education AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to the licensing of sign language interpreters and creating a state board for sign language interpreting The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new article 169 to 2 read as follows: 3 ARTICLE 169 4 SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETERS 5 Section 8900. Introduction. 6 8901. Definitions. 7 8902. Practice of sign language interpreting. 8 8903. State board for sign language interpreting. 9 8904. Licensing requirements. 10 8905. Exempt persons. 11 § 8900. Introduction. This article applies to the profession of sign 12 language interpreter. The general provisions for all professions 13 contained in article one hundred thirty of this title apply to this 14 article. 15 § 8901. Definitions. As used in this article: 16 (1) "Client" shall mean a deaf, hard of hearing or hearing person for 17 whom an interpreter provides sign language interpretation services or 18 who is applying to be assessed for the purpose of qualifying for a 19 license that will allow him or her to provide sign language interpreta- 20 tion services. 21 (2) "Board" shall mean the board for sign language interpreting. 22 § 8902. Practice of sign language interpreting. (1) Only a person 23 licensed or otherwise authorized under this article shall practice sign 24 language interpreting or use the title of sign language interpreter for 25 compensation. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD13503-03-0S. 8031 2 1 (2) No person may, for compensation, provide sign language interpreta- 2 tion services for a client unless the person is licensed by the depart- 3 ment. 4 § 8903. State board for sign language interpreting. (1) A state board 5 for sign language interpreting shall be appointed by the board of 6 regents on recommendation of the commissioner for the purpose of assist- 7 ing the board of regents and the department on matters of professional 8 licensing and professional conduct in accordance with section sixty-five 9 hundred eight of this title. The board shall consist of not less than 10 ten members who shall serve three year terms and shall have a familiar- 11 ity with deaf or hard of hearing matters. Such members shall include: 12 (a) six deaf or hard of hearing individuals who are currently or have 13 previously been clients of a sign language interpreter, one of whom 14 shall be the executive director of the office of professions or a desig- 15 nee of the commissioner; and 16 (b) four sign language interpreters who have been licensed under 17 section eighty-nine hundred four of this article, at least one of whom 18 holds a professional license. 19 (2) In order to maintain high-quality operation of the executive board 20 and also effective implementation of the policy, one highly knowledge- 21 able deaf person may be appointed to the board from out of state, yet 22 working in the state of New York. 23 (3) The board shall promulgate: 24 (a) a code of ethics for sign language interpreters licensed under 25 this article; 26 (b) rules for granting licensing exemptions under section eighty-nine 27 hundred five of this article; 28 (c) industry standards for the licensing of sign language interpret- 29 ers; 30 (d) guidelines for the administration of testing for the department to 31 implement licensing and license renewal requirements; 32 (e) requirements for the department to create a searchable database 33 for consumers requiring the assistance of a licensed sign language 34 interpreter; and 35 (f) a code of ethics and regulations for the purpose of licensing sign 36 language interpreting agencies that hire interpreters and/or transla- 37 tors. 38 § 8904. Licensing requirements. (1) To qualify for a license as a sign 39 language interpreter, an applicant shall obtain a professional license 40 as described in subdivision two of this section. 41 (2) The department shall grant a professional license as a sign 42 language interpreter to an applicant who: 43 (a) submits an application on a form provided by the department; 44 (b) pays a fee of one hundred five dollars to the department for 45 admission to a department conducted examination and for an initial 46 license, a fee of sixty dollars for each reexamination, a fee of ninety 47 dollars for an initial license for persons not requiring admission to a 48 department conducted examination, and a fee of one hundred thirty 49 dollars for each five year registration period; 50 (c) meets the minimum industry standards determined by the board to be 51 licensed by the department; and 52 (d) establishes the schedule of appropriate fees as needed to ensure 53 the affordability to clients and/or applicants and to maintain the 54 effective management of the licensing procedures.S. 8031 3 1 (3) All licensees shall maintain their skills by participating in 2 interpreters' training workshops or seminars arranged by the state board 3 for sign language interpreting. 4 § 8905. Exempt persons. (1) The department may grant a temporary 5 exemption to an individual who is not a resident of this state for a 6 period not to exceed sixty days if the individual has certified creden- 7 tials from the state of their previous residence. The department may not 8 grant an individual more than two temporary exemptions per year pursuant 9 to this subdivision. 10 (2) The department may grant a permanent exemption to an applicant 11 based on their ability to meet the minimum industry standards determined 12 by the board to be licensed by the department. 13 (3) The department may grant a temporary or permanent exemption to an 14 individual who is a resident of this state for a period specified by the 15 department. 16 § 2. This act shall take effect on the five hundred fiftieth day after 17 it shall have become a law.
