PRINTER'S NO. 2051
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
1567
Session of
2021
INTRODUCED BY D. MILLER, N. NELSON, SCHLOSSBERG, SANCHEZ,
DELLOSO AND HOHENSTEIN, AUGUST 31, 2021
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE, AUGUST 31, 2021
AN ACT
Amending the act of July 2, 2004 (P.L.492, No.57), entitled "An
act providing for State registration of individuals providing
sign language interpreting and transliterating services to
individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing; and imposing
duties on the Office for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in the
Department of Labor and Industry," further providing for
State registration required and for provisional registration.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 4(b)(2), (4) and (5) of the act of July
2, 2004 (P.L.492, No.57), known as the Sign Language Interpreter
and Transliterator State Registration Act, are amended and the
subsection is amended by adding a paragraph to read:
Section 4. State registration required.
* * *
(b) Exceptions.--The following individuals are exempt from
the State registration requirements of subsection (a):
* * *
[(2) An individual engaged in sign language interpreting
or transliterating during an emergency, when a delay in
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obtaining a State-registered interpreter or State-registered
transliterator might lead to injury or loss to the individual
requiring the services.]
* * *
(3.1) For the purposes of paragraph (3), the term
"medical or mental health setting" shall mean "health care
facility," as that term is defined in section 103 of the act
of July 19, 1979 (P.L.130, No.48), known as the Health Care
Facilities Act.
(4) An individual who [is certified by the National
Association of the Deaf or the Registry of Interpreters for
the Deaf] meets the requirements necessary to obtain
registration from outside the Commonwealth who provides
interpreting or transliterating services in the Commonwealth
for a period not exceeding 14 days each calendar year.
[(5) An individual engaged in interpreting or
transliterating at the request of an individual who is deaf
or hard of hearing if the individual informs the client that
the individual is not registered under this act.]
* * *
Section 2. Section 5.1(a)(2)(iii) and (c) of the act are
amended to read:
Section 5.1. Provisional registration.
(a) Application.--
* * *
(2) The applicant must submit to the office all of the
following:
* * *
(iii) Proof that within five years prior to the date
of application for provisional registration the applicant
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has graduated from an interpreter education program with
an associate degree or higher from an accredited
institution of higher education or has met the
Alternative Pathway education requirements of the
Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc.
* * *
(c) Renewal.--An individual may annually renew a provisional
registration by submitting to the office the information
required under subsection (a) along with proof of completion of
[at least 20 hours of] professional development and mentorship
with a State-registered interpreter or transliterator, approved
by the office and any applicable fees. The office may approve
only two consecutive renewals.
* * *
Section 3. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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