HF 3040

as introduced - 84th Legislature (2005 - 2006) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

A bill for an act
relating to education; modifying interpreter requirements for deaf students;
amending Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 122A.31, subdivision 1, by adding a
subdivision.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 122A.31, subdivision 1, is amended to
read:

Subdivision 1.

Requirements for American sign language/English interpreters.

(a) new text begin Except as provided under subdivision 1a and new text end in addition to any other requirements
that a school district establishes, any person employed to provide American sign
language/English interpreting or sign transliterating services on a full-time or part-time
basis for a school district after July 1, 2000, must:

(1) hold current interpreter and transliterator certificates awarded by the Registry
of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID), or the general level interpreter proficiency certificate
awarded by the National Association of the Deaf (NAD), or a comparable state
certification from the commissioner of education; and

(2) satisfactorily complete an interpreter/transliterator training program affiliated
with an accredited educational institution.

(b) New graduates of an interpreter/transliterator program affiliated with an
accredited education institution shall be granted a two-year provisional certificate by
the commissioner. During the two-year provisional period, the interpreter/transliterator
must develop and implement an education plan in collaboration with a mentor under
paragraph (c).

(c) A mentor of a provisionally certified interpreter/transliterator must be an
interpreter/transliterator who has either NAD level IV or V certification or RID
certified interpreter and certified transliterator certification and have at least three
years interpreting/transliterating experience in any educational setting. The mentor, in
collaboration with the provisionally certified interpreter/transliterator, shall develop and
implement an education plan designed to meet the requirements of paragraph (a), clause
(1), and include a weekly on-site mentoring process.

(d) Consistent with the requirements of this paragraph, a person holding a
provisional certificate may apply to the commissioner for one time-limited extension. The
commissioner, in consultation with the Commission Serving Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing
People, must grant the person a time-limited extension of the provisional certificate based
on the following documentation:

(1) letters of support from the person's mentor, a parent of a pupil the person serves,
the special education director of the district in which the person is employed, and a
representative from the regional service center of the deaf and hard-of-hearing;

(2) records of the person's formal education, training, experience, and progress on
the person's education plan; and

(3) an explanation of why the extension is needed.

As a condition of receiving the extension, the person must comply with a plan
and the accompanying time line for meeting the requirements of this subdivision. A
committee composed of the director of the Minnesota Resource Center Serving Deaf and
Hard-of-Hearing, or the director's designee, a representative of the Minnesota Association
of Deaf Citizens, a representative of the Minnesota Registry of Interpreters of the Deaf,
and other appropriate persons selected by the commissioner must develop the plan and
time line for the person receiving the extension.

(e) A school district may employ deleted text begin only deleted text end an interpreter/transliterator who has been
certified under paragraph (a) or (b), or for whom a time-limited extension has been
granted under paragraph (d) new text begin , or a person qualified as an interpreter/transliterator under
subdivision 1a new text end .

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective for the 2006-2007 school year and
later.
new text end

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 122A.31, is amended by adding a subdivision
to read:

new text begin Subd. 1a. new text end

new text begin Qualified deaf and hard-of-hearing interpreters/transliterators. new text end

new text begin In
addition to employing a qualified interpreter/transliterator under subdivision 1, a school
district or charter school also may employ as an interpreter/transliterator a person who is
deaf or hard of hearing and holds a current reverse skills certificate (RSC) or a certified
deaf interpreter (CDI) certificate awarded by the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf
(RID). The qualified deaf or hard-of-hearing person must be able to interpret between
American sign language and English-based sign language or transliterate between spoken
English and a signed code for English. The district or charter school may employ a
qualified person under this subdivision for a broad range of interpreting or transliterating
assignments.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective for the 2006-2007 school year and
later.
new text end