H-1093.1  _______________________________________________

                          HOUSE BILL 1663

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      55th Legislature     1997 Regular Session

By Representatives Romero, Cole, Regala, O'Brien, Blalock, Ogden, Kenney, Costa, Appelwick, Fisher, Kastama, Dickerson, Veloria, Hatfield, Dunshee, Kessler, Conway, Chopp, Morris, Wood, Murray, Cooper, Cody, Keiser, Tokuda and Dunn

Read first time 02/04/97.  Referred to Committee on Education.

Requiring competencies for educational interpreters for deaf, deaf-blind, and hard of hearing students.

    AN ACT Relating to educational interpreters in schools; and adding a new section to chapter 28A.155 RCW.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 28A.155 RCW to read as follows:

    The state board of education, in conjunction with the office of deaf and hard of hearing services in the department of social and health services, shall establish competencies for educational interpreters for deaf, deaf-blind, and hard of hearing students.  After September 1, 1999, only qualified educational interpreters that demonstrate the competencies may be used as educational interpreters for students in public schools.

    A school district may seek a waiver from the state board of education competency requirement if the district can demonstrate that there is no educational interpreter within a reasonable distance from the school who meets the competencies established by the state board of education and the district submits a plan to remedy the lack of qualified educational interpreters who can provide services in the school districts.

    The state board of education shall notify the office of deaf and hard of hearing services when a district seeks a waiver.  The office of deaf and hard of hearing services may make a recommendation to the state board of education on whether a waiver should be granted, and whether the district plan to remedy the lack or qualified educational interpreters is appropriate.

    The state board of education shall adopt rules on competencies for educational interpreters for deaf, deaf-blind, and hard of hearing students.

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