FINAL BILL REPORT

SSB 5105

C 171 L 03

Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description: Ensuring the quality and availability of educational interpreters.

Sponsors: Senate Committee on Education (originally sponsored by Senators Fraser, B. Sheldon, Carlson, McAuliffe and Kohl-Welles).

Senate Committee on Education

House Committee on Education

Background: Federal and state laws require the state to ensure that appropriate special education and related services are provided to children with disabilities who are eligible to receive them. A related service is a supportive service that is necessary to enable the child with the disability to benefit from the special education. Provision of an educational interpreter who provides sign language interpretation to deaf and hearing impaired K-12 students is, in certain circumstances, a related service. Currently, there are no standardized qualifications required of educational interpreters. There are 454 deaf students and 970 hearing impaired students in the K-12 system.

Summary: By November 30, 2004, the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction must consult with educators, parents, special education organizations and other relevant organizations and then report to the Governor, the appropriate legislative committees, and the State Board of Education on the following:

  •   a review of state and federal requirements and funding sources for serving the educational needs of deaf and hearing impaired students; and

  •   recommendations on several options to increase and maintain the quality and availability of educational interpreters.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate       47  1

House       94  0    (House amended)

Senate       43  0    (Senate concurred)

Effective: July 27, 2003