| Passed by the Senate April 21, 2003 YEAS 43 ________________________________________ President of the Senate Passed by the House April 10, 2003 YEAS 94 ________________________________________ Speaker of the House of Representatives | I, Milton H. Doumit, Jr., Secretary of the Senate of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5105 as passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives on the dates hereon set forth. ________________________________________ Secretary | |
| Approved ________________________________________ Governor of the State of Washington | Secretary of State State of Washington |
| State of Washington | 58th Legislature | 2003 Regular Session |
READ FIRST TIME 02/27/03.
AN ACT Relating to educational interpreters; and creating new sections.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1 The legislature finds that there is
currently no requirement for educational interpreters for deaf and hard
of hearing students to be certified or to meet standardized
qualifications or competencies.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2 By November 30, 2004, the office of the
superintendent of public instruction, in consultation with educators,
parents, organizations representing special education, organizations
representing educational interpreters and the interests of deaf and
hearing impaired children, and other interested parties, shall conduct
a comprehensive review and analysis of the qualifications and
competencies required of educational interpreters who assist deaf and
hearing impaired students. The review shall include an analysis of all
state and federal requirements for meeting the educational needs of
deaf and hearing impaired students, including the requirement to
provide educational interpreters, and shall identify all funding
sources available to pay for those educational needs. The office shall
make recommendations to the governor, appropriate legislative
committees, and the state board of education on the following options:
(1) Requiring that all educational interpreters for deaf students
and hard of hearing students meet national registry standards;
(2) Requiring the state board of education or the office of the
superintendent of public instruction, as appropriate, to establish
competencies for educational interpreters;
(3) Identifying state and national training programs that could
prepare educational interpreters to meet and maintain any standards or
competencies necessary to serve deaf and hearing impaired students;
(4) Studying the feasibility of using distance learning options as
a way to both maintain the quality and increase the availability of
educational interpreters;
(5) Requiring the office of the superintendent of public
instruction, in cooperation with institutions of higher education that
have a deaf studies program, to provide a training program for
educational interpreters. The training program should be accessible to
all areas of Washington through a combination of interactive video
conferences, on-line courses, and traditional teaching methods; and
(6) Any other option that the office deems viable to increase and
maintain the quality and availability of educational interpreters in a
fiscally responsible manner.