HB 854 — Require Licensure of Educational Interpreters.

(a) Upon application to the Board and the payment of the required fees, an applicant may be issued a one-time provisional license as an interpreter or transliterator if the applicant meets all of the following qualifications:

(1) Is at least 18 years of age.

(2) Is of good moral character as determined by the Board.

(3) Completestwo continuing educationunits approvedbythe Board.These units must be completed for each renewable year.

(4) Holds at least a two-year associate degree in interpreting from an accredited institution and satisfies one of the following:

a.

Holds a quality assurance North Carolina Interpreter Classification System (NCICS) level C classification.

b.

Holds a valid National Association of the Deaf (NAD) level 2 or 3 certification.

c.

Holds a current Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment (EIPA) level 3.5 or above classification.classification and passed the EIPA written test.

d.

Repealed by Session Laws 2005-299, s.

2, effective August 22, 2005.

Page 2 House Bill 854-Second Edition General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 e.

Repealed by Session Laws 2023-137, s.

45(b), effective October 10, 2023.

f.

Holds any other certificate or assessment issued by a nationally recognized body approved by the Board by rule.

(a1) Upon application to the Board, payment of the required fees, and meeting the requirements for a provisional license under subdivisions (1) and (2) of subsection (a) of this section, the Board may also issue a provisional license to any of the following categories of persons seeking a provisional license:

(1) A deaf interpreter who completes 16 hours of training in interpreting coursework or workshops, including role and function or ethics, and 20 hours in the 12 months immediately preceding the date of application in the provision of interpreting services.

(2) Anoralinterpreterwhocompletesatotalof40hoursoftrainingininterpreting coursework or workshops related to oral interpreting.

(3) A cued language transliterator who holds a current TECUnit Cued Language Transliterator State Level Assessment (CLTSLA) level 2 or above classification.

(4) A person providing interpreting or transliterating services who has a recognized credential from another state in the field of interpreting or transliterating.

(5) An interpreter or transliterator who meets both of the following:

a.

has Has accumulated 200 hours per year in the provision of interpreting or transliterating services, in this State or another state, totaling 400 hours for the two years immediately preceding the date of application.

An applicant must provide documentation of hours when applying for a provisional license under this category, subject to verification by the Board.

b.

Holds any certificate or assessment issued by a nationally recognized body approved by the Board by rule.

(b) A provisional license issued under this section shall be valid for one year.

Upon expiration, a provisional license may be renewed for an additional one-year period in the discretion of the Board.

However, a provisional license shall not be renewed more than three two times.

The Board may, in its discretion, grant an extension after the third second time the provisional license has been renewed under circumstances to be established in rules adopted by the Board.

(c) Repealed by Session Laws 2014-115, s.

42(b), effective August 11, 2014." SECTION 1.(e) G.S.

Continuing education hours completedrequired infor compliancelicense withrenewal licensureunder renewalChapter requirements90D adoptedof the General Statutes may be applied toward the 15 hours of job-related training, to the extent those hours are relevant to the interpreter's or transliterator's job-based duties and approved by the local educational agency." SECTION 1.(d) The North Carolina Interpreter and Transliterator Licensing Board pursuantand the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction may adopt rules to G.S.implement the provisions of this section.

90D-11 may be applied toward the 15 hours of job-related training, to the extent those hours are relevant to the interpreter's or transliterator's job-based duties and approved by the local educational agency." SECTION 2.(a)2. For an educational interpreter or educational transliterator who was issued a provisional license pursuant to G.S.

90D-8 and the provisional license expired prior to the effective date of this act, if the educational interpreter or educational transliterator continues to qualifyfor a provisional license pursuant to G.S.

90D-8, as amended bySection 1(d) of this act, then the North Carolina Interpreter and Transliterator Licensing Board shall issue a new initial provisional license upon application to the Board and the payment of the required fee House Bill 854-Second Edition Page 3 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 for a provisional license.

Notwithstanding G.S.

90D-8(b), the Board shall not grant an extension after a second renewal to a provisional license issued pursuant to this section.

SECTION 2.(b) This section expires on September 30, 2027.

SECTION 3.

The North Carolina Interpreter and Transliterator Licensing Board and the State Board of Education may adopt rules to implement the provisions of this act.

SECTION 4.

Page*H854-v-1* 4 House Bill 854-Second Edition