A. A person shall not practice as an interpreter for the deaf and the hard of hearing without a license issued pursuant to this article. The licensure requirements of this article also apply to interpreters who provide services for legal proceedings as prescribed in section 12-242.

Terms Used In Arizona Laws 36-1971

  • Commission: means the commission for the deaf and the hard of hearing. See Arizona Laws 36-1941
  • Deaf: means a person who cannot generally understand speech sounds with or without a hearing aid when in optimal listening conditions. See Arizona Laws 36-1941
  • Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
  • Hard of hearing: means a person who has a degree of hearing loss greater than 40dB PTA-2, but less than 85dB PTA-2, in the better ear. See Arizona Laws 36-1941
  • Interpreting: means translating or transliterating English concepts to any necessary specialized vocabulary used by a consumer or translating a consumer specialized vocabulary to English concepts. See Arizona Laws 36-1941
  • Person: includes a corporation, company, partnership, firm, association or society, as well as a natural person. See Arizona Laws 1-215

B. The commission by rule shall prescribe education, examination and work history requirements for the following three categories of licenses:

1. Legal.

2. Generalist.

3. Provisional.

C. This article does not apply to:

1. An interpreter who works in this state for less than twenty days if that person registers with the commission to provide interpreting services in nonlegal situations.

2. An interpreter who provides interpreting services at religious activities.

3. An interpreter who provides interpreting services on an emergency basis if the delay necessary to obtain a licensed interpreter is likely to cause injury or loss to the consumer.

4. An interpreter who works without compensation in nonlegal situations.

5. An interpreter who works in a school in this state pursuant to the individual education plan of a deaf or hard of hearing pupil. The qualifications of an interpreter working in a school in this state shall be determined by the individualized education program team. A school district shall inform a parent or guardian of a deaf or hard of hearing pupil of the parent or guardian’s right to request a licensed interpreter.

6. Activities and services of an interpreter intern or student in training if both of the following are true:

(a) The interpreter is enrolled in a program of study in interpreting at an accredited institution of higher learning.

(b) The interpreter works under the supervision of a person licensed pursuant to this article as part of a supervised program of study and is identified to all consumers as an interpreter intern or student in training.