The board of regents for elementary and secondary education shall require teachers seeking certification to teach students who are deaf or hard of hearing after July 3, 1995 to demonstrate competency in American sign language in addition to the English language and communication competencies already required for certification. The board shall adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of the general statutes, to establish standards for assessing competency which are consistent with the standards adopted by the board of examiners of interpreters for the deaf; provided, however, that the board may, through regulation, require a demonstrated level of competency less stringent than that required for interpreters. Teachers seeking certification shall be permitted to meet the requirements imposed by this section during the three (3) years of their provisional certification.