2013 Rhode Island General Laws
Title 5 - Businesses and Professions
Chapter 5-71 - Interpreters for the Deaf
Section 5-71-3 - Definitions.

§ 5-71-3 Definitions. – (1) "Board" means the state board of examiners for interpreters for the deaf.

(2) "Certified" means any person who is a certified member of the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc., (RID), its successor agency or other agencies as approved by the department in consultation with the board.

(3) "Consumer" is an individual who is deaf, hard of hearing or other individual with disabilities whose primary language is sign language (e.g., American Sign Language, manually coded sign systems).

(4) "Department" means the Rhode Island department of health.

(5) "Director" means the director of the department of health.

(6) "Educational Interpreter for the Deaf" means an individual who has specialized licensure in the provision of sign language interpreting to students who are deaf, hard-of-hearing or deaf-blind in grades preschool through twelve (12).

(7) "Emergency" means an urgent circumstance that demands immediate action in order for a consumer to avoid imminent harm or loss. In the event of an emergency, the consumer may elect to use the services of a nonlicensed interpreter or transliterator as set forth in regulations promulgated by the department.

(8) "Interpreter for the deaf" means any person who engages in the practice of interpreting for the deaf as defined in subsection (9) below.

(9) "Interpreter trainee" and "interpreter student" means any person, meeting the minimum requirements established by the department in consultation with the board who is currently enrolled in a nationally accredited interpreter training program and participating in the practicum portion of their studies.

(10) "Interpreting for the deaf" means conveying spoken English into American Sign Language (ASL) (voice-to-sign) or conveying American Sign Language into English (sign-to-voice), or interpreting English to and/or from a visual gestural system. Such practice shall not include transliterating for the deaf.

(11) "Screened interpreter or transliterator for the deaf" means any person who presents proof of an active state screening or its equivalent and presents proof of successful completion of an examination as approved by the department in consultation with the board.

(12) "Transliterator for the deaf" means any person who engages in the practice of transliterating for the deaf as defined in subsection (13) below.

(13) "Transliterating for the deaf" means conveying spoken English into Manually coded English (voice-to-sign), or conveying manually coded English into spoken English (sign-to-voice), or conveying English on the lips so that it is accessible to speech reading (i.e. oral transliterating). Such practice shall not include interpreting for the deaf.

History of Section.
(P.L. 1996, ch. 151, § 1; P.L. 2006, ch. 261, § 1; P.L. 2006, ch. 277, § 1; P.L. 2011, ch. 160, § 1; P.L. 2011, ch. 169, § 1.)