Bill > H854

This bill requires educational interpreters and transliterators to obtain licensure through the North Carolina Interpreter and Transliterator Licensing Board, removing their previous exemption from licensure requirements. The bill updates definitions to explicitly include educational interpreters and transliterators within the broader categories of interpreters and transliterators, and establishes specific licensure qualifications. For full licensure, educational interpreters must now hold a current Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment (EIPA) level 4.0 or above classification and pass the EIPA written test. For provisional licensure, they must meet similar but slightly less stringent requirements, such as holding an EIPA level 3.5 classification and passing the written test. The bill also allows continuing education hours completed for licensure renewal to be applied toward the existing requirement of 15 hours of job-related training for educational interpreters. Additionally, the bill provides a transitional pathway for currently working educational interpreters to obtain provisional licenses, with a provision that these provisional licenses can be renewed up to two times instead of the previous three-time limit. The new licensure requirements will become effective on October 1, 2026, giving educational interpreters and transliterators time to prepare and meet the new standards.

Education, Government Affairs

https://www.ncleg.gov/BillLookUp/2025/H854