Bill > HB1192

This bill expands the membership of the State Board of Sign Language Interpreters from seven to eleven members, including new positions for a deaf individual, an interpreter affiliated with an agency, and individuals representing deaf services in educational, legal, or medical settings, in addition to ex officio members from the Departments of Disabilities and Labor; it also mandates that the nomination process for board members actively reach out to underrepresented deaf, deafblind, and interpreter communities to ensure diverse representation. The bill alters the quorum requirement for board meetings to a majority of members currently serving, rather than a fixed number, and allows the Governor to remove board members for specific reasons, including two or more successive unexcused absences or failing to attend at least 50% of meetings in a 12-month period. Furthermore, it extends the deadline for the Board to establish licensing requirements and for interpreters to meet these requirements from July 1, 2024, to December 31, 2026, and delays the date by which individuals must be licensed to provide sign language interpretation services in the state to July 1, 2027, while also establishing a $150 fee for initial licensure and allowing certain members appointed before July 1, 2027, to satisfy licensing requirements with a current national or regional certification.

Government Affairs

https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/HB1192?ys=2026RS