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<section article="gsg" article_name="State Government" number="9-2401" title_number="9" title_name="Miscellaneous Executive Agencies" subtitle_number="24" subtitle_name="Office of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing">
  <level label="a">
    <text>In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>“American Sign Language” means a visual–spatial method of communication that is a distinct language involving the hands, arms, facial markers, and body movements to communicate with others, including through the conveyance of thoughts, words, emotions, and grammatical information.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <text>“Behavioral health setting” means a setting that provides:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>psychiatric or psychological assessment or screening;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>group or individual psychotherapy, counseling, or treatment; or</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>rehabilitation services for substance use disorders, addictive disorders, mental disorders, or a combination of these disorders.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <text>“Board” means the State Board of Sign Language Interpreters within the Office.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <text>“Council” means the Maryland Advisory Council on Deaf, Deafblind, and Hard of Hearing Individuals.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="f">
    <level label="1">
      <text>“Deaf and hard of hearing individuals” means those residents of Maryland who have a partial or complete loss of hearing.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>“Deaf and hard of hearing individuals” includes individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, deafblind, and late–deafened.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="g">
    <text>“Deafblind” means those residents of Maryland who have concomitant vision and hearing loss.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="h">
    <text>“Director” means the Director of the Office.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="i">
    <text>“Fund” means the Sign Language Interpreters Fund.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="j">
    <text>“Heritage signer” means an individual who used American Sign Language as a primary language in childhood.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="k">
    <text>“Legal setting” includes:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>court proceedings;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>attorney–client conferences;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>investigations by law enforcement;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>depositions;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>witness interviews;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="6">
      <text>real estate settlements; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="7">
      <text>administrative and legislative hearings.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="l">
    <text>“License” means a license issued under Part III of this subtitle to provide sign language interpretation services.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="m">
    <text>“Medical setting” includes:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>an acute care hospital;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>an urgent care center;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>an outpatient clinic;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>short–term care facilities;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>long–term care facilities;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="6">
      <text>a physician’s office; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="7">
      <text>home health care.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="n">
    <text>“Nationally or regionally recognized certification” means:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>a certification issued and recognized by:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>the National Association of the Deaf (NAD);</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID); or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>the Board of Evaluation for Interpreters (BEI); or</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>any other certification issued by a national or regional organization that is recognized by the Board.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="o">
    <text>“Office” means the Office of the Deaf, Deafblind, and Hard of Hearing.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="p">
    <level label="1">
      <text>“Provide sign language interpretation services” means to convey the meaning of a message that is expressed in:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>an oral or signed language by rendering the message in American Sign Language; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>American Sign Language by rendering the message in an oral or signed language.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>“Provide sign language interpretation services” includes providing sign language interpretation services in a video remote interpreting setting.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="q">
    <text>“Restorative justice program” means a program designed to repair harm caused to all individuals involved in a crime through mediation, dialogue, or group conferencing between a licensee and any aggrieved party or complainant.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="r">
    <text>“School setting” means a setting in which the following are provided:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>educational programs or services offered by a public or nonpublic school; or</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>career training programs for secondary education students that are regulated by the State Department of Education.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="s">
    <text>“Sign language interpreter” means an individual who is licensed by the Board to provide sign language interpretation services.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="t">
    <text>“Video Relay Service” means the federally reimbursed and regulated program established to enable phone calls between users of American Sign Language and individuals who do not use American Sign Language by videoconferencing technology and the use of the services of a remotely located sign language interpreter.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="u">
    <level label="1">
      <text>“Video remote interpreting setting” means providing sign language interpretation services by videoconferencing in which the participants are in one location and the interpreter is in a separate location.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>“Video remote interpreting setting” does not include Video Relay Service.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
