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<section article="gsg" article_name="State Government" number="9-2415" 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>After completion of the report required under subsection (b) of this section, the Board may establish criteria for the development of portfolios and separate requirements in the following specialist areas:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>legal settings;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>medical settings;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>educational settings;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>behavioral health settings;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>language pairs other than American Sign Language and spoken English;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="6">
      <text>conference interpreting;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="7">
      <text>tactile and low–vision sign language interpretation services;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="8">
      <text>intralinguistic translations and sign language interpretation; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="9">
      <text>any other specialist areas determined to be necessary by the Board.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <level label="1">
      <text>At least 60 days before the Board promulgates regulations to establish criteria under subsection (a) of this section, the Board shall report to the Governor and, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article, the Senate Committee on Education, Energy, and the Environment and the House Government, Labor, and Elections Committee, on:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>how national and regional certification standards define or limit specialist areas;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>the number of interpreters in the State and neighboring states certified in specialist areas;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>an evaluation of how separate requirements for specialist areas may impact access to interpreter services in each setting; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>recommendations on whether, and in what form, specialty licensure requirements should be implemented in the State.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>In completing the report under paragraph (1) of this subsection, the Board shall consult with stakeholders, including:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>the Maryland Department of Health;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>the Maryland Association of the Deaf;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>the Maryland Hospital Association;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>interpreters and interpreter agencies;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="v">
        <text>the Maryland Judiciary;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="vi">
        <text>the Maryland State Department of Education;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="vii">
        <text>the Maryland State Education Association;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="viii">
        <text>the Public Schools Superintendents’ Association of Maryland;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ix">
        <text>the Maryland Association of Boards of Education; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="x">
        <text>the Maryland Department of Disabilities.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>The Office shall provide staff to assist the Board in completion of the report required under this subsection.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <text>The Board shall adopt regulations to:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>govern sign language interpretation services provided in a video remote interpreting setting;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>establish licensing and certification standards of interpreting agencies that do business in the State;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <level label="i">
        <text>allow deaf and hard of hearing individuals to indicate whether they prefer sign language interpretation services being provided in a video remote interpreting setting or through in–person interpreting; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>require public entities to provide reasonable accommodations to support the preferences indicated by the deaf and hard of hearing individuals under item (i) of this item, to the extent practicable and in compliance with 28 C.F.R. § 35.160 and the federal Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990; and</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>provide sign language interpretation services in a video remote interpreting setting.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
