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<section article="gsg" article_name="State Government" number="9-2416" 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>There is a Sign Language Interpreters Fund.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>The Board shall set by regulation reasonable fees for the issuance and renewal of licenses and other services.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <text>The Board shall publish in its rules and regulations the fee schedule set by the Board.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The Board shall pay all fees collected under this part to the Comptroller.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The Comptroller shall distribute the fees to the Fund.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <text>The Fund shall be used exclusively to cover the actual documented direct and indirect costs of fulfilling the statutory and regulatory duties of the Board as provided by the provisions of this part, including:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>the development of programs that will assist in the licensure of marginalized interpreters, including:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Black, Indigenous, or Persons of Color (BIPOC) signers;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>heritage signers; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>deaf individuals;</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>the development of mentorship programs for individuals who provide sign language interpretation services; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>applicants experiencing financial hardship in the payment of licensing fees.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="f">
    <text>The Director shall administer the Fund.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="g">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The Fund is a special, nonlapsing fund that is not subject to § 7–302 of the State Finance and Procurement Article.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The State Treasurer shall hold the Fund separately, and the Comptroller shall account for the Fund.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="h">
    <text>The Fund consists of:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>revenue distributed to the Fund under subsection (b) of this section;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>money appropriated in the State budget for the Fund; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>any other money from any other source accepted for the benefit of the Fund.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="i">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The State Treasurer shall invest the money of the Fund in the same manner as other State money may be invested.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Any investment earnings of the Fund shall be credited to the General Fund of the State.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="j">
    <text>Expenditures from the Fund may be made only in accordance with the State budget.</text>
  </level>
</section>
