Researcher: MF Page 1 4/11/22
OLR Bill Analysis
sHB 5230
AN ACT CONCERNING STANDARDS FOR INTERPRETERS FOR
DEAF, DEAFBLIND AND HARD OF HEARING PERSONS.
SUMMARY
This bill makes several changes related to interpreters registered with
the Department of Aging and Disability Services (ADS).
Existing law establishes qualifications for interpreters generally and
additional requirements for interpreting in educational, medical, or
legal settings. Under the bill, settings that are not educational, medical,
or legal are “community settings” and may include everyday life
activities such as information sharing, employment, social services,
entertainment, and civic and community engagements. The bill retains
existing qualification requirements for these settings.
For medical and legal settings, the bill expands the acceptable
qualifications for registered interpreters to include holding an
Approved Deaf Interpreter credential from the Massachusetts
Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. The bill makes a minor
change to specify that the circumstances under which interpreters must
be credentialed for medical settings are those in which “physical health,
mental health, or both” are discussed, rather than those in which “health
and wellness” are discussed.
The bill establishes penalties for certain acts of false representation. It
also eliminates a provision allowing people to report violations of
interpreter credentialling laws to the state’s protection and advocacy
system (i.e., Disability Rights Connecticut).
The bill requires ADS to categorize interpreters on its online list of
registered interpreters by the settings for which they are qualified. It
also requires ADS, the Department of Children and Families (DCF), the
Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS), and 2022HB-05230-R000378-BA.DOCX
Researcher: MF Page 2 4/11/22
the Department of Social Services (DSS) to provide information on
certain services on their websites.
Lastly, the bill makes technical and conforming changes (e.g.,
updating terminology by changing from “deaf-blind” to “deafblind”;
replacing references to the Department of Rehabilitation Services with
ADS).
EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 2022
WEBPAGE REQUIREMENTS
The bill requires several agencies to provide online information on
services. Specifically, it requires
1. ADS to establish a webpage with information on services for
deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing people, including services it
provides and those provided by DCF, DMHAS, and DSS and
2. DSS, DMHAS, and DCF, on their websites, to maintain
information on services for people with disabilities and link to
ADS’s page on services for deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing
people.
FALSE REPRESENTATION PENALTIES
The bill makes it a class C misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of up
to $500, 3-months imprisonment, or both, for someone to (1) engage in
willful or fraudulent misrepresentation in an attempt to register with
ADS or (2) falsely represent himself or herself as registered. However,
an interpreter is not guilty of the latter merely because his or her
registration renewal was delinquent for up to 30 days.
BACKGROUND
Related Bill
HB 5224 (File 198), favorably reported by the General Law
Committee, contains (1) the same provisions expanding qualifications
for medical and legal settings and establishing penalties, and (2) similar
provisions on agency website requirements. 2022HB-05230-R000378-BA.DOCX
Researcher: MF Page 3 4/11/22
COMMITTEE ACTION
Human Services Committee
Joint Favorable Substitute
Yea 20 Nay 0 (03/24/2022)