EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0297*
SENATE BILL 297
P1 EMERGENCY BILL 5lr1910
CF HB 329
By: Senator King
Introduced and read first time: January 10, 2025
Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Sign Language Interpreters – Licensing Requirement 2
FOR the purpose of altering the date by which an individual must be licensed by the State 3
Board of Sign Language Interpreters before providing certain sign language 4
interpretation services or making certain representations; and generally relating to 5
sign language interpreter licensing. 6
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 7
Article – State Government 8
Section 9–2418(a) 9
Annotated Code of Maryland 10
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 11
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 12
Chapter 269 of the Acts of the General Assembly of 2023 13
Section 4(a) and 5 14
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 15
Chapter 270 of the Acts of the General Assembly of 2023 16
Section 4(a) and 5 17
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 18
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 19
Article – State Government 20
9–2418. 21
(a) Except as otherwise provided in this part, BEGINNING JULY 1, 2026, an 22
individual shall be licensed by the Board before the individual may: 23 2 SENATE BILL 297
(1) provide sign language interpretation services in the State; or 1
(2) represent to the public, by description of services or use of a title or 2
designation, that the individual is authorized to provide sign language interpretation 3
services in the State. 4
Chapter 269 of the Acts of 2023 5
SECTION 4. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That: 6
(a) Beginning [January 1, 2025] JULY 1, 2026, an individual who provides sign 7
language interpretation services in the State shall meet the requirements of Title 9, 8
Subtitle 24, Part III of the State Government Article, as enacted by Section 3 of this Act. 9
SECTION 5. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That the member of the State 10
Board of Sign Language Interpreters who is required to have a license issued under this 11
Act and who is appointed to the Board under § 9–2411 of the State Government Article, as 12
enacted by Section 3 of this Act, before [January 1, 2025] JULY 1, 2026, may satisfy the 13
license requirement by holding a current nationally or regionally recognized certification, 14
as defined in § 9–2401 of the State Government Article, as enacted by Section 3 of this Act, 15
or by meeting other criteria established by the Board. 16
Chapter 270 of the Acts of 2023 17
SECTION 4. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That: 18
(a) Beginning [January 1, 2025] JULY 1, 2026, an individual who provides sign 19
language interpretation services in the State shall meet the requirements of Title 9, 20
Subtitle 24, Part III of the State Government Article, as enacted by Section 3 of this Act. 21
SECTION 5. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That the member of the State 22
Board of Sign Language Interpreters who is required to have a license issued under this 23
Act and who is appointed to the Board under § 9–2411 of the State Government Article, as 24
enacted by Section 3 of this Act, before [January 1, 2025] JULY 1, 2026, may satisfy the 25
license requirement by holding a current nationally or regionally recognized certification, 26
as defined in § 9–2401 of the State Government Article, as enacted by Section 3 of this Act, 27
or by meeting other criteria established by the Board. 28
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this A ct is an emergency 29
measure, is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public health or safety, has 30
been passed by a yea and nay vote supported by three–fifths of all the members elected to 31
each of the two Houses of the General Assembly, and shall take effect from the date it is 32
enacted. 33