                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

STATEWIDE INTERPRETER SERVICE (§ 51.5-113)

The Department is authorized to establish, maintain and coordinate a statewide
service to provide courts, state and local legislative bodies and agencies, both
public and private, and persons who are deaf or hard-of-hearing who request the
same with qualified interpreters for persons who are deaf or hard-of-hearing out
of such funds as may be appropriated to the Department for these purposes.
		Those courts and state and local agencies that have funds designated to employ
qualified interpreters shall pay for the actual cost of such interpreter. The
Department is further authorized to establish and maintain lists of qualified
interpreters for persons who are deaf or hard-of-hearing to be available to the
courts, state and local legislative bodies and agencies, both public and
private, and to persons who are deaf or hard-of-hearing.
		The Department is authorized to charge a reasonable fee for the administration
of quality assurance screening of interpreters. Such fees shall be applied to
the costs of administering the statewide interpreter service.
		For purposes of this section, a qualified interpreter shall be one who holds
at least one of the following credentials:

1. Certification from any national organization whose certification process has
been recognized by the Department for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing; or

2. A current screening level awarded by the Virginia Quality Assurance Screening
Program of the Department for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing; or

3. A screening level or recognized evaluation from any other state when (i) the
credentials meet the minimum requirements of Virginia Quality Assurance
Screening and (ii) the credentials are valid and current in the state issued.

HISTORY: 1978, c. 603, § 63.1-85.4:1; 1984, c. 670; 1990, c. 192; 1992, c. 614;
2002, c. 747.