Louisiana commission advances rulemaking on interpreter credentials as stakeholders call for more transparency

The Louisiana Commission for the Deaf on Feb. 21, 2025 reviewed proposed minimum-qualification standards for sign-language interpreters working in community (generalist) settings, drawing public criticism about the rulemaking process and prompting the commission to begin a formal, public rulemaking sequence.

The proposed rules would require registration with the Louisiana Interpreter Registry and establish a publicly accessible list of credentialed interpreters, interim director Jana Broussard told the commission. "Registration with the Louisiana Commission for the Deaf will be required through the Louisiana Interpreter Registry," Broussard said, framing the proposal as a public-safety and quality-of-service effort tied to a 2022 legislative change that moved credentialing authority to the Louisiana Department of Health.

Why it matters: The standards will affect which interpreters may represent themselves professionally across medical, legal and other community settings and could change staffing in K–12 classrooms, courtrooms and health-care facilities. Several public commenters warned that moving too quickly without clear drafts could reduce access for deaf and hard-of-hearing people who rely on interpreters today.

Several speakers told the commission they were frustrated with outreach and the availability of draft documents. "I want to share my frustration with the process and lack of transparency that LCD has shown in developing standards for generalist interpreters," said Darlene Austin, identifying herself as an RID-certified ASL interpreter with roughly 30 years' experience. Austin said the generalist standards "appear to have been pushed through without the input of all stakeholders."

Gary Morgan, representing the Louisiana Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (LRID), told commissioners there has been "a lack of transparency of the process and content," and said only presentation slides — not a finalized standard — had been available. "No finalized document is available for review by the LCD Commission and interpreters," Morgan said.

Several written comments read into the record reflected contrasting views. An email from Chelsea Richard supported more rigorous educational-interpreter standards to protect students, saying, "Establishing more rigorous minimum qualifications for educational interpreters is a step . . . toward truly providing the least restrictive environment for mainstream deaf and hard-of-hearing students." By contrast, a submission from Natosha Istree warned that the process appeared biased and urged the commission to apply consistent degree requirements across educational and community interpreters.

Commission staff outlined the scope and timeline for the administrative process. Broussard summarized the commission's outreach since 2020, citing focus groups, town halls and an interpreter needs assessment. She also listed supportive measures under consideration to reduce barriers to certification, including testing access and potential tuition or testing funding: "We have just been approved recently to become a testing site for CASLI, and we were approved to become an EIPA testing proctor," Broussard said, a step she said is intended to reduce travel barriers for candidates.

Shane Bates, legislative and policy lead for the Bureau of Family Health, explained the formal rulemaking steps and public-comment windows. "It will then go to the office of state register . . . Shortly after that, there will be a public comment period so anyone from the public will be able to register any comments whether for or against that will last for about 20 days," Bates said. He said the department aims to publish a rule by Aug. 20 if the process proceeds on schedule but that agency reviewers would pause to revise the draft if public comment warranted changes.

Commissioners and staff responded repeatedly to callers’ concerns about whether drafts had been shared in advance and whether required timelines were arbitrary. Broussard said some internal dates used by staff (an internal March deadline was mentioned) and the department's preferred public filing calendar both factor into timing; Bates said the department's intended public filing target was April 20 for the notice of intent, followed by reviews by the Legislative Fiscal Office and the Office of State Register.

What the commission did: The body approved its agenda, agreed to postpone approval of the January minutes to the April meeting, and moved into a committee-of-the-whole process to review the proposed slides and draft content in detail before returning to the full board to vote on a single package of recommended edits. The committee-of-the-whole motion was made and seconded and the chair scheduled a short break to allow commissioners to reconvene for the detailed review.

The transcript shows recurring concerns from practicing interpreters that strict new qualifications could worsen current shortages in some parts of the state unless paired with financial support, training pathways and grandfathering or transition rules. Staff repeatedly said transition measures are being considered and that the formal legal draft will be posted with the notice of intent for full public review and comment.

Next steps: Commission staff said a legal draft will be finalized and published with a notice of intent; that publication will trigger a formal public-comment period and further in-person comment opportunities. Staff and the department indicated they expect additional rounds of review before any regulation is adopted.

Votes at a glance

- Motion to approve the Feb. 21 agenda (mover: Dr. Ashley Argrave; seconder: Commissioner Marissa Ramos) — approved (voice vote; "seeing none" recorded to indicate no opposition in the public transcript). - Motion to postpone approval of January meeting minutes to the April meeting — approved (no opposition recorded). - Motion to convene a committee of the whole to review the draft slides and propose edits (mover: Commissioner Nollis; seconder: proxy Lynn Gomez) — approved (motion placed, seconded and the body recessed for committee review).