Bill would expand pay, training and transport options for educational interpreters and Montana School for the Deaf and Blind

House Bill 151 would expand eligibility for Montana educator-pay and loan-assistance programs to include certified educational interpreters, authorize a teacher-residency pathway and allow the Montana School for the Deaf and Blind (MSDB) to use school buses that meet Office of Public Instruction standards for student transport.

The bill sponsor, Representative Connie Keogh, R-92, told the Senate Education Committee on Oct. 12 that the measure was developed through the Education Budget Interim Committee to address a shortage of teachers of the deaf, teachers of the visually impaired and educational interpreters across Montana. “In particular, there is a very critical shortage of educational interpreters,” Keogh said, adding that the committee found roughly “8 positions for educational interpreters currently advertised across the state.”

The bill makes several statutory changes across six sections of law, Keogh said. Among other provisions, House Bill 151 would: add educational interpreters to the list of professionals eligible for the existing quality-educator…