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Committee approves licensure bill for deaf interpreters after public testimony
Summary
Senate Bill 0942, amended in committee, would create licensure and a code of ethics for deaf interpreters; multiple witnesses from the deaf community and certified interpreters urged passage, and the committee voted to recommend the bill to the Senate Education Committee.
Senate Bill 0942, sponsored by Senator Massey, would establish a licensure system for deaf interpreters, set minimum qualifications and a code of ethics, and create a complaint-and-discipline process. Senator Massey said the bill "will protect deaf Tennesseans and safety and civil rights" by ensuring interpreters used in health care, legal, educational and emergency settings meet verified standards and accountability requirements.
Three witnesses from the deaf community and the interpreting profession testified in support. Amy Linkheit, a nationally certified sign-language interpreter, said, "Right now in Tennessee, anyone can call themselves an interpreter and there's no statewide system to ensure minimum qualifications," and urged the committee to raise standards to protect health and legal outcomes. April Haggard, a deaf consumer, and Jade Sims, a deaf advocate who detailed a medical misinterpretation that led to delayed kidney treatment, also testified. The committee added a two-year sunset amendment and voted to forward the bill with a positive recommendation to the Senate Education Committee (roll recorded as 9 ayes).
