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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State
Rep. Todd Eachus |
  
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Eachus bill to help those who help the deaf and hard-of-hearing passes House
HARRISBURG, June 25 -- State Rep. Todd Eachus, D-Luzerne, said the House unanimously passed legislation today that he sponsored to help interpreters and transliterators who provide services to the Commonwealth’s deaf and hard-of-hearing citizens.
"Back in 2004 we created a law requiring state registration for interpreters and transliterators, but the problem was that that law did not address the needs of recent graduates of interpreter education programs that have the skills but often do not have the requisite experience to pass a state registration exam," Eachus said. "Graduates couldn’t obtain state registration and, therefore, couldn't work in the community and were often forced out of state to pursue their career. It was a real-life ‘Catch-22.'
"House Bill 1596 closes that loophole by creating provisional licenses for graduates so we can make sure hearing-impaired people have access to qualified interpreters and transliterates and our graduates get the experience they need to become state registered. We only have 252 people licensed in the entire state to provide services to thousands of hearing-impaired residents. My bill helps keep those people on the job and encourages recent graduates to use their skills and training right here at home."
Eachus said H.B. 1596 sets up standards for graduates to obtain provisional licenses, including:
- Application to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry’s Office of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing;
- A $50 application fee;
- Proof that the applicant graduated from an accredited program with an associate degree or higher within 5 years prior to the application date;
- Proof that the applicant passed a written examination approved by the department.
Eachus said the department will review applications and issue provisional licenses when standards are met.
"These provisional licenses will only be good for one year, and will not offer the same scope of practice offered by an actual license, so I believe these provisional licenses will be a reasonable stepping-stone for graduates that currently have nowhere to turn," he said.
The measure passed the House 199-0 and now goes to the state Senate for consideration.
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