The Sign Language Interpreters Act was introduced to the House on February 2, 2021, passed by the General Assembly on May 11, 2022, and signed by the Governor on May 16, 2022. The Interpreters Act will go into effect on January 1, 2024 and establish new requirements for interpreters in South Carolina. Below you will find information on how the Interpreters Act will impact you and the requirements that must be met to work as an interpreter in the state.
Sign Language Interpreters Act
Who:
SC RID in partnership with SCAD and other stakeholders.
What:
An Act created to establish minimum requirements for ASL Interpreters in SC. View the ACT.
When:
SC RID & SCAD have been advocating for many years to establish standards for ASL interpreters. These efforts were successful in 2022 and the requirements go into effect in January 2024.
Where:
Community & Post-Secondary-
- Businesses regulated by the Department of Health and Environmental Control under Title 44.
- Determining which entities are regulated by DHEC can seem like a daunting task, but DHEC has a tool to help! Click here to use their "Find a Facility" map where you can filter by location and see any/all entities regulated by DHEC.
- Departments of state government 1-30-10
- Offices of all statewide constitutional officers
- Judicial Department
- Public institutions of higher education
- The Commission on Higher Education
- Police Stations
- County and state detention centers and correctional facilities
- Any other board, commission, or council created by a statute of SC
Excludes: school districts, school boards, charter schools, and special schools
For more detailed information click here.
K-12 Educational Interpreting-
- The Sign Language Interpreters Act DOES NOT detail minimum requirements for K-12 Educational interpreters
- Instead the law states that relevant stakeholders including SC RID, SCAD, & the State Board of Education will develop regulations for the appropriate credentialing of sign language interpreters working in schools and school districts SECTION 59-33-120
- The Act requires that interpreters working in schools and school districts in the state must be required to submit the same background checks as educators
Why:
To require minimum competency requirements for sign language interpreters, exceptions, definitions, and more rigorous standards so that Deaf and hard of hearing individuals in SC have appropriate access.
How:
SC RID & SCAD were tasked with working together to decide which credentials would meet minimum requirements to be able to work in specific settings detailed above. The specific accepted credentials are listed in the FAQ below. SC RID & SCAD agreed to use the SC RID registry to list qualified individuals in SC and verify that their credentials meet the requirements established. It is extremely important that members update their member profile and upload documentation of their credentials so their information can be verified and listed in the directory.
Recorded Town Hall: Video PowerPoint
Visual Guide:
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this mean if I'm not certified I can't work?
Nationally certified interpreters will be required for assignments with:
- SC Government or Constitutional Agencies
- SC Judicial Department
- Public colleges & Universities
- Commission on Higher Education
- Police Stations
- State & County Detention Centers
- Hospitals/Facilities regulated by DHEC
Non-certified interpreters are still able accept assignments with:
- Private businesses
- Real estate and private attorneys
- Private colleges, universities, and trade schools
- Job trainings
- Business meetings
- Religious services
- Dental and hearing aid appointments
- Private medical facilities
- Festivals, concerts, and theatrical productions
What credentials will be accepted by SC RID & SCAD to meet minimum competency requirements?
- National Interpreter Certification (NIC)
- National Interpreter Certification Advanced (NIC:A)
- National Interpreter Certification Master (NIC:M)
- Educational Certificate: K-12 (Ed: K-12)
- Certificate of Interpretation (CI)
- Certificate of Transliteration (CT)
- Comprehensive Skills Certificate (CSC)
- National Association of the Deaf: Master (NAD V)
- National Association of the Deaf: Advanced (NAD IV)
- National Association of the Deaf: General (NAD III)
- Certified Deaf Interpreter (CDI)
- Certified Deaf Interpreter Provisional (CDI-P)
- Specialist Certificate: Legal (SC:L)
- Conditional Legal Interpreting Permit (CLIP)
- Conditional Legal Interpreting Permit-Relay (CLIP-R)
- Provisional Specialist Certificate: Legal (Prov. SC:L)
- Master Comprehensive Skills Certificate (RSC)
- Reverse Skills Certificate (RSC)
- Interpretation Certificate (IC)
- Transliteration Certificate (TC)
- Board of Evaluation of Interpreters: Advanced (BEI:A)
- Board of Evaluation of Interpreters: Master (BEI:M)
- Board of Evaluation of Interpreters: Medical Interpreter
- Board of Evaluation of Interpreters: IV (BEI IV)
- Board of Evaluation of Interpreters: V (BEI V)
- Board of Evaluation of Interpreters Intermediary III
- Board of Evaluation of Interpreters Intermediary IV
- Board of Evaluation of Interpreters Intermediary V
Will SC RID & SCAD accept other assessments/credentials outside of the ones listed above?
SC RID and SCAD encourages members to reach out and request any other credentials that you would like to be considered. As part of our ongoing partnership we will review the request, research, and vet the credential to see if it can be accepted and added to the list. We ask that you do your due diligence and share as much information and research as possible to support your request.