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Friday, June 7, 2024
Board of Sign Language Interpreters: HB 2696 (2023)
During the 2023 Legislative Session, House Bill 2696 (2023) was enacted, establishing the Board of Sign Language Interpreters (Board) under the Health Licensing Office (HLO). The bill required all individuals not covered by an exception who perform “sign language interpretation services" to be licensed on January 1, 2024, and required the Board to determine the minimum qualifications for each license type. Due to the operative date listed in the bill, the Board was unable to begin meeting until after January 1, 2024, and therefore was unable to set licensing requirements and adopt rules. To bridge the gap between January 1, 2024, and when the Board establishes minimum licensure requirements and adopts permanent rules, the HLO issued temporary licenses valid through June 7, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. After June 7, 2024, at 11:59 p.m., the HLO-issued temporary licenses are no longer valid.
Board Permanent Rules: Effective June 8, 2024
The Board adopted permanent administrative rules, and those rules are effective June 8, 2024, setting minimum licensing requirements.
Limited Waiver on Enforement
HLO is extending the limited waiver on enforcement through December 31, 2024. This means that the HLO is exercising its discretion to not take disciplinary action against individuals who are required to be licensed and choose to work under the limited waiver on enforcement, i.e., not obtain a permanent board license (permanent license). The limited waiver of enforcement is narrow; the waiver only applies to the singular issue of providing sign language interpretation services in Oregon without a license. The HLO may impose discipline for any other violation of the HLO or Board rules or statutes. The limited waiver of enforcement ends on December 31, 2024. On January 1, 2025, any individual not covered by an exception and providing sign language interpreting (SLI) services will need to have a permanent license to avoid enforcement action by the HLO.
Applying for Licensure
When applying for a permanent license, be sure to thoroughly complete the appropriate application and follow the directions on how HLO will accept applications, identification, supporting documentation, and fees.
Be advised that the qualification requirements for a permanent license may be different than the qualification requirements for a temporary license. Holding a temporary license does not guarantee that an individual will be granted a permanent license.
Please note: There may be a delay of several weeks before an applicant receives a permanent license in the mail. This is because there is only one primary staff member who will be processing the initial influx of applications. HLO is responsible for ensuring each application is processed accurately, including entering information into the HLO licensing database and transacting fees. To review the status of a license in real time, visit the HLO Public Record Search page.
Ongoing Rulemaking
The Rules Advisory Committee (RAC) is continuing to meet to develop rules that align with the SLI professional standards and minimum qualifications. The RAC is scheduled to meet on:
Additional RACs will be scheduled as needed. The Board will be provided a RAC progress report on August 7 and October 30, 2024, to assess the development of rules and determine if further RACs are needed.
Zoom to Teams
On May 15, 2024, the HLO announced they had transitioned from the Zoom video conference platform to the Microsoft Teams (MS Teams) video conference platform when conducting public meetings. The HLO has updated their board conference room by installing smart room equipment, which relies on the MS Teams platform. The MS Teams platform does have all the features of Zoom. For example, users can pin multiple participants, and HLO can choose to have live transcriptions active during board meetings in addition to other options the user will have control of.
Instructions on how to pin individuals during a meeting: To focus on a particular individual, right-click on their video and select “Pin for me" from the drop-down menu. Their video will be pinned to your view, regardless of who is talking. You can pin as many videos as will fit on your screen. If you change your mind, right-click on their video again and select “Unpin" from the drop-down menu.
If a meeting participant is unfamiliar with MS Teams and is having issues getting MS Teams set up, please reach out to Nathan Goldberg at nathan.goldberg@oha.oregon.gov or call (503) 509-4784.
The meeting notice and agenda will be published prior to each public meeting. Please visit the HLO Public Meetings webpage for current meeting information.
HOW TO CONTACT US
Board meeting questions:
Carrie Edwards: carrie.edwards@oha.oregon.gov or (503) 373-1902
Board member recruitment questions:
Derek Fultz: derek.j.fultz@oha.oregon.gov or (503) 373-1915
Licensing and qualification questions:
Michael Brennen: michael.a.brennan@oha.oregon.gov or (503) 373-1986
Regulatory or complaint questions:
Trampus Schuck: trampus.schuck@oha.oregon.gov or (503) 373-1950
Administrative rule questions:
Samie Patnode: samie.patnode@oha.oregon.gov or (503) 373-1917
This communication will be made available in an accessible alternative format upon request. Please contact Carrie Edwards at carrie.edwards@oha.oregon.gov, or by calling (503) 373-1902; or Derek Fultz at derek.j.fultz@oha.oregon.gov, or by calling (503) 373-1915. All relay calls are accepted.
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