This page explains the Idaho Educational Interpreter Act, Title 33, Chapter 13. 

It is a law that was recently created to establish minimum competency and continuing education standards for Sign, Oral, and Cued Speech interpreters and transliterators. 

Downloads

• PDF version of the law, click here.

• Idaho statutes, click here.

• FAQ sheet about the law, click here.

• Pre-legislation position paper, click here.
• Pre-legislation talking points, click here.
• List of organizations that supported the bill, click here.

Summary of the Law

Sign Language Interpreter Requirements

• Score of at least 3.5 on the Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment (EIPA) or certification from the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) or National Association of the Deaf (NAD) level III

Oral Transliterator Requirements

• Oral Transliteration Certificate (OTC) from the RID

Cued Speech Transliterator Requirements

• State-level certification at a score of at least 70% from TECUnit

Other General Provisions

• Currently employed interpreters have until July 1, 2009 to meet the new standards
• Up to three year emergency authorization for interpreters not employed when law went into effect
• Graduates of interpreter training programs have one year to meet the standard
• Eighty hours (not credits) of continuing education every five years (e.g., courses, home-study, workshops, etc.)

More Information about the Law:

Idaho State Department of Education, http://www.sde.state.id.us/Dept/