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Bill Summary · HB 854

Summary — HB 854 (Require Licensure of Educational Interpreters)

Status: Committee substitute and amendments considered; passed various House actions. Effective date in bill: October 1, 2026 (as provided in committee substitute). Jurisdiction: North Carolina.

Main purpose

HB 854 removes the longstanding statutory exemption that excluded educational interpreters and transliterators (those providing communication access to students in preK–12 and higher education) from licensure under the North Carolina Interpreter and Transliterator Licensure Act. The bill therefore brings educational interpreters/transliterators within the State licensure framework and aligns school training requirements with the licensing system.

Key provisions

  • Definitions (G.S. 90D-3)
    • Clarifies that “educational interpreter or transliterator” (serving preK–12 and higher education) is included in definitions of “interpreter” and “transliterator.”
  • Removal of exemption (G.S. 90D-4(b))
    • Deletes the subsection that previously exempted educational interpreters/transliterators from the Chapter’s licensure requirements, so they must now obtain licenses under Chapter 90D.
  • Licensure criteria (G.S. 90D-7 & 90D-8)
    • Educational interpreters are explicitly included among those who may be licensed.
    • Sets or retains pathways and credential criteria for full and provisional licenses (examples shown in statutory text: national credentials such as RID, TECUnit, EIPA classifications). For full licensure, an Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment (EIPA) level 4.0 plus the written test is cited as a qualifying option.
    • Provisional license rules: the bill revises renewal limits for provisional licenses (reducing the number of allowable renewals and allowing limited Board discretion for extension) and specifies categories eligible for provisional licensure (e.g., deaf interpreters, oral interpreters, cued language transliterators, out-of-state credential holders, and applicants meeting hourly service experience requirements).
    • Authorizes criminal background checks for applicants through the Department of Public Safety (fingerprinting, SBI/FBI checks), maintaining confidentiality of records.
  • School training alignment (G.S. 115C-110.2)
    • Confirms that each interpreter/transliterator employed by a local education agency must complete 15 hours annually of job-related, agency-approved training.
    • Allows continuing education hours required for Chapter 90D license renewal to count toward the 15-hour local training requirement when relevant and approved by the local agency.
  • Implementation authority
    • Authorizes the Licensing Board and Department of Public Instruction to adopt implementing rules.

Who is affected

  • Educational interpreters and transliterators working in North Carolina public (and potentially private) K–12 schools and institutions of higher education.
  • Local education agencies (LEAs), which must continue to approve/oversee the 15-hour annual training requirement and may need to verify credentials.
  • The North Carolina Interpreter and Transliterator Licensing Board (additional licensing workload).
  • Students who receive interpreting/transliterating services (changes intended to standardize qualifications).

Timeline / procedural notes

  • Committee substitute indicates an effective date of October 1, 2026, providing lead time for affected individuals and agencies to secure required credentials or provisional licenses.
  • The Board and DPI may issue rules to implement the new licensure coverage and compliance processes.

Potential impacts / considerations

  • Workforce: More educational interpreters will be required to obtain state licensure (or a provisional license), potentially creating short-term training, certification, and administrative burdens for practitioners and LEAs.
  • Quality and consistency: The stated intent is to raise and standardize qualification levels for educational interpreters/transliterators statewide.
  • Administrative capacity: The Licensing Board may need increased resources to process additional applications, provisional licenses, renewals, and background checks (the bill does not include an explicit fiscal note in the text provided).
  • Transition provisions: The text provides provisional licensure routes and recognizes certain national credentials, which may ease transition for current practitioners.

If you want, I can extract and display the specific statutory changes side‑by‑side (current text vs. proposed text) or produce a checklist for educational interpreters and LEAs to prepare for compliance by Oct 1, 2026.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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