For the purposes of this chapter, the term:
(1) “Appointing authority” means the presiding judge of any court of the District of Columbia, the chairperson of any District of Columbia board or commission, the director or commissioner of any department or agency of the District of Columbia, the Chairman of the Council of the District of Columbia or the chairperson of any committee of the Council of the District of Columbia conducting a hearing, or any other person presiding at any hearing or other proceeding in which a qualified interpreter is required pursuant to this chapter.
(2) “Communication-impaired person” means a hearing-impaired person or a non-English or limited-English speaking person.
(3) “Hearing-impaired person” means a person who, because of a hearing impairment, cannot readily understand oral communications or who cannot communicate effectively through speech, and, if the communication at issue is in writing, who cannot communicate effectively in the written English language.
(3A) “Intermediary interpreter” means any person, including any hearing-impaired person, who is able to assist in providing an accurate interpretation between spoken English and sign language or between variants of sign language by acting as an intermediary between a hearing-impaired person and a qualified interpreter.
(4) “Non-English or limited-English speaking person” means a person who is unable to readily understand oral and written communications in the English language or who cannot communicate effectively in the spoken or written English language.
(5) “Qualified interpreter” means a person who is listed by the Office of Court Interpreter Services or the United States Department of State as being, or is otherwise found by the court to be, skilled in the language or form of communication needed to communicate fluently with a communication-impaired person and to translate or interpret information accurately to and from the communication-impaired person.
(6) “Qualified interviewer” means a person who is certified by the Metropolitan Police Department as being, or is otherwise found by the court to be, skilled in the language or form of communication needed to communicate fluently with a communication-impaired person.
(Jan. 28, 1988, D.C. Law 7-62, § 2, 34 DCR 7426; Apr. 24, 2007, D.C. Law 16-306, § 201(a), 53 DCR 8610.)
Prior Codifications1981 Ed., § 31-2701.
Effect of AmendmentsD.C. Law 16-306 rewrote the section.
Emergency LegislationFor temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 201(a) of Omnibus Public Safety Emergency Amendment Act of 2006 (D.C. Act 16-445, July 19, 2006, 53 DCR 6443).
For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 201(a) of Omnibus Public Safety Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2006 (D.C. Act 16-490, October 18, 2006, 53 DCR 8686).
For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 201(a) of Omnibus Public Safety Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2007 (D.C. Act 17-10, January 16, 2007, 54 DCR 1479).
For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 201(a) of Omnibus Public Safety Second Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2007 (D.C. Act 17-25, April 19, 2007, 54 DCR 4036).