(a) The presiding officer in a proceeding shall appoint an interpreter after making a preliminary determination that the interpreter is able to readily communicate with the person who is deaf or hard of hearing, to accurately interpret statements or communications from the person who is deaf or hard of hearing, and to interpret the proceedings to the person who is deaf or hard of hearing.

(b) The presiding officer shall make findings when appointing an interpreter not designated as a qualified interpreter.

(c) It shall be a rebuttable presumption that the requirements of this section are met if the interpreter proposed for appointment is a qualified interpreter. It shall also be a rebuttable presumption that the requirements of this section are not met if the interpreter proposed for appointment is not a qualified interpreter. (Added 1987, No. 172 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 2005, No. 167 (Adj. Sess.), § 13, eff. May 20, 2006; 2013, No. 96 (Adj. Sess.), § 3.)