After years of feedback and two previous proposals, we are reintroducing a bill to the Wisconsin state legislature to creat a licensure law regulating interpreters.  All other states in our region and a majority around the country already have state licenses for interpreters.

Our bill says a person may not, for compensation, provide interpretation services unless she or he is a state license holder.. It has seven types of exemptions:  no license will be required for state court-certified interpreters, DPI-licensed educational interpreters, religious interpreters, Support Service Providers for deaf/blind, persons in another paid position interpreting in an emergency, occasional out-of-state interpreters (but not regular "over the border" interpreters), and limited case-by-case authorizations by a new state council.

The bill establishes timeframes and specifies all credentials and training required for both hearing and deaf interpreters to apply for either renewable (permanent) or restricted (limited term) licenses.

The bill creates a diverse nine-member Council to oversee the license. Its duties include making recommendations to lawmakers and keeping in touch with the community regarding the practices of interpreters.  The Council will set standards for the consideration of special excemptions.

The bill authorizes the state to revoke licenses and impose penalities for violations.

If the bill is passed by the state legislature and signed by the governor during the 2009-2010 legislative session, it could go into effect sometime late 2010 or early 2011.

Click Here For the Text of the Bill (SB 389) or go to http://www.legis.state.wi.us

Click Here For an Easy-To-Read Summary of the Bill (Summary SB 389)

Bill Co-Sponsors

Senator Neal Kedzie, R-Elkorn, District 11 (author of the bill)

Senator Mary Lazich, R-New Berlin, Distirct 28

Senator Luther Olsen, R-Ripon, District 14

Representative Thomas Lotham, R-Williams Bay, District 32

Representative John Townsend, R-Fond Du Lac, District 52

Click Here to Find Your Senator's Contact Information (State Senate Contact Info)

Don't know who your Senator or Representative is?

For the directory, go to  www.legis.wisconsin.gov. You can check your own district senators and representatives in the search box, Who represents you?.
It is an easy way to find them. :)

Here are three sample letters that you can edit and use to show your support.

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