No.

The licensure will be affordable for practicing interpreters. Specific cost will be determined by the board.

No.

The bill does not apply to K-12 educational interpreting. The educational interpreters are currently regulated under a separate licensure system through Tennessee’s Department of Education.

Certification is typically issued by a nationwide professional organization to verify that an individual has met specific skill-based and ethical standards and will comply with ethical standards. For example, interpreters may hold certifications from the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID), which are recognized nationally but not enforced by law.

State licensure is issued on behalf of a state government by a licensing board. Licensure gives someone the legal right to practice a profession in the state. It is a regulatory requirement and state requirement. If a state requires licensure, working without one or past the temporary period can lead to fines or other legal consequences, even if the person holds a nationally recognized certification.

Understanding how the bill becomes law and how the licensure system will be put into practice can feel overwhelmed or affected. We’ve created a simple infographic that breaks it down step by step—please click here to view the infographic.

No.

The goal is to increase access to qualified interpreters—not reduce the number of working professionals. The bill includes provisional and transitional options for interpreters who are actively working toward full licensure.

In 2023, the Tennessee Department of Education made significant state-level investments to grow the educational interpreter workforce. However, those supports are limited to school settings and do not apply to interpreters working in medical, legal, or community-based environments.

This proposed legislation asks the state to take the next step: to ensure that interpreting outside of schools is held to the same professional standard. It creates a licensure structure for interpreters who serve deaf, deafblind, and hard-of-hearing individuals in critical life moments. This approach promotes employment growth, not restriction—with accountability, professionalism, and public trust at the core.