(a) As used in this part:

1. (1) “Automatic licensure” means the granting of occupational licensure without an individual having met the occupational licensure requirements provided by this part or under Arkansas Code;
2. (2) "Cued speech" means the system of handshapes that represent groups of consonant sounds and hand placements that represent groups of vowel sounds that is used with natural speech to represent a visual model of spoken language;
3. (3) "Deaf individual" means an individual who has a documented hearing loss so severe that the individual is unable to process speech and language through hearing, with or without amplification;

4. (4) "Deaf interpreter" means a deaf individual who facilitates communication:

   1. (A) Between another deaf person and a licensed qualified interpreter; or
   2. (B) Between two (2) or more deaf persons;
5. (5) "Deafblind individual" means an individual who has a combined loss of vision and hearing that prevents the individual's vision or hearing from being used as a primary source for accessing information;

6. (6) "Hard of hearing individual" means an individual who:

   1. (A) Has a hearing loss;
   2. (B) May primarily use visual communication; and
   3. (C) May use assistive devices;

7. (7)

   1. (A) "Interpret" means to provide language equivalency between a hearing individual and an individual who is deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or oral deaf using techniques that include without limitation:

(i) American Sign Language;

1. (ii) English-based sign language;

   1. (iii) Cued speech; and

      1. (iv) Oral interpreting.

   2. (B) “Interpret” shall include providing interpreting services through the use of electronic communications, information technology, asynchronous store, and forward transfer, or synchronous interaction to one (1) or more persons located in Arkansas, including, but not limited to:

      1. (i) Video relay services (VRS); and
      2. (ii) Video remote interpreting services (VRI);
2. (8) "Interpreting agency" means an entity that provides qualified interpreter services for a fee;
3. (9) “Hiring entity” means any entity that hires or employs qualified interpreters;

4. (10) "Licensed provisional interpreter" means an individual who is:

   1. (A) Deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or oral deaf; and
   2. (B) Provisionally licensed under this part and subject to Arkansas Code § 20-14-801 et seq., hereinafter referred to as “interpreter”;
5. (11) "Licensed qualified interpreter" means an individual who is licensed under this part and subject to Arkansas Code § 20-14-801 et seq. (hereinafter referred to as “interpreter”);

6. (12) "Oral deaf individual" means an individual whose:

   1. (A) Sense of hearing is nonfunctional for the purpose of communication; and
   2. (B) Primary method of communication is speech reading and spoken English;
7. (13) "Oral interpreting" means the use of oral transliteration with special techniques to make the English language visible for persons who communicate as speech readers;

8. (14) “Uniformed service member" means an:

   1. (A) Active or reserve component member of the:

      1. (i) United States Air Force;
      2. (ii) United States Army;
      3. (iii) United States Coast Guard;
      4. (iv) United States Marine Corps;
      5. (v) United States Navy;
      6. (vi) United States Space Force; or
      7. (vii) National Guard;
   2. (B) Active component member of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps; or
   3. (C) Active or reserve component member of the United States Commissioned Corps of the Public Health Service; and
9. (15) “Uniformed service veteran" means a former member of the United States uniformed services discharged under conditions other than dishonorable.