1. (a) Any individual desiring to practice interpreting within the state of Arkansas may submit an application for licensure, attached hereto as Appendix B.

2. (b) The Advisory Board for Interpreters between Hearing Individuals and Individuals who are Deaf, Deafblind, Hard of Hearing, or Oral Deaf shall recommend to the Secretary of the Department of Health, after review of said application, issuance of a license to an applicant who submits proof of the following:

   1. (1) A completed application with appropriate required fees;
   2. (2) Documentation of a credential or credentials held and sustained by continuing education units (CEUs); and
   3. (3) Acknowledgment of adherence to the professional ethical practices set forth in this part.
3. (c) Expiration. A license issued under this part expires on December 31 of the calendar year on which it was issued.

4. (d) Renewal.

   1. (1) A license issued under this part is to be renewed upon expiration of the calendar year.
   2. (2) Renewals based on out-of-state credentials and CEU documentation will be assessed individually to determine equivalency with these requirements.

   3. (3) The applicant for renewal shall submit:

      1. (A) A signed request for renewal with appropriate required fees;
      2. (B) Documentation of a credential or credentials held and sustained by CEUs; and
      3. (C) Documentation of CEUs if a credential or credentials for EIPA and QAST credentials.

5. (e) Late renewal.

   1. (1) If for some reason a licensee fails to renew by January 1 of the next calendar year, the licensee shall submit the application with:

      1. (A) A statement explaining the reason for late renewal; and
      2. (B) The renewal fee and late fee.
   2. (2) There is no guarantee that late application requests will be automatically approved.
   3. (3) Each request will be evaluated separately and independent from others.
   4. (4) If a request for a late renewal is denied, the licensee will be given notice and an opportunity for a hearing.

6. (f)

   1. (1) Any license not renewed by January 31 of the next calendar year will be placed on inactive status.

   2. (2) To resume active licensure, the applicant must submit the following:

      1. (A) Documentation of credentials held;
      2. (B) Documentation of CEUs for EIPA and QAST; and
      3. (C) Reactivation fee.

Codification Notes: "EIPA" means Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment. "QAST" means Quality Assurance Screening Test.