1. (a) The board consists of 9 members appointed by the governor and council, pursuant to RSA 326-I:3.

2. (b) The powers and duties of the board include:

   1. (1) Accepting applications for licensure, and approving or denying such applications;
   2. (2) Approving and enforcing performance requirements, including education and examination standards, for interpreters for the deaf and hard of hearing;
   3. (3) Suspending or revoking licenses and conducting investigations and hearings regarding the denial, suspension, revocation, and renewal of licenses;
   4. (4) Adopting a code of professional conduct for licensees;
   5. (5) Renewing licenses for interpreters for the deaf and hard of hearing;
   6. (6) Maintaining a directory of all licensed interpreters for the deaf and hard of hearing. The directory shall be updated, published, and shall be offered for sale to the public at a fee to be equal to the cost of reproduction.
   7. (7) Accepting written complaints from the public against licensees, conduct necessary investigations of such complaints and publicize the complaint procedure;
   8. (8) Accepting funds from federal and other non-state sources to be used for performing its duties;
   9. (9) Cooperating with the New Hampshire Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc., the New Hampshire Association of the Deaf, Hearing Loss Association of America, the New Hampshire League for the Hard of Hearing, the department of education, bureau of vocational rehabilitation, and interpreter referral services to provide access to the services of interpreters to persons communicating with deaf and hard of hearing persons;
   10. (10) Reporting to the governor and council annually on the activities conducted by the board;
   11. (11) Recommending to the governor and council that any board member be removed and replaced for malfeasance, misfeasance, or nonfeasance pertaining to the duties of the board; and
   12. (12) Adopting rules under RSA 541-A, in accordance with RSA 326-I:5.
3. (c) The board shall be an administratively attached agency, under RSA 21-G:I0, to the department of education.
4. (d) The bureau of vocational rehabilitation, program for the deaf and hard of hearing, shall provide the administrative support necessary for the board to perform its record-keeping and administrative functions, and its day-to-day operations. The bureau shall be the custodian of the board's records, as provided in Int 103.03.
5. (e) The board shall meet at least quarterly, and at such additional times as called for by the chairperson or by majority vote of the board.
6. (f) A quorum for a meeting or hearing of the board shall be 5 members pursuant to RSA 326-I:3, VI.

Source. #7851, eff 3-12-03; ss by #9942, INTERIM, eff 6-18-11, EXPIRED: 12-15-11 New. #10040-A, eff 12-16-11