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H 7932Healthcare: Licensing & Accreditation

Health and Safety - Licensing of Healthcare Facilities

Hospitals and public agencies cannot reduce ASL interpreter services without approval from the Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

Held for study
Population
Affected
8
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Introduced Feb 27, 2026Committee House Health & Human Services

Plain-English Summary

This legislation prevents hospitals, emergency care facilities, state agencies, and other entities that provide public services from reducing the availability or hours of American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter services without prior permission. To make such a reduction, these entities must obtain written approval from the Rhode Island Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (RICDHH). The Commission will review requests to ensure that communication access for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals remains intact. Reducing services without this approval is a violation that can result in fines or the suspension of operating licenses.

For younger readers

This bill is designed to help people who are deaf or hard of hearing communicate better. Sometimes, places like hospitals and government offices have special workers called interpreters who use sign language. This new law says that these places cannot decide to have fewer interpreters or cut their hours unless they get special permission first. A group called the Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing has to agree that it is okay. If a hospital breaks this rule, they could get in trouble or have to pay a fine.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups
Deaf and hard of hearing individualsHospitalsFreestanding emergency-care facilitiesState agenciesASL interpreters
Impacted communities
All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely

Estimated cost
Amount unknown
Estimated revenue
None

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints
For Progressives
  • Protects the civil rights of the deaf and hard-of-hearing community by ensuring consistent access to essential healthcare and government services.
  • Empowers a specialized oversight body (RICDHH) to regulate service levels, prioritizing community needs over potential corporate cost-cutting measures.
  • Strengthens the social safety net by mandating that "meaningful communication access" cannot be compromised by administrative decisions.
  • Does not mandate an increase in services or funding to improve current inadequacies, but merely freezes the status quo to prevent reductions.
  • The provision allowing reductions based on the "availability of qualified interpreters" could be used as a loophole if the state fails to invest in workforce development for interpreters.
  • May create administrative bottlenecks if the RICDHH is not adequately funded or staffed to review requests in a timely manner.
For Conservatives
  • Ensures that facilities comply with existing legal obligations, reinforcing the rule of law regarding accessibility standards.
  • Protects vulnerable individuals from negligence in high-risk environments like emergency rooms, aligning with the protection of life.
  • Establishes a clear, structured process for operational changes, providing regulatory certainty rather than ambiguous standards.
  • Imposes significant government regulation on private businesses (hospitals), restricting their freedom to manage staffing and budgets efficiently.
  • Expands the authority of an unelected bureaucratic commission (RICDHH) to interfere with the operational decisions of private and public entities.
  • Could prevent facilities from implementing cost-saving measures or modernizing communication methods (like video technology) if the commission is resistant to change.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 18 additions

SECTION 1. Chapter 23-17 of the General Laws entitled "Licensing of Healthcare Facilities" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section: 23-17-54.1. Protection of American sign language interpreter services.

(a) No reduction without approval. No hospital, freestanding emergency-care facility, state agency, or other entity providing public services shall reduce the number, availability, or hours of American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter services required under state or federal law, including §§ 23-17-54 and 8-5-8, without the prior written approval of the Rhode Island commission on the deaf and hard of hearing (RICDHH).

(b) Commission review. The RICDHH shall review any proposed reduction to ensure that the reduction will not impair meaningful communication access for individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, or deaf-blind.

(c) Approval criteria. In granting approval, the RICDHH shall consider:

(1) Current and projected need for ASL interpreter services in the affected setting;

(2) The availability of qualified interpreters;

(3) Any proposed alternative communication methods; and

(4) Compliance with federal and state accessibility laws.

(d) Enforcement. Any reduction of ASL interpreter services without RICDHH approval shall constitute a violation of licensure, certification, or program compliance requirements, as applicable, and may result in administrative penalties, including fines, suspension, or revocation of licensure or program authorization.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.