House Bill 347 Summary

• Requires juvenile detention centers to adopt annual policies providing language and sign language interpretation services for youth with limited English proficiency or who are deaf/hard of hearing, with interpreters available 24 hours per day.

• Defines "interpreter" as individuals certified by the National Association of the Deaf, Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, or holding valid Mississippi Office on Deaf and Hard of Hearing approval; requires sign language interpretation for deaf/hard of hearing youth and spoken language interpretation for groups comprising at least 5% of annually served youth.

• Mandates detention centers post notices in conspicuous locations advertising interpreter availability, procedures for obtaining interpreters, and complaint procedures including TDD numbers for deaf/hard of hearing individuals.

• Requires the state to fully fund interpretation services through a single statewide contract, with the Personal Service Contract Board promulgating rules and regulations governing the contract's solicitation and selection.

• Takes effect July 1, 2016, and amends Mississippi Code sections 25-9-120 and 43-21-321 to codify these requirements into law.