Section 1515.130  Standards of Professional Conduct

In order to establish and maintain a high standard of integrity in the practice of sign language interpreters, the following Standards of Professional Conduct shall be binding on all applicants for licensure and every person holding a license as a sign language interpreter.

a)         Pursuant to Section 115 of the Act, dishonorable, unethical or unprofessional conduct in the practice of interpreting shall include, but not be limited to:

1)         Interpreting or offering to interpret beyond one's competency or skill level, as indicated by his or her certification or proficiency level;

2)         Accepting and performing professional responsibilities that the licensee knows, or has reason to know, that he or she is not competent to perform;

3)         Interjecting personal opinion during an assignment or on matters pertaining to the assignment;

4)         Delegating an assignment to a person who is not qualified or does not possess the appropriate certification, as defined in Section 1515.50, for the services to be provided;

5)         Extending or lengthening an assignment for the sole purpose of financial gain;

6)         Engaging in an exploitive relationship with a consumer.  An exploitive relationship is any relationship between the interpreter and consumer that may take advantage of, or cause harm to, the consumer.

b)         The Commission hereby incorporates by reference "NAD-RID Code of Professional Conduct" of the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, 333 Commerce Street Alexandria VA 22314, July 2005, with no later amendments or editions.