Sec. 1. 5 MRSA §48, as amended by PL 1999, c. 399, §1 and affected by §20, is repealed.

Sec. 2. 5 MRSA §48-A is enacted to read:

§48-A. Communication services for the deaf and hard-of-hearing

1.__Definitions.__As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings.

A.__"Advocate" means a person who is a nonlawyer who provides advice or other substantive legal work to the public that is not prohibited by law or regulation.

B.__"Agency" means any authority, board, bureau, commission, department or officer of State Government or of any county, municipality, school district or any other political or administrative subdivision.

C.__"CART" means computer-assisted real-time transcription using specialized equipment to transcribe real time word- for-word spoken English into written English that can be viewed on a computer screen or projected onto a large screen.

D.__"CART provider" means a person who provides CART.

E.__"Client" means a person who is deaf, hard-of-hearing or hearing and who is provided interpreting services by a privileged interpreter.

F.__"Compensation" means the fee for an interpreter's time of service as provided by an appointed qualified interpreter.

G.__"Confidential communication" means a communication that a client has a reasonable expectation is not being disclosed to persons other than a privileged interpreter and any client to whom the communication is intended to be made.

H.__"Deaf interpreter" means a deaf person or hard-of- hearing person with native or near-native fluency in American Sign Language who has training in interpreting and training or experience in the use of gesture, mime, props, drawings and other tools to enhance communication for deaf persons with minimal language skills.