Section 11-218-8 - Provision of services(a) Any person who is deaf, hard of hearing, or deaf-blind shall inform a state agency of the need for communication access services, allowing reasonable time to hire providers.(b) A state agency shall hire the preferred qualified providers of the person who is deaf, hard of hearing, or deaf-blind to provide effective communication when possible. If no preference is stated, providers with the highest level of credentials shall be hired first, followed by providers with lesser levels of credentials.(c) A state agency shall acquire the services of a provider or providers with the appropriate credentials when necessary for a person who is deaf, hard of hearing, or deaf-blind to effectively participate in an activity or program of that agency.(d) For assignments of continuous work {for example, a workshop or meeting}, the state agency shall request a minimum of two providers to actively and alternately work for the total time of the assignment.(e) If only one provider is available and hired for an assignment with continuous work of more than one and one-half hours in length, the state agency shall ensure that the provider is given breaks as necessary or as negotiated prior to the assignment.(f) If a person who is deaf, hard of hearing, or deaf-blind cannot benefit from conventional communication access services, then additional providers, including a provider who is deaf, hard of hearing, or deaf-blind, shall be used to relay information between the consumer and the hearing provider to achieve effective communication. (g) A qualified sign language interpreter is an interpreter who is able to interpret effectively, accurately, and impartially, both receptively and expressively, using any necessary specialized vocabulary. [Eff 5/17/91; am and comp 6/10/94; am and comp 4/3/97; am and comp 11/6/00; am and comp 12/24/01; am and comp 10/13/05; comp 7/23/07; comp 02/27/09; Comp OCT 27 2011] (Auth: HRS § 348F-6) (Imp: HRS § 348F-3)