Michigan Compiled Laws

Mich. Comp. Laws § 393.502 (2026)

Definitions.

✓ current as of July 2026

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DEAF PERSONS' INTERPRETERS ACT

Act 204 of 1982

393.502 Definitions.

Sec. 2.

As used in this act:

(a) "Appointing authority" means a court or a department, board, commission, agency, or licensing authority of this state or a political subdivision of this state or an entity that is required to provide a qualified interpreter in circumstances described under section 3a.

(b) "Deaf person" means a person whose hearing is totally impaired or whose hearing, with or without amplification, is so seriously impaired that the primary means of receiving spoken language is through other sensory input; including, but not limited to, lip reading, sign language, finger spelling, or reading.

(c) "Deaf-blind person" means a person who has a combination of hearing loss and vision loss, such that the combination necessitates specialized interpretation of spoken and written information in a manner appropriate to that person's dual sensory loss.

(d) "Division" means the division on deaf and hard of hearing of the department of labor and economic growth.

(e) "Intermediary interpreter" or "deaf interpreter" means any person, including any deaf or deaf-blind person, who is able to assist in providing an accurate interpretation between spoken English and sign language or between variants of sign language by acting as an intermediary between a deaf or deaf-blind person and a qualified interpreter.

(f) "Qualified interpreter" means a person who is certified through the national registry of interpreters for the deaf or certified through the state by the division.

(g) "Qualified oral interpreter" means a qualified interpreter who is able to convey information through facial and lip movement.

(h) "Qualified sign language interpreter" means a qualified interpreter who uses sign language to convey information.

History: 1982, Act 204, Imd. Eff. July 1, 1982 ;-- Am. 2007, Act 24, Imd. Eff. June 28, 2007

Compiler's Notes:

For transfer of powers and duties of division on deaf and hard of hearing and advisory council on deaf and hard of hearing from department of licensing and regulatory affairs to department of civil rights, see E.R.O. No. 2011-4, compiled at MCL 445.2030.

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 3 cases, 1985–2003 · leading case: People v. Brannon, 486 N.W.2d 83 (Mich. Ct. App. 1992).

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People v. Brannon, 486 N.W.2d 83 (Mich. Ct. App. 1992). · cites it 3× “The act defines a "deaf person” as a person whose hearing is totally impaired or whose hearing, with or without amplification, is so seriously impaired that the primary means of receiving spoken language is through other sensory input; including, but not limited to, lip reading,…”

Bednarski v. Bednarski, 366 N.W.2d 69 (Mich. Ct. App. 1985). “The definitions of each are set forth in MCL 393.502; MSA 17.55(102). 4 "Above all, the interpreter’s foremost desire should be to give a verbatim translation of the terminology used in legal proceedings.”

Brannon v. Elo, 67 F. App'x 339 (6th Cir. 2003). “corpus asserting the following six grounds for relief: 1) The circuit court erred in ruling that the magistrate had abused his discretion in not binding the petitioner over on a charge of felony murder; 2) The trial court committed reversible error by allowing admission of the…”

— Mich. Comp. Laws § 393.502(e) — 1 case

People v. Brannon, 486 N.W.2d 83 (Mich. Ct. App. 1992). “The act defines a "deaf person” as a person whose hearing is totally impaired or whose hearing, with or without amplification, is so seriously impaired that the primary means of receiving spoken language is through other sensory input; including, but not limited to, lip reading,…”

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