---
title: O.C.G.A. § 24-6-651. Definitions.
collection: code
id: 24-6-651
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 24-6-651 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/24-6-651
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/24-6-651.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/24-6-651/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t24-ch1-7-(v20)-2023-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=27d520aa_0#page=668
date: 2025
status: active
corpus_version: 2025-supplement-89aa39ab3c68
license: CC0-1.0
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
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version: the only printed version
in_force: true
current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly
heading_path: EVIDENCE / WITNESSES / USE OF SIGN LANGUAGE AND INTERMEDIARY INTERPRETER IN ADMINISTRATIVE AND JUDICIAL PROCEEDINGS
---

# O.C.G.A. § 24-6-651. Definitions.

As used in this article, the term:

(1) “Agency” means any agency, authority, board, bureau, committee, commission, court, department, or jury of the legislative, judicial, or executive branch of government of this state or any political subdivision thereof.

(2) “Court qualified interpreter” means any person licensed as an interpreter for the hearing impaired pursuant to Code Section 15-1-14.

(3) “Hearing impaired person” means any person whose hearing is totally impaired or whose hearing is so seriously impaired as to prohibit the person from understanding oral communications when spoken in a normal conversational tone.

(4) “Intermediary interpreter” means any person, including any hearing impaired person, who is able to assist in providing an accurate interpretation between spoken English and sign language or between the variance of sign language by acting as an intermediary between a hearing impaired person and a qualified interpreter.

(5) “Proceeding” means any meeting, hearing, trial, investigation, or other proceeding of any nature conducted by an agency.

(6) “Qualified interpreter” means any person certified as an interpreter for hearing impaired persons by the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf or a court qualified interpreter.

## History

Code 1981, § 24-6-651, enacted by Ga. L. 2011, p. 99, § 2/HB 24.