Article 24: Interpreters · Last amended 2002 · Last verified July 22, 2026
In one sentenceThis section defines three terms used throughout sections 25-2401 to 25-2407: a deaf or hard of hearing person, a person unable to communicate the English language, and a proceeding, so that the rest of the interpreter article applies consistently.
Full Text of § 25-2402
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For the purposes of sections 25-2401 to 25-2407 unless the context otherwise requires:
(1) Deaf or hard of hearing person means a person whose hearing impairment, with or without amplification, is so severe that he or she may have difficulty in auditorily processing spoken language without the use of an interpreter or a person with a fluctuating or permanent hearing loss which may adversely affect the ability to understand spoken language without the use of an interpreter or other auxiliary aid;
(2) Person unable to communicate the English language means a person who cannot readily understand or communicate the English language; and
(3) Proceeding means any legal proceeding or any hearing preliminary thereto involving persons unable to communicate the English language or deaf or hard of hearing persons unable to communicate by a spoken language.
Section 25-2402 supplies the definitions that make the rest of the interpreter article work. A “deaf or hard of hearing person” is someone whose hearing loss, even with amplification, makes it hard to process spoken language without an interpreter or another aid, including someone with a fluctuating or permanent hearing loss that affects understanding of spoken language.
A “person unable to communicate the English language” is someone who cannot readily understand or communicate in English. A “proceeding” covers any legal proceeding, or any hearing that comes before one, involving a person unable to communicate in English or a deaf or hard of hearing person who cannot communicate through spoken language. Later sections in this article use these three terms without redefining them, so this section sets the boundaries for who qualifies for an interpreter and in what setting.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as a “person unable to communicate the English language” under this section?
Someone who cannot readily understand or communicate in English, regardless of the reason.
Does the definition of “deaf or hard of hearing person” cover someone whose hearing loss comes and goes?
Yes. The definition includes a fluctuating or permanent hearing loss that affects the ability to understand spoken language without an interpreter or other aid.
Does a “proceeding” under this section include a preliminary hearing, or only a trial?
It includes any hearing preliminary to a legal proceeding, not just the proceeding itself.
Why does the article separate “deaf or hard of hearing person” from “person unable to communicate the English language”?
The two groups need different kinds of interpretation, and later sections, including the licensing standard in 25-2407, treat them somewhat differently.
Do these definitions apply outside sections 25-2401 to 25-2407?
The section defines these terms for purposes of sections 25-2401 to 25-2407 unless the context otherwise requires.
Source & verification. Section text and the amendment-history citation are
reproduced verbatim from the Nebraska Legislature, Revisor of Statutes, enacted by the
Nebraska Legislature. Last verified July 22, 2026. ·
Official source
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