HB 1217 Summary

• Creates three levels of court interpreters: certified (70% on oral exam), registered (ethics workshop, 80% written exam, background check), and non-credentialed, with certified interpreters as the preferred appointment option.

• Expands interpreter eligibility to all Limited English Proficient (LEP) individuals involved in civil and criminal litigation, not limited to indigent defendants.

• Requires courts to appoint interpreters in order of preference (certified, then registered, then non-credentialed) and mandates on-the-record findings if appointing a non-credentialed interpreter.

• Shifts interpreter costs from litigants to county or municipal treasuries at no cost to the parties, eliminating previous cost-sharing provisions.

• Requires mandatory interpreter appointment in all criminal cases where the defendant is an LEP individual and establishes the Administrative Office of Courts to maintain a roster of credentialed interpreters.