In Support of National Court Interpreter Legislation
Resolution 16 In Support of National Court Interpreter Legislation
The growing diversity of the United States is increasingly reflected in the needs of individuals appearing before the state courts. Courts are serving more people who do not have fluency in the English language, and justice for these individuals depends on access to interpreter services that enable full understanding and participation in court proceedings.
Providing this service requires interpreters with specialized legal language knowledge in addition to general language skills. State courts have been proactive in developing the necessary tools to train and certify qualified court interpreters. However, as the number of languages and individuals in need of interpretation increases, so too does the cost of developing and sustaining a pool of trained interpreters.
The federal government should support these efforts by helping state courts fund this essential function. Senator Herbert H. Kohl (D-WI) has introduced a draft bill, the State Court Interpreter Grant Program Act, which would allocate $15 million annually for four years to support interpreter services in state courts. This bill is modeled after the highly effective Court Improvement Program, which allows states discretion in the use of federal funds for child welfare cases.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Conference of Chief Justices:
- Urges Senator Kohl to continue championing this important legislation; and
- Calls upon Congress to pass the State Court Interpreter Grant Program Act in a timely manner to support the work of state courts and the diverse communities they serve.
Adopted as proposed by the Access to and Fairness in the Courts Committee at the 29th Midyear Meeting on January 18, 2006.