The bill amends Section 57.002(d) of the Government Code regarding the appointment of spoken language interpreters in court proceedings for counties with a population of 50,000 or more. It allows courts to appoint a spoken language interpreter who is not certified or licensed under specific conditions. The conditions include situations where the required language is not Spanish and there is no licensed interpreter available within 75 miles, or if the court is a justice court, municipal court, or municipal court of record handling a Class C misdemeanor case that is not a jury trial.

This legislation aims to improve access to interpretation services in court for individuals who require assistance in languages other than Spanish, ensuring that language barriers do not impede justice. The bill is set to take effect on September 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Government Code 57.002 (Government Code 57)
House Committee Report: Government Code 57.002 (Government Code 57)
Engrossed: Government Code 57.002 (Government Code 57)