Assembly Bill 292 proposes significant changes to the use of translation services in court proceedings in Wisconsin. The bill allows courts to permit the use of artificial intelligence or other machine-assisted translation in civil and criminal proceedings, as well as in certain municipal and administrative contested case proceedings. Additionally, it expands the use of telephone or live audiovisual interpretation to include criminal trials, which was previously limited to non-trial criminal proceedings.

The bill includes several specific amendments to existing statutes. It renumbers and amends current laws regarding interpreter use, specifically removing the restriction that interpreters could not act in criminal trials. New provisions are created to explicitly allow the use of artificial intelligence or machine-assisted translation in lieu of or alongside human interpreters in various types of proceedings, including civil, municipal, and criminal cases. These changes aim to enhance accessibility and efficiency in the judicial process.