Assembly Bill 377 establishes English as the official language of Wisconsin and outlines the use of artificial intelligence and machine-assisted translation tools as alternatives to appointing English language interpreters by state and local governmental entities. The bill mandates that all oral and written communication by these entities must primarily be in English, with exceptions allowed for specific circumstances, such as individual cases or program implementations. Additionally, it permits government officials to use other languages for various purposes, including protecting citizens' rights and promoting trade.

The bill also includes amendments to existing statutes regarding the provision of interpreters in municipal courts and administrative contested case proceedings. It specifies that if a person has a language difficulty or impairment, the court or agency must determine if an interpreter is necessary and inform the individual of their right to one, while also allowing for the use of machine-assisted translation tools as an alternative. The amendments replace certain terms to ensure clarity and inclusivity, such as changing "individual" to "person" and "he or she" to "the person."

Statutes affected:
Bill Text: 885.37(1), 885.37, 885.37(3)(b), 885.38(3)(a)(intro.), 885.38