LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 79TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

March 13, 2005

TO:	Honorable Will Hartnett, Chair, House Committee on Judiciary
FROM:	John S. O'Brien, Deputy Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	HB1642 by Hartnett (Relating to the appointment of interpreters for judicial proceedings.), As Introduced

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill would authorize a court in a county where there is no licensed court interpreter available in the county to appoint a spoken language interpreter who is not a certified or licensed court interpreter who meets certain other criteria. The bill would take effect September 1, 2005 and would apply only to the appointment of a court interpreter made under Chapter 57, Government Code, on or after that date.

Under current statute, only a court in a county with a population of less than 50,000 may appoint an interpreter who is not certified or licensed. The proposed change in statute would allow all courts the option to appoint a non-certified or non-licensed court interpreter if no certified or licensed interpreters are available in the county.

Local Government Impact

No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.

Source Agencies:

212 Office of Court Administration, Texas Judicial Council

LBB Staff:

JOB, DLBa