S05406 Summary:

BILL NOS05406
 
SAME ASSAME AS A04432, SAME AS S07272
 
SPONSORMONSERRATE
 
COSPNSR
 
MLTSPNSR
 
Amd SS386 & 387, add SS381 & 382, Judy L
 
Establishes standards for court interpreters and a procedure for waiver of a non-English speaking person's right to an interpreter in any proceeding.
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S05406 Actions:

BILL NOS05406
 
04/29/2009REFERRED TO JUDICIARY
01/06/2010REFERRED TO JUDICIARY
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S05406 Floor Votes:

There are no votes for this bill in this legislative session.
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S05406 Text:



 
                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                          5406
 
                               2009-2010 Regular Sessions
 
                    IN SENATE
 
                                     April 29, 2009
                                       ___________
 
        Introduced  by  Sen.  MONSERRATE  -- read twice and ordered printed, and
          when printed to be committed to the Committee on Judiciary
 
        AN ACT to amend the judiciary law, in relation to standards and  waivers
          regarding qualified court interpreters
 
          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-

        bly, do enact as follows:
 
     1    Section 1. Section 386 of the judiciary law, as renumbered by  chapter
     2  649  of  the  laws  of 1945 and as amended by chapter 259 of the laws of
     3  1909, is amended to read as follows:
     4    § 386. Appointment and compensation of court  interpreters  generally.
     5  The county judge and the district attorney of the county may appoint one
     6  interpreter,  who  shall  act  as  and be the court interpreter for such
     7  county.  Such interpreter shall hold office during the pleasure  of  the
     8  county  judge  and  district  attorney and they shall appoint his or her
     9  successor in office.   Said interpreter shall receive  a  salary  to  be
    10  fixed  by  the  board  of  supervisors  of said county, which shall be a
    11  charge upon the county, to be paid monthly, in the same manner as  other

    12  county  officials  are paid. Said interpreter so appointed shall, before
    13  entering upon his or her duties file in the office of the county  clerk,
    14  the constitutional oath of office, and an affidavit under oath or affir-
    15  mation  to make a true and impartial interpretation of proceedings in an
    16  understandable manner using such interpreter's best skills and  judgment
    17  in  accordance  with  the standards for professional conduct and ethical
    18  behavior found and reinforced in the UCS Court  Interpreter  Manual  and
    19  the  Court  Interpreter  Canons  of  Professional  Responsibility. Court
    20  interpreters shall participate in  training  programs  provided  by  the
    21  court  system  for  court  personnel  on  ethics,  domestic violence and

    22  cultural sensitivity.  The provisions of this  section,  however,  shall
    23  not  apply  to  the  counties  of New York, Kings and Queens, nor to any
    24  other county in which the appointment or compensation  of  court  inter-
 
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD07545-01-9

        S. 5406                             2
 
     1  preters  therein is governed by a special or local act or by any special
     2  provision of a general act.
     3    § 2. Section 387 of the judiciary law, as amended by chapter 15 of the
     4  laws of 1975, is amended to read as follows:
     5    §  387.  Temporary  appointment of interpreters. If the services of an

     6  interpreter be required in any court and there be no unemployed official
     7  interpreter to act therein, the court may appoint an interpreter to  act
     8  temporarily  in  such court. Such interpreter shall before entering upon
     9  his duties file with the clerk of the court the constitutional  oath  of
    10  office,  and  an  affidavit under oath or affirmation to make a true and
    11  impartial interpretation of  proceedings  in  an  understandable  manner
    12  using such interpreter's best skills and judgment in accordance with the
    13  standards  for professional conduct and ethical behavior found and rein-
    14  forced in the UCS Court Interpreter Manual  and  the  Court  Interpreter
    15  Canons  of Professional Responsibility. Court interpreters shall partic-
    16  ipate in training programs  provided  by  the  court  system  for  court

    17  personnel  on  ethics,  domestic violence and cultural sensitivity.  The
    18  court shall fix the compensation of such interpreter at  not  more  than
    19  twenty-five  dollars  per day for each day's actual attendance by direc-
    20  tion of the presiding judge or justice and such  compensation  shall  be
    21  paid from the court fund of the county upon the order of the court.
    22    §  3.  The judiciary law is amended by adding two new sections 381 and
    23  382 to read as follows:
    24    § 381. Standards and functions of court interpreters. 1.  A  qualified
    25  interpreter is a person who is: (a) able to communicate with non-English
    26  speaking  persons  to  orally  transfer the meaning of statements to and
    27  from English and the language spoken by a non-English speaking person;

    28    (b) interpret in a manner that conserves the meaning, tone, level  and
    29  register  of  the  original  statement  without substantive additions or
    30  omissions; and
    31    (c) performs his or her duties in conformance with  the  standards  of
    32  professional  conduct  and  ethical behavior found and reinforced in the
    33  UCS Court Interpreter Manual and the Court Interpreter Canons of Profes-
    34  sional Responsibility.
    35    2.  Any  person  serving  as  a  court  interpreter  pursuant  to  the
    36  provisions  of  this  article  shall,  in any proceeding before a court,
    37  state agency or hearing officer, state or submit  such  person's  quali-
    38  fications on the record, unless waived or otherwise stipulated to by the

    39  parties or counsel to the parties prior to such proceeding.
    40    3.  A non-English speaking person shall be entitled to the services of
    41  a qualified court interpreter appointed by a court or state agency in  a
    42  criminal  or  civil  proceeding,  and  such court or state agency shall,
    43  unless waived pursuant to section three hundred eighty-two of this arti-
    44  cle, appoint a qualified  court  interpreter  in  a  civil  or  criminal
    45  proceeding  to:  (a) interpret the proceedings to a non-English speaking
    46  party;
    47    (b) interpret  the  testimony  of  a  non-English  speaking  party  or
    48  witness;
    49    (c)  assist  the court, agency or hearing officer in performing duties
    50  and responsibilities of the court, agency  or  hearing  officer  in  any

    51  proceeding  involving  one  or more parties who are non-English speaking
    52  persons.
    53    § 382.  Waiver of court interpreter. 1. Waiver  of  the  right  to  an
    54  interpreter  by  a  non-English speaking party to a proceeding  shall be
    55  effective only when approved by a judge or hearing  officer  after  such
    56  non-English  speaking  party  has  consulted with counsel, received oral

        S. 5406                             3
 
     1  counsel from a judge or hearing officer in open court as to  the  nature
     2  and  effect of such waiver, and has demonstrated, to the satisfaction of
     3  such judge or hearing officer, comprehension of such nature  and  effect
     4  and  that  such  waiver  is  knowingly  and  voluntarily made. Following

     5  approval of a waiver, a judge or hearing officer  shall  ensure  that  a
     6  recitation of the waiver procedure pursuant to this section is made part
     7  of the record of such proceeding.
     8    2.  The  failure of a non-English speaking person to request an inter-
     9  preter shall not be deemed a  waiver  of  such  right.  Any  non-English
    10  speaking person may retract a waiver made pursuant to subdivision one of
    11  this  section  at any time during the proceeding and indicate his or her
    12  desire to be assisted by a qualified interpreter.
    13    § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
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