Allows certain courts of record to fix the compensation of a temporary appointed interpreter at not more than two hundred fifty dollars per day

2 Co-sponsors

• John A. DeFrancisco
• Ruben Diaz

BILL NUMBER:S275

Title of bill

An act to amend the judiciary law, in relation to the compensation of interpreters for certain courts of record

Purpose

This bill will increase allowances for temporary court interpreters.

Summary of provisions

Section 1 amends section 387 of the judiciary law by increasing the allowances of court interpreters from than twenty-five to more than two hundred dollars.

Justification

The present statutory allowance has not been changed since 1974. Interpreters in Monroe County are currently charging forty-five dollars or more an hour and some require a minimum guarantee of two hours to appear in court. The rates in towns and counties outside New York City are much higher. Raising the allowance to two hundred dollars will bring the rate in line with market trends.

Courts are required by law to provide an interpreter for arraignments, hearings, trials and all other court proceedings where the defendant or at times witness cannot speak English. With the current rates counties and towns are forced to put up the difference. Thus raising the allowance will help to reduce the burden that Counties are currently paying over above the statutory requirement in order to get the services of interpreters to meet the statutory requirement.

Legislative history

S.2147/A.5246 of 2009-2010; Referred to Judiciary

Fiscal implications

This bill will require the state to increase the amount of disbursements to counties for the purpose of hiring interpreters.

Effective date

This act shall take effect immediately.