California Assembly Bill AB2727 Latest Draft

 BILL NUMBER: AB 2727INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Chu FEBRUARY 19, 2016 An act to amend Section 751 of the Evidence Code, relating to courts. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 2727, as introduced, Chu. Courts: interpreters. Under existing law, if a witness in a court action is incapable of understanding the English language or is incapable of expressing himself or herself in the English language so as to be understood directly by counsel, court, and jury, an interpreter whom the witness can understand and who can understand the witness must be sworn to interpret for the witness. Existing law requires an interpreter to take an oath that he or she will make a true interpretation to the witness in a language that the witness understands and that the interpreter will make a true interpretation of the witness' answers to questions to counsel, court, or jury, in the English language, with the interpreter's best skill and judgment. This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to the latter provision. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 751 of the Evidence Code is amended to read: 751. (a) An interpreter shall take an oath that he or she will make a true interpretation to the witness in a language that the witness understands and that he or she will make a true interpretation of the witness' answers to questions to counsel, court, or jury, in the English language, with his or her best skill and judgment. (b) In  any   a  proceeding in which a deaf or  hard-of-hearing   hard of hearing  person is testifying under oath, the interpreter certified pursuant to subdivision (f) of Section 754 shall advise the court whenever he or she is unable to comply with his or her oath taken pursuant to subdivision (a). (c) A translator shall take an oath that he or she will make a true translation in the English language of any writing he or she is to decipher or translate. (d) An interpreter regularly employed by the court and certified or registered in accordance with Article 4 (commencing with Section 68560) of Chapter 2 of Title 8 of the Government Code, or a translator regularly employed by the court, may file an oath as prescribed by this section with the clerk of the court. The filed oath shall serve for all subsequent court proceedings until the appointment is revoked by the court.