CS/HB 853 2023
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to translation services; amending ss. 2
28.35 and 28.215, F.S.; authorizing a clerk of the 3
circuit court to provide translation services; 4
creating s. 28.217, F.S.; authorizing a clerk of the 5
circuit court to contract with a third -party 6
translation service provider to provide translation 7
services; requiring that such service by a clerk of 8
the circuit court be ministerial assistance only; 9
prohibiting a clerk of the circuit court from 10
providing legal advice; providing construction; 11
providing that the clerk of the circuit court is not 12
required to provide translation services; providing an 13
effective date. 14
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 16
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Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subsection (3) of section 18
28.35, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 19
28.35 Florida Clerks of Court Operations Corporation. — 20
(3)(a) The list of court -related functions that clerks may 21
fund from filing fees, service charges, court costs, and fines 22
is limited to those functions expressly authorized by law or 23
court rule. Those functions include the following: case 24
maintenance; records management; court preparation and 25
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
attendance; translation services; processing the assignment, 26
reopening, and reassignment of cases; processing of appeals; 27
collection and distribution of fines, fees, service charges, and 28
court costs; processing of bond forfeiture payments; data 29
collection and reporting; determinations of indigent s tatus; and 30
paying reasonable administrative support costs to enable the 31
clerk of the court to carry out these court -related functions. 32
Section 2. Section 28.215, Florida Statutes, is amended to 33
read: 34
28.215 Pro se assistance. —The clerk of the circuit court 35
shall provide ministerial assistance to pro se litigants. 36
(1) Assistance may shall not include the provision of 37
legal advice. 38
(2) Assistance may include translation services to pro se 39
litigants under s. 28.217. 40
Section 3. Section 28.217, Flo rida Statutes, is created to 41
read: 42
28.217 Translation services. — 43
(1) The clerk of the circuit court may contract with a 44
third-party translation service provider for translation 45
services for civil cases. The provision of such services is 46
ministerial and constitutes a court-related function under s. 47
28.35(3)(a), and such services are an allowable expenditure by 48
the clerk of the circuit court under s. 28.36. 49
(2) Translation services may be made available to any 50
CS/HB 853 2023
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
party requesting such services, regardless of whether the party 51
is represented by counsel. The clerk of the circuit court shall 52
provide ministerial assistance only in making such services 53
available, and such assistance may not include the provision of 54
legal advice. 55
(3) Nothing in this section may be construed to prohibit a 56
party from providing for his or own translation service or 57
third-party translation service provider. 58
(4) The provision of translation services under this 59
section is an optional court -related function and nothing in 60
this section requires the clerk of the circuit court to provide 61
such services. 62
Section 4. This act shall take effect October 1, 2023. 63