Florida 2024 Regular Session

Florida House Bill H0987 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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3	3	HB 987 2024
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7	7	CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
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10	10	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
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14	14	A bill to be entitled 1
15	15	An act relating to court -related functions; amending 2
16	16	ss. 28.35 and 28.215, F.S.; authorizing clerks of the 3
17	17	circuit court to provide interpretation and 4
18	18	translation services; creating s. 28.217, F.S.; 5
19	19	authorizing clerks of the circuit court to contract 6
20	20	with third-party interpretation service and 7
21	21	translation service providers to provide such services 8
22	22	in civil actions; providing that the provision of such 9
23	23	services by clerks of the circuit court is 10
24	24	ministerial, is an authorized court -related function, 11
25	25	and is an allowable expenditure; providing that such 12
26	26	services may be made available to a party regardless 13
27	27	of whether he or she is represented by counsel; 14
28	28	providing construction; providing that the clerks of 15
29	29	the circuit court are not required to provide 16
30	30	interpretation and translation services; providing an 17
31	31	effective date. 18
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33	33	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 20
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35	35	Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subsection (3) of section 22
36	36	28.35, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 23
37	37	28.35 Florida Clerks of Court Operations Corporation. — 24
38	38	(3)(a) The list of court -related functions that clerks may 25
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40	40	HB 987 2024
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44	44	CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
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47	47	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
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51	51	fund from filing fees, service charges, court costs, and fines 26
52	52	is limited to those functions expressly authorized by law or 27
53	53	court rule. Those functions include the following: case 28
54	54	maintenance; records management; court preparation and 29
55	55	attendance; interpretation and translation services; processing 30
56	56	the assignment, reop ening, and reassignment of cases; processing 31
57	57	of appeals; collection and distribution of fines, fees, service 32
58	58	charges, and court costs; processing of bond forfeiture 33
59	59	payments; data collection and reporting; determinations of 34
60	60	indigent status; and paying reas onable administrative support 35
61	61	costs to enable the clerk of the court to carry out these court -36
62	62	related functions. 37
63	63	Section 2. Section 28.215, Florida Statutes, is amended to 38
64	64	read: 39
65	65	28.215 Pro se assistance. —The clerk of the circuit court 40
66	66	shall provide ministerial assistance to pro se litigants. 41
67	67	(1) Assistance may shall not include the provision of 42
68	68	legal advice. 43
69	69	(2) Assistance may include interpretation and translation 44
70	70	services, as provided in s. 28.217, to pro se litigants. 45
71	71	Section 3. Section 28. 217, Florida Statutes, is created to 46
72	72	read: 47
73	73	28.217 Interpretation and translation services. — 48
74	74	(1) The clerk of the circuit court may contract with a 49
75	75	third-party interpretation service provider and a third -party 50
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77	77	HB 987 2024
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81	81	CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
82	82	hb0987-00
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84	84	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
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88	88	translation service provider to provide int erpretation and 51
89	89	translation services, respectively, in civil actions. 52
90	90	(2) The provision of such services is ministerial and is 53
91	91	an authorized court-related function under s. 28.35(3)(a), and 54
92	92	such services are an allowable expenditure by the clerk of the 55
93	93	circuit court under s. 28.36. 56
94	94	(3) Such services may be made available, upon request, to 57
95	95	any party to such an action, regardless of whether the party is 58
96	96	represented by counsel. The clerk of the circuit court may only 59
97	97	provide ministerial assistance in makin g such services 60
98	98	available, and such assistance may not include the provision of 61
99	99	legal advice. 62
100	100	(4) This section may not be construed to prohibit a party 63
101	101	to such an action from providing his or her own interpretation 64
102	102	or translation services or from using h is or her own third-party 65
103	103	interpreter or translation service providers. 66
104	104	(5) The provision of interpretation and translation 67
105	105	services under this section is an optional court -related 68
106	106	function, and this section does not require the clerk of the 69
107	107	circuit court to provide such services. 70
108	108	Section 4. This act shall take effect October 1, 2024. 71