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