| 1 | 1 | | By: Gallegos S.B. No. 1892 |
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| 2 | 2 | | (In the Senate - Filed March 11, 2009; March 24, 2009, read |
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| 3 | 3 | | first time and referred to Committee on Jurisprudence; |
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| 4 | 4 | | April 30, 2009, reported adversely, with favorable Committee |
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| 5 | 5 | | Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 4, Nays 0; April 30, 2009, |
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| 6 | 6 | | sent to printer.) |
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| 7 | 7 | | COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 1892 By: Gallegos |
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| 8 | 8 | | |
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| 9 | 9 | | |
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| 10 | 10 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 11 | 11 | | AN ACT |
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| 12 | 12 | | relating to the licensing of court interpreters. |
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| 13 | 13 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 14 | 14 | | SECTION 1. Section 57.002, Government Code, is amended by |
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| 15 | 15 | | adding Subsection (b-1) to read as follows: |
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| 16 | 16 | | (b-1) A licensed court interpreter appointed by a court |
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| 17 | 17 | | under Subsection (a) or (b) must hold a license that includes the |
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| 18 | 18 | | appropriate designation under Section 57.043(d) that indicates the |
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| 19 | 19 | | interpreter is permitted to interpret in that court. |
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| 20 | 20 | | SECTION 2. Section 57.043, Government Code, is amended by |
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| 21 | 21 | | amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsections (d) and (e) to read |
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| 22 | 22 | | as follows: |
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| 23 | 23 | | (a) The executive director shall issue a court interpreter |
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| 24 | 24 | | license to an applicant who: |
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| 25 | 25 | | (1) can interpret for an individual who can hear but |
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| 26 | 26 | | who does not comprehend English or communicate in English; |
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| 27 | 27 | | (2) passes the appropriate examination prescribed by |
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| 28 | 28 | | the executive director not earlier than two years before the date |
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| 29 | 29 | | the executive director receives the applicant's application for a |
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| 30 | 30 | | license; and |
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| 31 | 31 | | (3) possesses the other qualifications for the license |
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| 32 | 32 | | required by this subchapter or by rules adopted under this |
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| 33 | 33 | | subchapter. |
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| 34 | 34 | | (d) A license issued under this subchapter must include at |
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| 35 | 35 | | least one of the following designations: |
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| 36 | 36 | | (1) a basic designation that permits the interpreter |
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| 37 | 37 | | to interpret court proceedings in justice courts and municipal |
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| 38 | 38 | | courts created under Chapter 29, other than proceedings referred by |
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| 39 | 39 | | the judges of those courts to a magistrate, master, referee, |
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| 40 | 40 | | associate judge, or hearing officer; or |
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| 41 | 41 | | (2) a master designation that permits the interpreter |
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| 42 | 42 | | to interpret court proceedings in all courts in this state, |
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| 43 | 43 | | including justice courts and municipal courts created under Chapter |
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| 44 | 44 | | 29. |
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| 45 | 45 | | (e) In adopting rules relating to licensing under this |
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| 46 | 46 | | subchapter, the commission shall, after consulting with the board, |
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| 47 | 47 | | prescribe the minimum score an individual must achieve on an |
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| 48 | 48 | | examination to receive a license that includes a basic designation |
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| 49 | 49 | | under Subsection (d) and the minimum score an individual must |
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| 50 | 50 | | achieve to receive a license that includes a master designation |
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| 51 | 51 | | under that subsection. |
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| 52 | 52 | | SECTION 3. Subsection (a), Section 57.046, Government Code, |
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| 53 | 53 | | is amended to read as follows: |
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| 54 | 54 | | (a) The executive director shall prepare examinations under |
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| 55 | 55 | | this subchapter that test an applicant's knowledge, skill, and |
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| 56 | 56 | | efficiency in interpreting under this subchapter. The same |
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| 57 | 57 | | examinations must be used for issuing a license that includes a |
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| 58 | 58 | | basic designation or master designation as described by Section |
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| 59 | 59 | | 57.043(d). |
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| 60 | 60 | | SECTION 4. (a) Notwithstanding Subsection (e), Section |
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| 61 | 61 | | 57.043, Government Code, as added by this Act, and not later than |
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| 62 | 62 | | December 1, 2009, the executive director of the Texas Department of |
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| 63 | 63 | | Licensing and Regulation shall issue to a person who, on September |
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| 64 | 64 | | 1, 2009, holds a court interpreter license issued under Subsection |
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| 65 | 65 | | (a), Section 57.043, Government Code, a new court interpreter |
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| 66 | 66 | | license that includes a master designation described by Subdivision |
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| 67 | 67 | | (2), Subsection (d), Section 57.043, Government Code, as added by |
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| 68 | 68 | | this Act. |
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| 69 | 69 | | (b) Subsection (d), Section 57.043, Government Code, as |
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| 70 | 70 | | added by this Act, applies only to a court interpreter license, |
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| 71 | 71 | | other than a court interpreter license issued under Subsection (a) |
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| 72 | 72 | | of this section, that is initially issued under Subsection (a), |
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| 73 | 73 | | Section 57.043, Government Code, as amended by this Act, on or after |
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| 74 | 74 | | September 1, 2009, and to the subsequent renewal of that license. |
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| 75 | 75 | | (c) Subsection (b-1), Section 57.002, Government Code, as |
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| 76 | 76 | | added by this Act, applies only to the appointment of a licensed |
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| 77 | 77 | | court interpreter on or after January 1, 2010. An appointment |
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| 78 | 78 | | before that date is governed by the law in effect on the date the |
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| 79 | 79 | | appointment was made, and the former law is continued in effect for |
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| 80 | 80 | | that purpose. |
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| 81 | 81 | | SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |
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| 82 | 82 | | * * * * * |
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