Texas 2023 - 88th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB380 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New	Differences
1	1	S.B. No. 380
2	2
3	3
4	4	AN ACT
5	5	relating to payment of certain court costs associated with
6	6	interpreters.
7	7	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
8	8	SECTION 1. The heading to Section 57.002, Government Code,
9	9	is amended to read as follows:
10	10	Sec. 57.002. APPOINTMENT OF INTERPRETER OR CART PROVIDER;
11	11	CART PROVIDER LIST; PAYMENT OF INTERPRETER COSTS.
12	12	SECTION 2. Section 57.002, Government Code, is amended by
13	13	adding Subsections (g), (h), and (i) to read as follows:
14	14	(g) A party to a proceeding in a court who files a statement
15	15	of inability to afford payment of court costs under Rule 145, Texas
16	16	Rules of Civil Procedure, is not required to provide an interpreter
17	17	at the party's expense or pay the costs associated with the services
18	18	of an interpreter appointed under this section that are incurred
19	19	during the course of the action, unless the statement has been
20	20	contested and the court has ordered the party to pay costs pursuant
21	21	to Rule 145. Nothing in this subsection is intended to apply to
22	22	interpreter services or other auxiliary aids for individuals who
23	23	are deaf, hard of hearing, or have communication disabilities,
24	24	which shall be provided to those individuals free of charge
25	25	pursuant to federal and state laws.
26	26	(h) Each county auditor, or other individual designated by
27	27	the commissioners court of a county, in consultation with the
28	28	district and county clerks shall submit to the Office of Court
29	29	Administration of the Texas Judicial System, in the manner
30	30	prescribed by the office, information on the money the county spent
31	31	during the preceding fiscal year to provide court-ordered
32	32	interpretation services in civil and criminal proceedings. The
33	33	information must include:
34	34	(1) the number of interpreters appointed;
35	35	(2) the number of interpreters appointed for parties
36	36	or witnesses who are indigent;
37	37	(3) the amount of money the county spent to provide
38	38	court-ordered interpretation services; and
39	39	(4) for civil proceedings, whether a party to the
40	40	proceeding filed a statement of inability to afford payment of
41	41	court costs under Rule 145, Texas Rules of Civil Procedure,
42	42	applicable to the appointment of an interpreter.
43	43	(i) Not later than December 1 of each year, the Office of
44	44	Court Administration of the Texas Judicial System shall:
45	45	(1) submit to the legislature a report that aggregates
46	46	by county the information submitted under Subsection (h) for the
47	47	preceding fiscal year; and
48	48	(2) publish the report on the office's Internet
49	49	website.
50	50	SECTION 3. The change in law made by this Act applies to an
51	51	action pending on the effective date of this Act or filed on or
52	52	after the effective date of this Act.
53	53	SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
54	54	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
55	55	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
56	56	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
57	57	Act takes effect September 1, 2023.
58	58	______________________________ ______________________________
59	59	President of the Senate Speaker of the House
60	60	I hereby certify that S.B. No. 380 passed the Senate on
61	61	March 27, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 26, Nays 4.
62	62	______________________________
63	63	Secretary of the Senate
64	64	I hereby certify that S.B. No. 380 passed the House on
65	65	May 9, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 113, Nays 30, two
66	66	present not voting.
67	67	______________________________
68	68	Chief Clerk of the House
69	69	Approved:
70	70	______________________________
71	71	Date
72	72	______________________________
73	73	Governor