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Current Status Bill Number:View additional legislative information at the LPITS web site.3160 Ratification Number:154 Act Number:103 Type of Legislation:General Bill GB Introducing Body:House Introduced Date:20010109 Primary Sponsor:Lee All Sponsors:Lee, Whipper Drafted Document Number:l:\council\bills\ggs\22722cm01.doc Date Bill Passed both Bodies:20010607 Date of Last Amendment:20010606 Governor's Action:S Date of Governor's Action:20010831 Subject:Civil, criminal proceedings; appointment of interpreters, Court Interpreters Advisory Panel created; Torts, Commissions History Body Date Action Description Com Leg Involved ______ ________ ______________________________________ _______ ____________ ------ 20010918 Act No. A103 ------ 20010831 Signed by Governor ------ 20010628 Ratified R154 House 20010607 Concurred in Senate amendment, enrolled for ratification Senate 20010606 Amended, read third time, returned to House with amendment Senate 20010503 Read second time, notice of general amendments Senate 20010503 Committee amendment adopted Senate 20010502 Committee report: Favorable with 11 SJ amendment Senate 20010306 Introduced, read first time, 11 SJ referred to Committee House 20010302 Read third time, sent to Senate House 20010301 Read second time, unanimous consent for third reading on Friday, 20010302 House 20010301 Amended House 20010228 Committee report: Favorable with 25 HJ amendment House 20010109 Introduced, read first time, 25 HJ referred to Committee House 20001220 Prefiled, referred to Committee 25 HJ Versions of This Bill Revised on February 28, 2001 - Word format Revised on March 1, 2001 - Word format Revised on May 2, 2001 - Word format Revised on May 3, 2001 - Word format Revised on June 6, 2001 - Word format
(A103, R154, H3160)
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 15-27-15, AS AMENDED, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE APPOINTMENT OF INTERPRETERS FOR DEAF PERSONS WHO ARE PARTIES OR WITNESSES TO A LEGAL PROCEEDING, SO AS TO DELETE THE PROVISION THAT REQUIRES THE CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE JUDGE FOR THE JUDICIAL CIRCUIT TO DETERMINE A REASONABLE FEE FOR INTERPRETING SERVICES WHICH MUST BE PAID FROM CERTAIN FUNDS APPROPRIATED TO THE JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT, AND PROVIDE THAT THE SELECTION, USE, AND REIMBURSEMENT OF INTERPRETERS MUST BE DETERMINED BY GUIDELINES ESTABLISHED BY THE CHIEF JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COURT WITH ALL FEES FOR INTERPRETING SERVICES PAID FROM CERTAIN FUNDS APPROPRIATED TO THE JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT; TO AMEND SECTION 15-27-155, RELATING TO THE APPOINTMENT OF INTERPRETERS IN CIVIL PROCEEDINGS WHENEVER A PARTY OR WITNESS DOES NOT SPEAK ENGLISH SUFFICIENTLY, SO AS TO DELETE THE PROVISION THAT REQUIRES THE CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE JUDGE FOR THE JUDICIAL CIRCUIT TO DETERMINE A REASONABLE FEE FOR INTERPRETING SERVICES WHICH MAY BE PAID OUT OF CERTAIN FUNDS APPROPRIATED TO THE JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT, PAID BY THE PARTIES AS THE COURT MAY DIRECT, OR TAXED AS COSTS BASED ON THE DISCRETION OF THE COURT, AND PROVIDE THAT THE SELECTION, USE, AND REIMBURSEMENT OF INTERPRETERS MUST BE DETERMINED BY GUIDELINES ESTABLISHED BY THE CHIEF JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COURT WITH FEES FOR INTERPRETING SERVICES PAID OUT OF CERTAIN FUNDS APPROPRIATED TO THE JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT, THE PARTIES AS THE COURT MAY DIRECT, OR TAXED AS COSTS AT THE DISCRETION OF THE COURT; AND TO AMEND SECTION 17-1-50, RELATING TO THE APPOINTMENT OF INTERPRETERS IN CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS WHENEVER A PARTY OR WITNESS DOES NOT SPEAK ENGLISH SUFFICIENTLY, SO AS TO PROVIDE AND REVISE DEFINITIONS FOR CERTAIN TERMS, TO REVISE THE CIRCUMSTANCES UPON WHICH AN INTERPRETER IS APPOINTED, OR WHOSE USE IS WAIVED, WHO MAY APPOINT AN INTERPRETER, WHOSE TESTIMONY MAY BE INTERPRETED, TO PROVIDE THAT THE SELECTION, USE, AND REIMBURSEMENT OF INTERPRETERS MUST BE DETERMINED UNDER GUIDELINES ESTABLISHED BY THE CHIEF JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COURT, WITH ALL FEES FOR INTERPRETING SERVICES PAID OUT OF CERTAIN FUNDS APPROPRIATED TO THE JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT, TO PROVIDE THAT THE DIVISION OF COURT ADMINISTRATION'S CENTRALIZED LIST OF QUALIFIED INTERPRETERS IS REVISED TO CONTAIN A LIST OF CERTIFIED OR OTHERWISE QUALIFIED INTERPRETERS TO INTERPRET THE PROCEEDINGS TO A PARTY AND TESTIMONY OF A WITNESS, AND TO REVISE THE CIRCUMSTANCES UPON WHICH A PARTY OR WITNESS MAY USE AN INTERPRETER WHO IS NOT ON THE CENTRALIZED LIST.
Whereas, the policy of this State is to secure the constitutional and other rights of persons who, because of a nonEnglish speaking cultural background, are unable to understand or communicate adequately in the English language when they appear in courts or are involved in a criminal or civil justice proceeding and who cannot be protected fully in a legal proceeding unless certified or otherwise qualified interpreters are available to assist them; and
Whereas, it is the intent of this act to provide for the use and a procedure for the appointment of interpreters to secure the state and federal constitutional rights of nonEnglish speaking persons in all legal and administrative proceedings. Now, therefore,
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
Interpreters for deaf persons
SECTION 1. Section 15-27-15(A) of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 390 of 1998, is further amended to read:
"(A) Whenever a deaf person is a party or witness in any legal proceeding including, but not limited to, a civil or criminal proceeding, a family court proceeding, an action involving a traffic violation, or other criminal matter heard in magistrates court, or is confined to an institution, the court must appoint as many qualified interpreters or deaf relay interpreters as needed and are approved by the South Carolina Association of the Deaf. The interpreter must be approved by the deaf person and either the South Carolina Association of the Deaf and the South Carolina Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf or the National Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf to interpret the proceedings to and the testimony of the deaf person, unless the deaf person waives having a qualified interpreter, elects to use another individual of his own selection as his interpreter, or the judge finds that it is not necessary for the fulfillment of justice. If a person elects to use an interpreter other than a qualified interpreter provided for in this section, the court must first make a determination that this action is in the best interest of the individual and is in the best interests of justice. The selection, use, and reimbursement of interpreters must be determined under such guidelines as may be established by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. All fees for interpreting services must be paid out of the general fund of the State from funds appropriated to the Judicial Department for this purpose by the General Assembly."
Interpreters in civil proceedings
SECTION 2. Section 15-27-155(C) of the 1976 Code, as added by Act 390 of 1998, is amended to read:
"(C) (1) The selection, use, and reimbursement of interpreters must be determined under such guidelines as may be established by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court;
(2) The fees for interpreting services may be:
(a) paid out of the general fund of the State from funds appropriated to the Judicial Department for this purpose by the General Assembly;
(b) paid by one or more of the parties as the court may direct; or
(c) taxed ultimately as costs based on the discretion of the court."
Interpreters in criminal proceedings
SECTION 3. Section 17-1-50 of the 1976 Code, as added by Act 390 of 1998, is amended to read:
"Section 17-1-50. (A) As used in this section:
(1) 'Certified interpreter' means an interpreter who meets the standards contained in subitem (A)(4) and is certified by the administrative office of the United States courts, by the office of the administrator for the state courts, or by a nationally recognized professional organization.
(2) 'Legal proceeding' means a proceeding in which a nonEnglish speaking person is a party or a witness.
(3) 'NonEnglish speaking person' means a party or a witness participating in a legal proceeding who has limited ability to speak or understand the English language.
(4) 'Qualified interpreter' means a person who:
(a) is eighteen years of age or older;
(b) is not a family member of a party or a witness;
(c) is not a person confined to an institution; and
(d) has education, training, or experience that enables him to speak English and a foreign language fluently, and is readily able to interpret simultaneously and consecutively and to sight-translate documents from English into the language of a nonEnglish speaking person, or from the language of that person into spoken English.
(5) 'Victim' means a victim as defined in Section 16-3-1110.
(6) 'Witness' means a person who testifies in a legal proceeding.
(B)(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, whenever a party, witness, or victim in a criminal legal proceeding does not sufficiently understand or speak the English language to comprehend the proceeding or to testify, the court must appoint a certified or otherwise qualified interpreter to interpret the proceedings to the party or victim or to interpret the testimony of the witness.
(2) However, the court may waive the use of a certified or otherwise qualified interpreter if the court finds that it is not necessary for the fulfillment of justice. The court must first make a finding on the record that the waiver of a certified or otherwise qualified interpreter is requested by a nonEnglish speaking party, witness, or victim in a legal proceeding; that the waiver has been made knowingly, voluntarily, and intelligently; and that granting the waiver is in the best interest of justice.
(C) The selection, use, and reimbursement of interpreters must be determined under such guidelines as may be established by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. All fees for interpreting services must be paid out of the general fund of the State from funds appropriated to the Judicial Department for this purpose by the General Assembly.
(D) The Division of Court Administration must maintain a centralized list of certified or otherwise qualified interpreters to interpret the proceedings to a party and testimony of a witness. A party or a witness is not precluded from using a qualified interpreter who is not on the centralized list as long as the interpreter meets the requirements of subitem (A)(4) and submits a sworn affidavit to the court specifying his qualifications or submits to a voir dire by the court."
Time effective
SECTION 4. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.
Ratified the 28th day of June, 2001.
Approved the 31st day of August, 2001.
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