STAND. COM. REP. NO. 198

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 625

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Judiciary and Labor, to which was referred S.B. No. 625 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO COURT INTERPRETERS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to require the Judiciary to implement a certification program and to appoint and use certified court interpreters in legal proceedings.

     Presently, federal law requires states to provide language interpretation services to court users with limited English proficiency.  However, Hawaii is one of three states that have yet to implement court interpreter certification in any language.  As a result, anyone can become a registered interpreter with the Judiciary merely by obtaining a general excise tax license and submitting a court interpreter application form, regardless of language ability and interpreting skills.  Such a situation invites an applicant pool of untrained and untested interpreters which can compromise the judicial process and creates inefficiency.  More importantly, it jeopardizes the constitutional and civil rights of non-English speaking individuals.

     Your Committee received testimonies from 23 individuals, mostly court interpreters in support of the bill.  Your Committee also received one testimony from a representative of the Judiciary in opposition to the bill.  He testified that the Judiciary has been working to implement a certification program and updated the Committee with the progress of the Judiciary program.

     Your Committee concurred that there is a need for a certification program and that the Judiciary proceed with their plans in establishing the program.  Your Committee amended the bill with the language submitted by the Judiciary which would allow for the certification program to be implemented in accordance with court rules created by the Judiciary.   

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary and Labor that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 625, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 625, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary and Labor,

____________________________

CLAYTON HEE, Chair