Senate committee hears bill to align criminal-procedure interpreter rules with Government Code

Sen. Judith Zaffirini, sponsor of Senate Bill 1537, told the Senate Committee on Criminal Justice that the bill would make the Code of Criminal Procedure consistent with the Government Code’s requirements for court interpreters.

The bill would replace the phrase “sworn in” with “appointed” and explicitly require that criminal courts follow the Government Code’s standards for licensing and appointment of interpreters, Zaffirini said. "Unlike the Government Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure does not require interpreters to be licensed or certified," she said, adding that inconsistent application in criminal courts has led to uncertainty despite case law supporting the Government Code standard.

Zaffirini said the proposed committee substitute is the legislative counsel’s wording and asked the committee to leave the bill pending to allow for additional review. There was no invited or public testimony; the committee closed invited testimony and public testimony and left the bill pending.

Why it matters: Courts use interpreters when witnesses or defendants have limited English proficiency; inconsistent appointment practices can affect access to justice in criminal cases. The bill would not create new interpreter licensing requirements but would clarify that criminal proceedings must follow existing Government Code standards.

Next steps: The committee opened but did not complete consideration; SB 1537 was left pending for later action.