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Study finds interpreter workforce aging and recommends pay, pathways and VRI expansion; Council to send report to Legislature
Summary
A Judicial Council study found roughly one-third of credentialed court interpreters are at retirement age and recommended funding increases, mentorship, apprenticeship and expanded remote interpreting; the Council voted unanimously to submit the study to the Legislature.
The Judicial Council heard findings from the California Court Interpreter Workforce Study (mandated by Assembly Bill 1032). Presenters said the study documents workforce decline and an aging interpreter pool — "about 33% of the credentialed court interpreter workforce is at retirement age, 65 years and older" — and identifies certification pass-rate bottlenecks and compensation challenges.
Douglas Denton and Annabel Romero summarized stakeholder recommendations including competitive compensation, structured career pathways, mentorship and apprenticeship programs, modification of time‑limit rules for contractor assistances, and building a pool of VRI‑ready interpreters. Annabel Romero said the study "offers a roadmap for the Branch to improve interpreter services for the public we serve."
The Council unanimously approved sending the study and recommendations to the Legislature for consideration and directed SEAP and advisory bodies to begin developing testing and certification strategies in 2026.
