SB 1660 — Translation Services

Florida Senate - 2024 CS for SB 1660 By Senatorthe TorresCommittee 25-00533A-24on 20241660__Judiciary; A bill to be entitled An act relating to translation services;

amendingand ss.Senator Torres 590-02627-24 20241660c1 A bill to be entitled An act relating to translation services;

28.35 and 28.215, F.S.;

authorizing a clerk of the circuit court to provide translation services;

28.217,29.25, F.S.;

authorizing acourts clerk of the circuit court to contract with a third-party translation service provider to provide translation services;

requiringproviding that such serviceservices bymay abe clerkmade ofavailable theto circuitany courtparty berequesting ministerialthem, assistanceregardless only;of whether represented by counsel;

prohibiting a clerk of the circuit court from providing legal advice;

providing that thea clerk of the circuit court is not required to provide translation services;

ParagraphSection (a)29.25, of subsection (3) of section 28.35, Florida Statutes, is amendedcreated to read:

28.3529.25 FloridaTranslation Clerksservices.— of(1) CourtA Operationscourt Corporation.— (3)(a) The list of court-related functions that clerks may fundcontract fromwith filinga fees,third-party translation service charges,provider courtfor costs,translation andservices finesfor iscivil limitedcases. to those functions expressly authorized by law or court rule.

Those functions include the following:

case maintenance;

records management;

court preparation and attendance;

translation services;

processing the assignment, reopening, and reassignment of cases;

processing of appeals;

collection and distribution of fines, fees, service charges, and court costs;

processing of bond forfeiture payments;

data Page 1 of 3 CODING:

Words stricken are deletions;

words underlined are additions.

Florida Senate - 2024 SB 1660 25-00533A-24 20241660__ collection and reporting;

determinations of indigent status;

and paying reasonable administrative support costs to enable the clerk of the court to carry out these court-related functions.

Section 2.

Section 28.215, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

28.215 Pro se assistance.—The clerk of the circuit court shall provide ministerial assistance to pro se litigants.

(1) Assistance may shall not include the provision of legal advice.

(2) Assistance may include translation services to pro se litigants under s.

28.217.

Section 3.

Section 28.217, Florida Statutes, is created to read:

28.217 Translation services.— (1) The clerk of the circuit court may contract with a third-party translation service provider for translation services for civil cases.

The provision of such services is ministerial and constitutes a court-related function under s.

28.35(3)(a), and such services are an allowable expenditure by the clerk of the circuit court under s.

28.36.

The clerk of the circuit court shall provide ministerial assistance only in making such services available, and such assistance may not include the provision of legal advice.

Page(4) 2The provision of 3translation CODING:services under this section is an optional court-related function, and nothing in this section requires a court to provide such services.