Bill Text: NJ S2679 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Provides any party in case who is limited English proficient and utilizes court translating services option to have social worker translator to help party navigate court system.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-02-12 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Judiciary Committee [S2679 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-S2679-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator ANGELA V. MCKNIGHT
District 31 (Hudson)
SYNOPSIS
Provides any party in case who is limited English proficient and utilizes court translating services option to have social worker translator to help party navigate court system.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning certain social workers and supplementing Title 2B of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Any party in a case who is limited English proficient and utilizes translating services in court proceedings shall be entitled to the assistance of a licensed social worker who speaks the party's language to provide or translate any information needed by the party to navigate the court system.
2. The Commissioner of Human Services shall prepare and provide to the Administrative Director of the Courts a list of licensed social workers who are available to serve as translators. The director shall develop a registry of approved licensed social workers for the use of the courts.
3. The director shall establish directives, guidelines, or standards to implement the purposes of this act.
4. This act shall take effect on the first day of the seventh month next following the date of enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill entitles any party who is limited English proficient and utilizes translating services in court proceedings to be provided assistance by a licensed social worker who speaks the party's language to provide or translate any information needed to help the party navigate the court system.
The bill requires the Commissioner of Human Services to prepare and provide to the Administrative Director of the Courts a list of licensed social workers who are available to serve as translators. The director would develop a registry of approved licensed social workers for the courts' use. In addition, the director also is to establish directives, guidelines, or standards to implement the provisions of this bill.
