Interpreter Services (H 7299, S 2689)

The Senate approved an ACLU bill requiring the Department of Human Services to provide appropriate language interpreter services to clients. The bill codified a consent agreement that DHS has with the federal government as a result of complaints filed over the years. Although it died in House Finance Committee, the bill will be reintroduced next year. In the state’s current xenophobic climate, the ACLU considered it a victory to get the bill approved by even one House.