A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to expand the authority of the administrative office of the courts to provide court‑funded interpreters to accommodate non‑english speaking persons.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  G.S. 7A‑314(f) reads as rewritten:
"(f)	In any case in which the Judicial Department is bearing the costs of representation for a party and that party or a witness for that party does not speak or understand the English language, and the court appoints a foreign language interpreter to assist that party or witness, the reasonable fee for the interpreter's services is payable from funds appropriated to the Administrative Office of the Courts. The court may also appoint an interpreter, payable from funds appropriated to the Administrative Office of the Courts, in cases in which an interpreter is necessary to assist the court in the efficient transaction of business. The appointment and payment shall be made in accordance with G.S. 7A‑343(9c)."
SECTION 2.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2007.