H.B. No. 1601




AN ACT
relating to the use of interpreter services in a criminal case. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Article 38.30, Code of Criminal Procedure, is amended by amending Subsections (a) and (b) and adding Subsection (a-1) to read as follows: (a) When a motion for appointment of an interpreter is filed by any party or on motion of the court, in any criminal proceeding, it is determined that a person charged or a witness does not understand and speak the English language, an interpreter must be sworn to interpret for the person charged or the witness [him]. Any person may be subpoenaed, attached or recognized in any criminal action or proceeding, to appear before the proper judge or court to act as interpreter therein, under the same rules and penalties as are provided for witnesses. In the event that the only available interpreter is not considered to possess adequate interpreting skills for the particular situation or the interpreter is not familiar with use of slang, the person charged or witness may be permitted by the court to nominate another person to act as intermediary between the person charged or witness [himself] and the appointed interpreter during the proceedings. (a-1) A qualified telephone interpreter may be sworn to interpret for the person in the trial of a Class C misdemeanor or a proceeding before a magistrate if an interpreter is not available to appear in person before the court or if the only available interpreter is not considered to possess adequate interpreting skills for the particular situation or is unfamiliar with the use of slang. In this subsection, "qualified telephone interpreter" means a telephone service that employs: (1) licensed court interpreters as defined by Section 57.001, Government Code; or (2) federally certified court interpreters. (b) Except as provided by Subsection (c) of this article, interpreters appointed under the terms of this article will receive from the general fund of the county for their services a sum not to exceed $100 a day as follows: interpreters shall be paid not less than $15 nor more than $100 a day at the discretion of the judge presiding, and when travel of the interpreter is involved all the actual expenses of travel, lodging, and meals incurred by the interpreter pertaining to the case the interpreter [he] is appointed to serve shall be paid at the same rate applicable to state employees. SECTION 2. Section 11(a), Article 42.12, Code of Criminal Procedure, is amended to read as follows: (a) The judge of the court having jurisdiction of the case shall determine the conditions of community supervision and may, at any time, during the period of community supervision alter or modify the conditions. The judge may impose any reasonable condition that is designed to protect or restore the community, protect or restore the victim, or punish, rehabilitate, or reform the defendant. Conditions of community supervision may include, but shall not be limited to, the conditions that the defendant shall: (1) Commit no offense against the laws of this State or of any other State or of the United States; (2) Avoid injurious or vicious habits; (3) Avoid persons or places of disreputable or harmful character; (4) Report to the supervision officer as directed by the judge or supervision officer and obey all rules and regulations of the community supervision and corrections department; (5) Permit the supervision officer to visit him at his home or elsewhere; (6) Work faithfully at suitable employment as far as possible; (7) Remain within a specified place; (8) Pay his fine, if one be assessed, and all court costs whether a fine be assessed or not, in one or several sums; (9) Support his dependents; (10) Participate, for a time specified by the judge in any community-based program, including a community-service work program under Section 16 of this article; (11) Reimburse the county in which the prosecution was instituted for compensation paid to appointed counsel for defending him in the case, if counsel was appointed, or if he was represented by a county-paid public defender, in an amount that would have been paid to an appointed attorney had the county not had a public defender; (12) Remain under custodial supervision in a community corrections facility, obey all rules and regulations of such facility, and pay a percentage of his income to the facility for room and board; (13) Pay a percentage of his income to his dependents for their support while under custodial supervision in a community corrections facility; (14) Submit to testing for alcohol or controlled substances; (15) Attend counseling sessions for substance abusers or participate in substance abuse treatment services in a program or facility approved or licensed by the Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse; (16) With the consent of the victim of a misdemeanor offense or of any offense under Title 7, Penal Code, participate in victim-defendant mediation; (17) Submit to electronic monitoring; (18) Reimburse the general revenue fund for any amounts paid from that fund to a victim, as defined by Article 56.01 of this code, of the defendant's offense or if no reimbursement is required, make one payment to the fund in an amount not to exceed $50 if the offense is a misdemeanor or not to exceed $100 if the offense is a felony; (19) Reimburse a law enforcement agency for the analysis, storage, or disposal of raw materials, controlled substances, chemical precursors, drug paraphernalia, or other materials seized in connection with the offense; (20) Pay all or part of the reasonable and necessary costs incurred by the victim for psychological counseling made necessary by the offense or for counseling and education relating to acquired immune deficiency syndrome or human immunodeficiency virus made necessary by the offense; (21) Make one payment in an amount not to exceed $50 to a crime stoppers organization as defined by Section 414.001, Government Code, and as certified by the Crime Stoppers Advisory Council; (22) Submit a blood sample or other specimen to the Department of Public Safety under Subchapter G, Chapter 411, Government Code, for the purpose of creating a DNA record of the defendant; [and] (23) In any manner required by the judge, provide public notice of the offense for which the defendant was placed on community supervision in the county in which the offense was committed; and (24) Reimburse the county in which the prosecution was instituted for compensation paid to any interpreter in the case. SECTION 3. Section 11(a), Article 42.12, Code of Criminal Procedure, as amended by this Act, applies only to a defendant placed on community supervision on or after the effective date of this Act. A defendant placed on community supervision before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the date the defendant was placed on community supervision, and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2005. ______________________________ ______________________________ President of the Senate Speaker of the House I certify that H.B. No. 1601 was passed by the House on April 21, 2005, by a non-record vote; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B. No. 1601 on May 26, 2005, by a non-record vote. ______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House I certify that H.B. No. 1601 was passed by the Senate, with amendments, on May 24, 2005, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. ______________________________ Secretary of the Senate APPROVED: __________________ Date __________________ Governor