The vendor required to provide language services for responsive and responsible, qualified Spanish and lesser-used languages (LUL) interpreters, transcriptionists and translators, and sign language interpreters for court users and litigants with limited-english proficiency (LEP) as well as users who are deaf, hard-of-hearing, and blind.
- Sign language offerors shall:
• Possess a valid state legal sign language interpreting license in accordance with the licensure rules established by the state commission for the deaf and hard-of-hearing; provide copies of licenses.
• Be proficient in simultaneous, consecutive, and sight translation techniques.
• Provide equal access and act as an interpreter between individuals who are hearing and individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing, as required by the court.
• Provide the following types of services: sign language interpretation, both in-person and via remote video, remote hookup, tactile vision.
• Provide certified transcription and translation of video recordings when accepting a transcription and translation assignment from the court.
- Spanish and lesser-used languages (LUL) offerors shall:
• Be highly proficient in both english and non-English language(s).
• Provide interpreting services for court events and authorized by the court that requires language assistance for LEP litigant, witness, victim, or anyone entitled to such language assistance.
• Possess the necessary interpreting skills and knowledge to accurately and completely interpret in the simultaneous mode, or consecutive mode, and sight translation mode.
• The capability and capacity to provide remote video interpreting services.
o Provide a remote video interpretation for virtual events or when in-person interpretation is not feasible.
o Remote video interpretation event when the location of the event does not warrant the use of an in-person interpreter.
o The request will be scheduled in the same manner as all other interpreter requests.
o All remote interpretations shall be conducted in a private location, such as an office, or home office where the interpreter will not be subject to interruptions.
o The interpreter shall dress appropriately and in the same manner as if they were physically appearing in a courtroom.
o The interpreter appears on camera, the background shall be appropriate for a court setting and not distracting to other parties to the case.
o All interpreters working remotely shall have access to high-speed internet, a smart device (computer and tablet) and a separate telephone and mobile phone line.
o The best practice for remote video interpretation in most settings is to interpret in the simultaneous interpretation mode.
• The capability and capacity to provide on-demand telephonic interpreting services.
o The event that an interpreter is unavailable to appear in-person or by remote video due to language and time constraints, CITS may utilize telephonic interpreting to provide the court convenient access to a phone bank of interpreters that provide interpretation services in multiple languages, so that lengthy delays can be avoided.
o The court may utilize on-demand interpreting to provide attorneys and court staff with convenient access to a phone bank of interpreters that provide interpretation services in multiple languages.
• Have the capability and capacity to provide scheduled telephonic interpreting services.
o in the event that an interpreter is unavailable to appear onsite or by remote video for prescheduled events, court interpretation and translation services (CITS) may utilize telephonic interpreting to provide language access for LEP individuals and avoid lengthy delays.
o The court may request a telephonic – scheduled interpreting event when the location or nature of the event does not warrant the use of an in-person interpreter.
- Transcription and translation offerors shall:
• Demonstrate proficiency in english and the non-English language through a language testing service at a superior level, or a minimum score of ten (10) on the ALTA testing scale (or equivalent testing scale), in understanding, reading and writing skills; provide copies of certification.
• Have experience transcribing audio and video recordings conducted in a foreign language, american sign language (asl), and english, as well as translating legal documents, transcripts, forms, brochures, and other types of instruments used in court.
• Provide a faithful translation and transcription of every utterance given by the speaker and not omit or add to the versions they transcribe or translate, nor change the register, tone, or intent of versions.
• Ensure all target language texts prepared by translator shall be direct, without resorting to the third person, describing, or commenting on the text, either marginally or in footnotes, beyond the need of a translator’s note referring to language issues.
• Identify all utterances spoken or written in the target language so that the reader may see that the text is the product of the source text’s speaker and author and not the transcriber and translator.
- Editing and proofreading with certification statement
• Identified in the section regarding transcription and translation requirements.
• Edit and proofread the work completed by another transcriptionist and translator and prepare final transcript(s) for court that includes a certification statement.
- Scheduling requirements for interpretation services
• Invoice for interpreting services at a minimum rate of two (2) hours and in quarter hour (15-minutes) increments thereafter
• An interpreter that is late to an assignment shall be paid a pro-rated fee deducting the amount of time late from the time originally requested by the court.
• Half-day rates: events may be scheduled for half-days (4-hours) either mornings (8am-12pm) or afternoons (1pm-5pm).
• Full-day rates: events may be scheduled for full-days (8-hours) with up to 1-hour unpaid meal break.
• Remote video interpreting: the court may request a remote video interpretation event when the location of the event does not warrant the use of an in-person interpreter.
• Telephonic on-demand interpreting: the court may utilize on-demand telephonic interpreting to provide attorneys, judges, and court staff with access to a phone bank of interpreters that provide multiple languages on-demand.
• Telephonic scheduled interpreting: the court may request a telephonic scheduled interpreting event when an in-person or remote video interpreter is unavailable.
- Questions/Inquires Deadline: January 16, 2026
