Opinion ID: 2584686
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Statutory Right to Government-Paid Interpreter Services

Text: ¶ 8 RCW 2.43.040 is clear that LEP individuals only have a statutory right to government-paid interpreter services when they are involved in a legal proceeding initiated by the State: (2) In all legal proceedings in which the non-English-speaking person is a party... the cost of providing the interpreter shall be borne by the governmental body initiating the legal proceedings. (3) In other legal proceedings, the cost of providing the interpreter shall be borne by the non-English-speaking person unless such person is indigent according to adopted standards of the body. RCW 2.43.040 (emphasis added). Subsection (2) allocates the cost of interpreter services to the government if the government entity initiates an action that is properly characterized as a legal proceeding, a term defined by RCW 2.43.020(3). ( See infra note 7). Thus, for an LEP individual to have a statutory right to interpreter services at government expense, the government action must (1) be initiated by the government entity and (2) satisfy the definition of a legal proceeding. [4] If the government action is not a legal proceeding or if a legal proceeding is initiated by an LEP, the LEP bears the cost of interpreter services. RCW 2.43.040(3). [5]