SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) – Non-English speakers in Illinois will have access to free translators during their administrative hearings starting July 1.
Thanks to a law signed by Governor J.B. Pritzker, all administrative hearing notices must include a section in multiple languages that the recipient can request interpretive assistance for the hearing. These administrative hearings include family disputes, non-moving traffic violations, unlicensed businesses and more.
The bill was introduced by Rep. Theresa Mah (D-Chicago) and Sen. Karina Villa (D-West Chicago) to ensure that self-represented individuals are not at a disadvantage during the hearing process.
Many non-profit organizations for refugees and immigration have been in support of the bill. Martin Klein, a legal attorney for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, said nearly everyone struggles to understand the process of administrative hearings.
“They are kind of difficult to navigate just for the average person that speaks English. And far more difficult for someone who has a limited ability to speak English,” Klein said. “So folks often find themselves… in a vulnerable place.”
This new law will remove the hardship for people to fully participate in the hearing process without a language barrier. In the past, Illinois only allowed interpretation in a few cases such as court proceedings, Illinois Department of Public Health Services assistance and some state agencies under their own policies.
The new law will expand and put in place a standard for translation services for all administrative hearings in all of the state agencies.
Lisa Wilson, the Executive Director of the Refugees Center in Champaign, said this eases the burden on people in need of a translator.
“We have several Spanish case managers and bilingual interpreters, but we are limited in some of the other languages to just, you know, one or two people. So you could easily come across a conflict.” Wilson said. “So then the client is left to scramble to find somebody else that could possibly interpret for them. So this way they won’t have to panic, that there will be interpretation provided for them at these crucial meetings or hearings.”
The interpreters will be available in a variety of different languages, not just Spanish. For any major hearing, a professional translator will be provided and for minor hearings, a person with proficiency in English and the applicable foreign language can be used if they are approved by the judge.
Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation data shows that 8.7% of the Illinois population is considered limited in their English proficiency.
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January 13, 2025 at 03:09PM
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