Rule 1702 Language Access Coordinators for Each Judicial District

Every judicial district in Kansas must have a person called a local language access coordinator. This person's job is to help make sure people who don't speak English well can get the interpreter help they need in court.

The coordinator keeps a list of court interpreters who work in the district. They also stay familiar with the rules interpreters must follow, including Kansas's code of conduct for interpreters and federal civil rights laws that require language access. This helps them make good decisions about interpreter services in their district.

If someone has a complaint about an interpreter breaking the rules, the coordinator is the person who takes that complaint and handles it according to local court procedures. The district's chief judge can also give the coordinator other related tasks to do. This system means every district has one clear point person responsible for language access issues, rather than leaving it unclear who handles these problems.