Wisconsin Assembly Bill 377 (AB 377), seeking to establish English as the official state language and allow AI-powered translation instead of human interpreters in courts, passed the State Assembly on January 15, 2026.
The bill faced strong opposition from language and civil rights groups, as well as the Wisconsin Bar Association.
On March 3, a group of interpreters and language advocates went for the second time to the Senate floor to speak in opposition to the bill. Among their concerns were diminished access to justice and accuracy in critical legal matters.
Some legislators also cited concerns about increased costs resulting from mistrials and appeals.
This Bill saw its momentum grind to a definitive halt before it could even reach the Senate floor. On March 19, 2026, all the language related to AI and interpreting was removed from the bill by one of its co-sponsors. These changes altered the core intent away from its original focus. The bill technically “died”.
Ultimately, the Senate opted not to schedule the bill for a floor vote. Without a path forward in the upper chamber, and with the session’s clock running out, AB 377 was left to “die on the vine.”
But the demise of AB 377 serves as a cautionary tale about the perils that lay ahead for language professionals and LEPs. This bill will likely be reintroduced with some changes but with renewed opposition from the language community and civil rights supporters.