House Bill 1219, known as Helen’s Law, was passed in March and becomes effective July 1. It requires state agencies overseeing administrative contested cases to provide qualified interpreters or translators whenever a party or witness needs language assistance. Agencies must cover interpretation costs during hearings, and successful parties may recover translation expenses for documents or discovery.
For more details, read this article from Multilingual Magazine: South Dakota’s New Interpreter Law Reshapes State Proceedings for Lakota Interpreters
