<?xml version="1.0"?>
<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>66636</law_id><section_number>37.2-802</section_number><catch_line>Interpreters in admission or certification proceedings</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>37.2-804</reference><reference>37.2-821</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="37.2">Behavioral Health and Developmental Services</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="III">Admissions and Dispositions</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="8">Emergency Custody and Voluntary and Involuntary Civil Admissions</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="1">General Provisions</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> In any proceeding pursuant to &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Judicial certification of eligibility for admission of persons with intellectual disability" href="/37.2-806/">37.2-806</a> or &#xA7;&#xA7; <a class="law" title="(Effective July 1, 2026) Involuntary temporary detention; issuance and execution of order" href="/37.2-809/">37.2-809</a> through <a class="law" title="Place of hearing" href="/37.2-820/">37.2-820</a> in which a person who is deaf is alleged to have <span class="dictionary">intellectual disability</span> or <span class="dictionary">mental illness</span>, an interpreter for the person shall be appointed by the district <span class="dictionary">court</span> <span class="dictionary">judge</span> or <span class="dictionary">special justice</span> before whom the proceeding is pending from a list of qualified interpreters provided by the <span class="dictionary">Department</span> for the Deaf and Hard-of-<span class="dictionary">Hearing</span>. The interpreter shall be compensated as provided for in &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Fees and expenses" href="/37.2-804/">37.2-804</a>. <a id="paragraph-241750" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/37.2-802/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> In any proceeding pursuant to &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Judicial certification of eligibility for admission of persons with intellectual disability" href="/37.2-806/">37.2-806</a> or &#xA7;&#xA7; <a class="law" title="(Effective July 1, 2026) Involuntary temporary detention; issuance and execution of order" href="/37.2-809/">37.2-809</a> through <a class="law" title="Place of hearing" href="/37.2-820/">37.2-820</a> in which a non-English-speaking person is alleged to have <span class="dictionary">intellectual disability</span> or <span class="dictionary">mental illness</span> or is a <span class="dictionary">witness</span> in such proceeding, an interpreter for the person shall be appointed by the district <span class="dictionary">court</span> <span class="dictionary">judge</span> or <span class="dictionary">special justice</span>, or in the case of &#xA7;&#xA7; <a class="law" title="(Effective July 1, 2026) Involuntary temporary detention; issuance and execution of order" href="/37.2-809/">37.2-809</a> through <a class="law" title="(Effective July 1, 2026) Release of person prior to commitment hearing for involuntary admission" href="/37.2-813/">37.2-813</a> a <span class="dictionary">magistrate</span>, before whom the proceeding is pending. Failure to appoint an interpreter when an interpreter is not reasonably available or when the person&#x2019;s level of English fluency cannot be determined shall not be a basis to dismiss the <span class="dictionary">petition</span> or void the <span class="dictionary">order</span> entered at the proceeding. The compensation for the interpreter shall be fixed by the <span class="dictionary">court</span> in accordance with the guidelines set by the Judicial Council of Virginia and shall be paid out of the <span class="dictionary">state</span> treasury. <a id="paragraph-241751" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/37.2-802/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>1976, c. 671, &#xA7; 37.1-67.5; 1979, c. 204; 2004, c. 243, &#xA7; 37.1-67.5:01; 2005, c. 716; 2012, cc. 476, 507.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
