What's Happening Now?
ATA provides a snapshot of the current news, events, articles, podcasts, and more. ATA members receive a monthly e-newsletter that highlights this vital information.
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) has announced that all driver’s license tests will now only be issued in English.
FLHSMV said they are implementing the change statewide and will no longer allow interpreters for any of the oral exams or the printed tests. The change began on February 6 and will apply to all driver license classifications, including oral exams, FLHSMV said.
Previously, knowledge exams for most non-commercial driver license classifications were offered in multiple languages, while commercial learner’s permit and commercial driver license knowledge exams were only available in English and Spanish. Under the updated policy, all driver’s license knowledge and skills testing will be conducted in English.
To implement this change, FLHSMV has updated its driver license testing system statewide. Any printed exams in languages other than English will be removed from use.
“FLHSMV remains committed to ensuring safe roadways for all Floridians and visitors by promoting clear communication, understanding of traffic laws, and responsible driving behavior,” the department said in a statement.
CBS Miami (2/5/26) By Ana Maria Soler
Following a multistate demand letter to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in November 2025 led by New York Attorney General Letitia James, the FCC has published a long-delayed Multilingual Alerts Order in the Federal Register requiring the expansion of cell phone emergency alerts to include American Sign Language and 13 additional languages.
Wireless Emergency Alerts are short, text message-like alerts sent by government agencies through cell carriers to warn the public of imminent threats, including severe weather, natural disasters, missing persons, and other public safety emergencies. These alerts are among the most widely used public warning tools in the U.S., but for years were issued only in English, with Spanish only supported more recently.
Wireless carriers now have until June 12, 2028, to update their systems to support multilingual alerts in Arabic, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), French, German, Haitian Creole, Hindi, Italian, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, and Vietnamese, as well as American Sign Language. This expansion will benefit an estimated 1.3 million New Yorkers statewide who are not proficient in either English or Spanish and will now be able to access critical, life-saving information during emergencies.
“This is a profound victory for the millions of New Yorkers and families across the country who will no longer be left without guidance during emergencies and natural disasters,” said Attorney General James in a statement. “No one’s ability to protect themselves and their loved ones should depend on the language they speak. I am proud to have stood with my fellow attorneys general and advocates nationwide to push this rule forward. This language expansion will save lives.”
Office of the New York State Attorney (1/21/26)
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The government of New Brunswick, Canada, has entered the world of artificial intelligence (AI) with the implementation of a website called ChatGNB that’s available exclusively for government employees.
While there aren’t many details on exactly how it’s being used, the Department of Finance and Treasury Board, which has been piloting the program for the past year, said it’s mainly being used for translating internal documents. But this has some translators concerned.
“There are certain ethical considerations here that we should take into account, because translators fear that they may lose jobs, or that their source of income may diminish,” said Sergey Petrov, a certified translator and the president of the Corporation of Translators, Terminologists and Interpreters of New Brunswick.
Petrov said many of the corporation’s 110 members are individual contractors, and some may get less work if AI is used in their place. “It can make your work a lot easier, but there are some valid concerns,” he said.
Government officials said ChatGNB was created with the support of the Office of the Chief Information Officer and that it’s being used because it’s more private and secure than other AI models out there. “The tool was developed to address the need for meeting privacy and security requirements not previously available from commercial services, while safely exploring benefits from AI,” said a statement from a representative with the Department of Finance.
The Department of Finance said that documents like collective agreements, contracts, policies, and external-facing documents will continue to be translated by Service New Brunswick’s translation services, even as AI develops.
Petrov said the government told the corporation that “employees are encouraged to review translations for accuracy and formatting.” But he doesn’t think that guideline goes far enough and said the corporation will be issuing a formal statement suggesting the government require AI translations to be reviewed and corrected by a real human.
“For me, this is an immediate red flag,” Petrov said. “Because if you want to produce something that’s intended for public use, or that has a serious nature such as legal documents, legally binding documents, or technical documentation or commercial documentation without a review, you are set for trouble sooner or later.”
Petrov said he thinks ChatGNB will open the door for AI to be used for more tasks. “There should be a human being in charge who can be held responsible for what they produce.”
CBC News (1/29/26) By Victoria Walton
Following a multistate demand letter to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in November 2025 led by New York Attorney General Letitia James, the FCC has published a long-delayed Multilingual Alerts Order in the Federal Register requiring the expansion of cell phone emergency alerts to include American Sign Language and 13 additional languages.
Wireless Emergency Alerts are short, text message-like alerts sent by government agencies through cell carriers to warn the public of imminent threats, including severe weather, natural disasters, missing persons, and other public safety emergencies. These alerts are among the most widely used public warning tools in the U.S., but for years were issued only in English, with Spanish only supported more recently.
Wireless carriers now have until June 12, 2028, to update their systems to support multilingual alerts in Arabic, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), French, German, Haitian Creole, Hindi, Italian, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, and Vietnamese, as well as American Sign Language. This expansion will benefit an estimated 1.3 million New Yorkers statewide who are not proficient in either English or Spanish and will now be able to access critical, life-saving information during emergencies.
“This is a profound victory for the millions of New Yorkers and families across the country who will no longer be left without guidance during emergencies and natural disasters,” said Attorney General James in a statement. “No one’s ability to protect themselves and their loved ones should depend on the language they speak. I am proud to have stood with my fellow attorneys general and advocates nationwide to push this rule forward. This language expansion will save lives.”
Office of the New York State Attorney (1/21/26)
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) has announced that all driver’s license tests will now only be issued in English.
FLHSMV said they are implementing the change statewide and will no longer allow interpreters for any of the oral exams or the printed tests. The change began on February 6 and will apply to all driver license classifications, including oral exams, FLHSMV said.
Previously, knowledge exams for most non-commercial driver license classifications were offered in multiple languages, while commercial learner’s permit and commercial driver license knowledge exams were only available in English and Spanish. Under the updated policy, all driver’s license knowledge and skills testing will be conducted in English.
To implement this change, FLHSMV has updated its driver license testing system statewide. Any printed exams in languages other than English will be removed from use.
“FLHSMV remains committed to ensuring safe roadways for all Floridians and visitors by promoting clear communication, understanding of traffic laws, and responsible driving behavior,” the department said in a statement.
CBS Miami (2/5/26) By Ana Maria Soler
A new bill would help Colorado students get recognition at graduation for being fluent in more than one language.
Colorado lawmakers established a process in 2017 for districts to create a seal of biliteracy to be awarded at graduation. Students earn the endorsement if they show proficiency in English and another language through grades and tests.
House Bill 1028, which passed the House Education Committee, states that only 55 of Colorado’s 179 school districts offer a biliteracy seal. This disproportionately leaves out students in rural districts or small schools. The bill creates a new bilingualism diploma endorsement and expands the ability of schools to offer biliteracy and the new bilingualism endorsements.
Students in districts that haven’t created their own endorsement would still need good grades and to take tests measuring competency in English and another language. They would be able to work with a college, university, or a Colorado Department of Education-approved educational nonprofit partner to receive an endorsement.
State Representative Elizabeth Velasco said bilingual students live in every corner of the state, but too many can’t showcase their mastery. The endorsements help demonstrate students’ abilities to employers and colleges. “We want to make sure that kids are able to elevate their skills no matter where they live.”
The bill would require the Colorado Department of Education to set uniform statewide educational requirements for the bilingualism endorsement. Districts that don’t have a program could work with a college or educational non-profit for a fee.
Jorge Garcia, chair and chief executive officer of the Colorado Association for Bilingual Education, said during committee testimony that the current seal has helped students access scholarships and get the recognition they deserve for their abilities. His organization supported the 2017 law.
“In the spirit of continuous improvement, we see the opportunity for us to go even farther, the opportunity to increase access,” Garcia said.
Chalkbeat (2/5/26) By Jason Gonzales
More T&I News
New Book Focuses on a Queer, Black, WWII-Era Translator Who Risked Safety for Love | NPR
New Sign Language Laws Will “Change Lives" | BBC
Doctoral Student to Translate English Professor’s Banned Novel from Persian to English | Binghamton University
Deaf Patients Condemn Lack of NHS National Health Service Interpreters | BBC
At 2:09 p.m. on October 29, 2024, Damian Valdez-Galloso, a Cuban man living in Hialeah, Florida, was interrogated by a Miami homicide detective for allegedly killing Jose Manuel Carbajal Zaldivar, a Cuban reggaeton artist popularly known as “El Taiger.” He and the detective talked exclusively in Spanish, and in the subsequent three hours and eight minutes, he answered the detective’s questions and maintained his innocence. He described the victim’s struggled breathing as “roncando” (snoring) and demonstrated it for the record. When the detective left the room, he laid his head down on the table and napped. When the detective came back, they continued talking as they ate pizza and drank water. And at the end of the interrogation, before being handcuffed and escorted out of the room, the detective showed Valdez-Galloso video footage of the alleged murder, which the suspect claimed was “manipulado” (manipulated).
In foreign-language interrogations like this, everything is caught on camera and can be used against the suspect in a court of law. And because of that, every word that is said and every action that is done has to be written down and translated. Not only the big words, but also the small ones: Um’s and uh’s must be accounted for. Half-words too: If the suspect wanted to say “Estaba ahí” (I was there), but stopped themself part-way, it would be documented as “Estaba a-,” (I was th-,). What if they stuttered? “Estaba a-, eh, yo est-, pero [tose] – ¿dónde estaba yo?” (I was th-, uh, I wa-, but [coughs] – where was I?)
This practice of documentation is known as Forensic Transcription/Translation, and it is integral to criminal cases around the country.
What is Forensic Transcription/Translation?
Forensic Transcription and Translation (FTT) is a highly specialized branch of forensic linguistics that converts audio and video recordings into written evidence for legal proceedings. These recordings can be statements to law enforcement, police body camera footage, wiretaps, and several other kinds of media. And unlike the “cleaned-up” captions and subtitles in movies and TV shows, FTT requires a verbatim approach – every word matters.
Bilingual FTT transcripts must be formatted in a way that is easy to follow. As described in Fundamentals of Court Interpretation, the recommended format is a four-column table. Below is an example Spanish-English excerpt with Unidentified Males 1 and 2 (UM1 and UM2):
| Speaker | SOURCE TRANSCRIPTION | TARGET TRANSLATION | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | UM1: | Okay. ¿So dónde estabas el viernes por la noche? | Okay. So where were you on Friday night? |
| 2 | UM2: | Estaba a-, eh, yo est-, pero [tose] - ¿dónde estaba yo? | I was th-, uh, I wa-, but [coughs] - where was I? |
| 3 | UM1: | Sí. El viernes-- | Yes. On Friday-- |
| 4 | UM2: | ¿El viernes pasado? ¿O, o el sábado? | Last Friday? Or, or Saturday? |
You can find a longer FTT transcript at this link. It shows the transcription and translation of a segment from the interrogation referenced above.
This work requires a special attention to detail and emotional tolerance that is distinct from other linguistic services. Forensic transcriptionists will spend hours transcribing and translating footage that might only be minutes long. And not only that, they must be able to psychologically handle watching (and rewatching) the content of that footage. Because of these requirements, there are relatively few linguists who are willing and capable of providing this service.
How to Find a Forensic Transcriptionist
What to Look For
The two most important factors when looking for a forensic transcriptionist are: Experience and Certification.
Experience: This goes without saying. A highly experienced forensic transcriptionist will be familiar with applicable best practices, and they will also have a strong knowledge of slang terminology and dialectal differences in the languages they are translating.
Certification: Two relevant types of certifications are relevant – Interpreting Certification and Translation Certification.
- Interpreting Certification: A state- or federal-level court interpreting certification proves a linguist’s ability to handle spoken dialogue, but does not necessarily translate to strong transcription or translation skills.
- Translation Certification: Certification by the American Translators Association proves a linguist’s high-level translation ability, but does not specifically test transcription speed or the ability to translate the nuances of spoken dialogue.
Unfortunately, there is no credible certification for bilingual forensic transcription. While the above certifications are not 100% related to this kind of work, they can still be helpful in demonstrating professional dedication to forensic transcription.
Where to Look
The American Translators Association Directory is a primary resource for finding translators who specialize in legal and forensic work. Along with entering the desired source and target languages (for example, English and Spanish), entering “transcription” or “forensic transcription” as a keyword limits search results.
In addition, many high-level experts rely on word-of-mouth and personal referral networks. The following is a common scenario: a lawyer needs a police statement transcribed and translated, so they contact a court interpreter they know well. Although that interpreter would like to do it, they’re simply too busy that month with interpreting appointments. But the interpreter knows someone else who does forensic transcription, so they refer the lawyer to that person.
Pricing and Timelines
While the National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators (NAJIT) in its position paper on FTT that one minute of audio should take one hour of work by the transcriptionist, in fact, work speed depends on several factors, including:
- Audio Quality (a transcriptionist might have to listen to the audio multiple times)
- Number of Speakers (identifying speakers and documenting interruptions may take additional time)
- Recording Type (wiretaps are often more complex and time consuming to process than two-speaker police statements)
- Speaker Accents (some accents are harder to understand than others)
Experienced forensic transcriptionists should ask to see or listen to the recording before accepting the job so that they can estimate their quote with these factors in mind. Professional rates can vary widely, and they are usually billed per audio minute of the source audio or video file.
Conclusion
Forensic Transcription and Translation is more than a linguistic service – it is a critical component of the judicial process that ensures evidence is preserved exactly as it occurred. For legal professionals, partnering with a specialized expert is an investment in the accuracy and defensibility of their case, and it ensures that voices are heard with the precision that justice requires.
About the Author
Peter Kashatus is a Spanish to English translator who specializes in forensic transcription/translation (FTT) for criminal cases and law enforcement investigations across the United States. He has transcribed and translated footage from police statements, body-worn cameras, and undercover wires. He has helped produce thousands of pages of FTT evidence for cases from a wide variety of topics, including murder, drug trafficking, and sexual abuse. He is based in the Philadelphia area. More at www.kashatuslanguagesolutions.com.
Miami | February 27 – March 1, 2026
Registration is now open for Elévate 2026 – Miami, a three-day professional conference for translators, interpreters, and language professionals, jointly organized by ATA’s Florida chapter, the Association of Translators and Interpreters of Florida, and ATA’s Spanish Language Division, and hosted by Florida International University.
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