ATA Advocacy at Work: An Update from the Advocacy Committee

This year, ATA’s Advocacy Committee has focused heavily on protecting human expertise against indiscriminate technology implementation and defending the rights of language professionals.

For translators, interpreters, and language services providers, ATA’s Advocacy Committee has focused heavily on protecting human expertise against indiscriminate technology implementation and defending the rights of language professionals. The following are some of the initiatives at the center of our focus:

Drafted Letter in Support of Interpreters in North Carolina(opens in new tab)

ATA responded to a call by the Carolina Association of Translators and Interpreters(opens in new tab) (CATI) for support to increase contract interpreter compensation rates in the courts after funding was summarily excluded from the annual budget at the last minute by North Carolina’s legislators.

Read ATA’s Letter(opens in new tab) | Read CATI’s Letter(opens in new tab)

California’s Proposed Changes in Court Interpreters’ Compensation(opens in new tab)

ATA wrote a letter to the California Judicial Council opposing the revisions proposed in SP26-05(opens in new tab), which include capping rates and restricting travel compensation, among other measures. If approved, these revisions will go into effect on January 1, 2027.

Read ATA’s Letter(opens in new tab)

In addition, here are a few initiatives the Advocacy Committee is considering undertaking before the end of the year:

• Petitioning the Department of Homeland Security to amend the Code of Federal Regulations -8 CFR 103.2(b)(3)(opens in new tab) to create a third-party verification for translations submitted with a self-attested certification claiming that the translation is accurate and that the person is competent to translate. The lack of verification undermines the credibility of credentialed and certified professionals who have passed tests demonstrating their proficiency and adherence to certain professional standards. It also subjects the U.S. immigration system to major vulnerabilities to the detriment of limited-English-proficient individuals.
• Remaining vigilant on issues related to changes to court interpreter compensation in Illinois, New Mexico, and other states.

Other Important Updates

Supporting the Language Access for All Act of 2026 (Senate Bill 4985(opens in new tab)), which prohibits replacing qualified human translators or interpreters with AI or machine translation. This would not be a suggestion but a statutory prohibition.

Contact your senators and ask them to co-sponsor S.B. 4985, the Language Access for All Act of 2026. If you need help reaching out to your elected officials, you can find contact details(opens in new tab) on the United States Senate website. You can also email Christina Green, chair of ATA’s Advocacy Committee, at christina@greenlinguistics.com.

Watch for Updates

We ask our members to watch for an action alert on any of our initiatives. ATA will post what the next steps are and what action is needed from our members. Visit ATA’s Advocacy and Outreach page(opens in new tab) to learn about all the committee’s efforts.

Past Advocacy Initiatives

Working actively with government agencies as well as foundations, universities, and other organizations and stakeholders to promote the recognition of the translation and interpreting professions has been part of ATA’s mission since it was founded in 1959. The Advocacy Committee was established to advise the Board of Directors on policy and legislative issues affecting translation, interpreting, and related fields. ATA’s advocacy campaigns have included:

Defeating the AI Courtroom Bill (Wisconsin AB 377)

ATA led a massive grassroots and legislative push(opens in new tab) against Wisconsin Assembly Bill 377, which proposed allowing AI-powered tools to replace court-certified human interpreters. ATA leadership and local members testified directly before the Senate Committee on Government Operations. Thanks to these coordinated efforts, the bill officially failed to pass the Senate on March 19.

Rapid Response for Detained Professionals

In April and May, ATA mobilized a major national campaign alongside other prominent language organizations following the federal immigration detention of professional interpreter Meenu Batra(opens in new tab). The Association issued urgent calls to action, directly resulting in her release from ICE custody in early May.

Federal Language Access Tracking

ATA has continued extensive tracking and advocacy around language access legislation, establishing clear policy boundaries stating that while technology can support the profession, it must be integrated responsibly without compromising justice, medical accuracy, or human expertise.

 ALC on the Hill 2026

ATA participated in ALC on the Hill 2026(opens in new tab), a pivotal legislative advocacy event on March 26, 2026, organized by the Association of Language Companies(opens in new tab) (ALC). Held online, the event brought together language services providers and professionals to engage directly with U.S. Congressional and Senatorial offices. The 2026 agenda centered on legislative efforts to safeguard the T&I professions and ensure equitable access for limited-English-proficient individuals.