ATA Advocacy Hard at Work: Update on Wisconsin Assembly Bill 377

The interpreting community sent a clear message that they can make a difference and effect a change, but the fight is not over.

In July 2025, ATA and other organizations wrote letters to Wisconsin state lawmakers in response to Assembly Bill 377, which sought to establish English as the official state language and allow the use of AI-powered tools in lieu of human interpreters in the courtroom. The letters warned that proposing to use AI in place of qualified, professional human interpreters in Wisconsin’s courts posed a serious threat to the fair and efficient administration of justice.

Thanks to everyone who took action and contacted lawmakers to oppose this legislation and explain why AI is not a suitable replacement for the expertise of qualified, human language professionals.

ATA President-Elect Ben Karl and members of the interpreting community attended a hearing at the Wisconsin State Capitol to testify before the Senate Committee on Government Operations, Labor, and Economic Development to oppose the passage of AB 377.

On March 3, ATA President-Elect Ben Karl and members of the interpreting community attended a hearing at the Wisconsin State Capitol to testify before the Senate Committee on Government Operations, Labor, and Economic Development to oppose the passage of AB 377. Christina Green, current chair of ATA’s Advocacy Committee and resident of Wisconsin, led the fight against this bill, with the help of her colleagues and local organizations. In the end, the bill failed to pass the Senate on March 19. Although a win for interpreters nationwide, the fight is not over, as the bill could be reintroduced during the next legislative session. But for now, interpreters sent a clear message that professionals united can indeed make a difference and effect a change.

Through its Advocacy Committee, ATA is working to ensure that policy reflects a fundamental principle: language access requires qualified human expertise and technology must be integrated responsibly, not indiscriminately.

ATA’s Advocacy Committee is proud to have been able to lend our collective expertise on language access and interpreting to this important effort. Oral arguments in this case could begin in June. We’ll keep our members abreast of any further developments.

Learn More about ATA’s Advocacy Efforts

Educating government officials and the public about the role of translators, interpreters, and language access in our society is a central part of ATA’s mission. These efforts are led in part by ATA’s Advocacy Committee, which works on behalf of ATA members—and all language professionals for that matter—to specifically tackle policy and legislative language issues. The committee is asked to do the following:

• Monitor the activities of local, state, and national legislative and regulatory bodies.
• Provide recommendations for responding to requests from these bodies.
• Provide information regarding government activities to the Board and the general membership.
• Address international regulatory issues, as appropriate.

Visit ATA’s Advocacy and Outreach page to learn about the committee’s efforts. To support important advocacy work like this, consider becoming a member today!

About the American Translators Association

The American Translators Association (ATA) is the largest association of language professionals in the United States. Founded in 1959, ATA represents over 6,000 professional translators, interpreters, teachers, project managers, web and software developers, language company owners, hospitals, universities, and government agencies.

If you need a translator or interpreter, consider visiting ATA’s Language Services Directory.