The fees and expenses of an interpreter shall be fixed and ordered paid by the judge before whom such proceeding takes place, in accordance with a fee schedule established by the Supreme Court, and be paid out of the General Fund with funds appropriated to the Supreme Court for that purpose. (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-2406)

   The Nebraska Supreme Court establishes the following interpreter fee schedule:

   A.  For non-certified interpreters: $50.00 per hour, 2-hour minimum. Interpreter services and travel time will be included in the 2-hour minimum.

   B. For registered interpreters: $60.00 per hour, 2-hour minimum. Interpreter services and travel time will be included in the 2-hour minimum.  

   C. For an interpreter who is a Nebraska Supreme Court Certified or Provisionally Certified Court Interpreter, $75.00 per hour, 2-hour minimum. Interpreter services and travel time will be included in the 2-hour minimum.

   D.(1) For purposes of payment, Sign Language Interpreters and Certified Deaf Interpreters pursuant Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-2407 and Neb. Ct. R. § 6-702(D), are considered certified and are paid $75.00 per hour.

   (2) For purposes of payment, Deaf Interpreters who hold a Nebraska Specialist Intermediary License are considered non-certified and are paid $50.00 per hour.

   E. After the first 2 hours, interpreters shall be paid in 15-minute increments.

   F. In the event an interpreter has multiple assignments within 2 hours for the same or different offices, only one "2-hour minimum" shall be permitted. Only one "2-hour minimum" shall be permitted in the morning and only one "2-hour minimum" shall be permitted in the afternoon. Travel time will be considered in determining minimum hours for payment.

   G. Round-trip mileage will be compensated at the rate set forth by the Nebraska Supreme Court if the number of miles traveled from the interpreter's starting point to the interpreting site (e.g., courthouse or probation office) is more than 15 miles one way. In addition, interpreters whose assignments require them to travel 50 or more miles in a single day are eligible to receive compensation for time spent traveling to and from those assignments provided that when combined, the time spent traveling and the time spent interpreting exceeds the 2-hour minimum. In such instances, certified, provisionally certified, registered, and non-certified interpreters shall be compensated for driving to and from assignments at the rate of 80 percent of the hourly rate for time in excess of the 2-hour minimum. For purposes of compensation, 50 miles is equal to 1 hour of travel time.

   H. If an interpreter has an assignment which is canceled within 2 business days of the time the assignment is due to commence, the court shall allow the interpreter payment for all the reserved time, subject to mitigation.

   I. The State Court Administrator shall be permitted to enter into contracts with individual interpreters to perform interpretation services for a specified service area at a rate established by the contract.

   J. Notwithstanding the above fee schedule, the State Court Administrator may agree to pay an amount for interpreter services which is other than the established rate.

   K. An interpreter shall complete and submit a standard approved STATEMENT FOR PAYMENT OF INTERPRETER form only between the 1st and the 7th day of the month. The form shall include all authorizing signatures, names of courts, probation districts and counties, and types of activities being interpreted. Statements may include assignments from multiple courts and probation districts and shall include authorizing signatures from each judge, clerk, probation officer, or interpreter coordinator for whom the service was provided. No payment will be made for services provided six months or more before the submission of the billing statement unless good cause is shown why the statement could not have been timely submitted.

Amended this 21st day of June, 2023, effective July 1, 2023.

/signed/Corey R. Steel, State Court Administrator