RFP Title: Statewide Limited Telephonic & Remote Interpreter Services
RFP Number: TCAS-2026-02-TM
REQUEST FOR
PROPOSALS
JUDICIAL COUNCIL OF CALIFORNIA
REGARDING:
STATEWIDE LIMITED TELEPHONIC AND REMOTE
INTERPRETER SERVICES
RFP: TCAS-2026-02-TM
PROPOSALS DUE:
June 4, 2026, NO LATER THAN 3:00 P.M. PACIFIC TIME
1
RFP Title: Statewide Limited Telephonic & Remote Interpreter Services
RFP Number: TCAS-2026-02-TM
1.0 BACKGROUND INFORMATION
1.1 The Judicial Council of California (“Judicial Council”) is the policymaking body
of the California court system, which includes 58 superior courts, the courts of
appeal, and the Supreme Court. Under the authority of the state’s Constitution and
with the leadership of the Chief Justice of the California Supreme Court, the
Judicial Council is responsible for ensuring the fair, impartial, and consistent
administration of justice. The Judicial Council promulgates rules and procedures
for court administration, develops and implements policies for the judicial branch,
and makes recommendations annually to the Governor and the Legislature.
Judicial Council staff assist the Judicial Council with implementing policies and
supporting court operations.
1.2 Within the Judicial Council’s Leadership Support Services, the Language Access
Services Program (LASP) works to develop policies and provide services to
ensure equal access to justice for court users who are of limited English
proficiency (LEP), deaf, or hard of hearing. LASP is comprised of the Court
Interpreters Program (CIP) unit and the Language Access Implementation (LAI)
unit. CIP works on court interpreter issues, and LAI works on making the courts
more language accessible via resources such as funding, guides and trainings, and
translations.
1.3 The Court Interpreters Advisory Panel (CIAP) assists the council in performing
its duties through promoting access to spoken-language interpreters and
interpreters for deaf or hard of hearing persons. The Language Access
Subcommittee, under the Advisory Committee on Providing Access and Fairness
(PAF), assists the Judicial Council with language access policy recommendations
for the California courts. Under Gov. Code § 68563, the Judicial Council
conducts a study of language need and interpreter use in the California superior
courts every five years and reports these findings to the Governor and the
Legislature (see 2025 Language Need and Interpreter Use Study). This study is
used to inform the policy recommendations of CIAP and the PAF Language
Access Subcommittee and the development of services and resources for LEP,
deaf, or hard of hearing court users and the courts.
1.4 The Judicial Council is the credentialing authority for California court
interpreters. To become a certified or registered court interpreter, an individual
must pass required examinations and complete enrollment on the Judicial
Council’s Master List of Court Interpreters. The following languages have been
designated for certification in California: American Sign Language, Arabic,
Armenian (Eastern), Cantonese, Farsi, Korean, Mandarin, Portuguese, Punjabi,
Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, and Vietnamese. All other languages used in the
California courts are designated as registered languages. More information about
the court interpreter exams can be found at the Judicial Council website.
2
RFP Title: Statewide Limited Telephonic & Remote Interpreter Services
RFP Number: TCAS-2026-02-TM
1.5 The Judicial Council currently administers a statewide master agreement for
Limited Telephonic and Remote Interpreter Services, executed with United
Language Group (now operating as Propio Language Services) on behalf of
superior and appellate courts and other Judicial Branch Entities (“JBEs”). The
current contract (MA-2022-05) provides telephonic interpretation for 14 spoken
languages and remote interpreting for American Sign Language, including
Certified Deaf Interpreters, identified in the 2020 Language Need and Interpreter
Use Study and is set to expire on June 30, 2027. These services supplement in-
person interpreting and offer JBEs a means to obtain interpreters when local
resources are unavailable or when remote service delivery is operationally
appropriate.
1.6 Based on findings from the 2025 Language Need and Interpreter Use Study,
interpreter demand has changed statewide since the last study conducted in 2020,
with the top 30 languages accounting for approximately 99% percent of all
interpreter events. Expanding remote and telephonic access is necessary to
support equitable access to justice and to assist courts in meeting their language
access obligations.
2.0 DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES AND DELIVERABLES
2.1 Scope of Work
2.1.1
The Judicial Council seeks the services of a Contractor with expertise in
providing remote and telephonic court interpreter services. The services
will support the 58 Superior Courts of California, the Courts of Appeal,
the Supreme Court of California, the Judicial Council, and the Habeas
Corpus Resource Center (collectively referred to as Judicial Branch
Entities or JBEs). The services will supplement in-person interpreting and
will be used when remote delivery is operationally appropriate, efficient,
or necessary to meet interpreter demand. Services must support both
planned and unplanned needs for spoken language interpretation and
American Sign Language, including Certified Deaf Interpreters.
2.1.2
The Judicial Council intends to award one (1) or up to five (5) master
agreements (“Master Agreements”), each with an initial term of five (5)
years, commencing on the Effective Date set forth on the Master
Agreement coversheet with up to three (3) one-year options to extend the
term, which option(s) may be exercised by the Judicial Council in its sole
discretion any time prior to the expiration of the initial term or any option
term. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Judicial Council in its sole
discretion may decide to make no award.
3
RFP Title: Statewide Limited Telephonic & Remote Interpreter Services
RFP Number: TCAS-2026-02-TM
2.1.3
Participation by JBEs is voluntary. JBEs may obtain services by executing
a Participating Addendum (PA) substantially in the form provided in
Attachment 2. Each PA constitutes a separate, independent contract
between the contractor and the executing JBE and incorporates the terms
of the Master Agreement.
2.2 Requirements. The following table provides further information on the services
being sought in this RFP.
# Requirement
Description
1.0 Spoken Language Contractor must provide on demand telephonic interpreting services
Interpretation
in multiple spoken languages. At a minimum, Contractor must
provide telephonic interpreting in the following thirteen (13) most
interpreted spoken languages identified in the 2025 Language Need
and Interpreter Use Study:
1. Arabic
2. Armenian (Eastern)
3. Armenian (Western)
4. Cantonese
5. Farsi
6. Hindi
7. Korean
8. Mandarin
9. Punjabi
10. Russian
11. Spanish
12. Tagalog
13. Vietnamese
In addition to the required languages listed above, it is preferable
that the Contractor also provide telephonic interpreting services in
as many of the remaining top thirty (30) spoken languages as
reasonably possible, including but not limited to: Bengali, Dari,
Hmong, Japanese, Kanjobal (Q’anjob’al), Khmer (Cambodian),
Lao, Mam, Mixteco, Mixteco Alto, Mixteco Bajo, Mixteco de
Guerrero, Portuguese, Romanian, Triqui, and Urdu.
Contractor may additionally provide telephonic interpretation in
other spoken languages not listed above to support broader JBE
needs.
2.0 Remote
Interpretation
Services
Contractor must provide on-demand Remote Interpreter Services
(also known as Video Remote Interpreting/VRI), including video
and audio, for the following:
4
RFP Title: Statewide Limited Telephonic & Remote Interpreter Services
RFP Number: TCAS-2026-02-TM
# Requirement
Description
• American Sign Language (ASL)
• Certified Deaf Interpreters (CDI)
• The thirteen (13) most interpreted spoken languages
identified in Requirement 1.0
In addition to the required languages listed above, it is preferable
that the Contractor provide VRI services in as many of the
remaining top thirty (30) interpreted spoken languages identified in
Requirement 1.0 as reasonably possible.
3.0 Limited
Telephonic
Interpreter
Services
Contractor may also provide VRI in additional spoken or signed
languages not listed above to support broader JBE needs.
• Access to spoken language Interpreter Services set forth in
Requirement 1.0 of this table must be provided
telephonically on demand. Contractor must provide a single,
toll-free number and/or a dedicated email address to access
all said Interpreter Services, as well as conference calling
services and capabilities for interpreted calls.
• Contractor must provide JBEs with the ability to reserve or
schedule a telephonic interpreter in advance of the actual
time needed.
• Contractor must provide interpreters for the list of languages
offered, the time frame when the interpreter can be
available, and what percent of the time that this commitment
can likely be achieved (see Attachment 10, Payment
Provisions).
• Telephonic interpreter services must be available during
statewide court business hours, with the ability to support
after-hours or weekend requests when a JBE identifies an
operational need.
4.0 Limited Remote
Interpreter
Services
• Contractor must ensure that California certified or registered
interpreters are assigned whenever available for the
requested language. When such interpreters are not
available, Contractor must inform the JBE at the outset of
the request.
• Contractor must provide on-demand and scheduled VRI
services for ASL, CDI, and the top thirteen spoken
languages identified in Requirement 1.0.
5
This is the opportunity summary page. It provides an overview of this opportunity and a preview of the attached documentation.
