BILL NUMBER: AB 305	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MARCH 14, 2011

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Furutani

                        FEBRUARY 9, 2011

   An act to amend  Section   Sections 7296.2
and  7299.6 of the Government Code, relating to state
government.



	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 305, as amended, Furutani.  States agencies: use of a
foreign language.   Dymally-Alatorre Bilingual Services
Act.  
   The Dymally-Alatorre Bilingual Services Act requires each state
agency to conduct a survey of its local offices every 2 years
regarding their public contact positions and the provision of
bilingual services, as specified. The act requires the State
Personnel Board to compile the results of the survey and provide it
in a report to the Legislature every 2 years.  
   This bill would revise and expand the duties of the State
Personnel Board with regard to the surveys and implementation plans,
and the report required to be submitted by the board. This bill would
require state agencies to use specified criteria in determining the
number of non-English-speaking people for purposes of the act. 

   Existing law requires the State Personnel Board to review the
results of the surveys and implementation plans relating to the use
of a foreign language in public service, compile this data, and
provide a report to the Legislature every 2 years.  

   This bill would require the State Personnel Board to review the
results of surveys and implementation plans to better inform the
public about the language needs of California residents and the
available resources of state agencies to meet those needs. This bill
would require the report to identify state agencies that are not
complying with specified existing laws, list state agencies and their
respective field office or offices that have staffing deficiencies,
list state agencies that have deficiencies in translated materials,
and present key survey results and implementation plans by state
agency and field office. 
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   SECTION 1.    Section 7296.2 of the  
Government Code   is amended to read: 
   7296.2.   As used in Sections 7292 and 7295.2, 
 (a)    As applied to state agencies,  a
"substantial number of non-English-speaking people"  are
  means  members of a group who either do not speak
English, or who are unable to effectively communicate in English
because it is not their native language, and who comprise  5
percent or more of the people served by any local office or facility
of a state agency.   the lesser of the following: 

   (1) One thousand or more of the residents of a county in which the
local office of a state agency is located.  
   (2) Five percent or more of the residents of a county in which the
local office of a state agency is located in.  
   (3) Five percent or more of the people served by any local office
or facility of a state agency.  
   (b) In determining the substantial number of non-English-speaking
people in for purposes of subdivision (a), each state agency shall
utilize the most accurate information or data compiled by the United
States Bureau of the Census or the Department of Finance relating to
the language characteristics of the population. In the case of a
local office of state agency that services multiple counties, the
determination shall be based on the geographic service area of each
local office. 
   SECTION 1.   SEC. 2.   Section 7299.6 of
the Government Code is amended to read:
   7299.6.  (a) The State Personnel Board shall review the results of
the surveys and implementation plans required to be made by Section
7299.4, to better inform the  public  
Legislature  about the language needs of California residents
and the available resources of state agencies to meet those needs.
The State Personnel Board shall compile this data, and provide a
report to the Legislature every two years.
   (b) The report shall do all of the following:
   (1) Identify state agencies that are not complying with this
chapter.
   (2) List state agencies and their respective field office or
offices that have staffing deficiencies.
   (3) List state agencies that have deficiencies in translated
materials.
   (4) Present key survey results and implementation plans by state
agency and field office.
   (5) Identify significant problems or deficiencies and propose
solutions where warranted.
   (6) Be submitted in compliance with Section 9795.