BILL ANALYSIS Ó
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 366|
|Office of Senate Floor Analyses | |
|(916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) | |
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CONSENT
Bill No: SB 366
Author: Nguyen (R)
Introduced:2/24/15
Vote: 21
SENATE ELECTIONS & C.A. COMMITTEE: 4-0, 4/7/15
AYES: Allen, Anderson, Hancock, Hertzberg
NO VOTE RECORDED: Liu
SUBJECT: Ballot materials: translations
SOURCE: California Association of Clerks and Election
Officials
DIGEST: This bill expands the group of acceptable translators
of election materials to include persons appearing on the
Judicial Council's Master List, persons qualified by the
Administrative Office of the United States Courts, persons from
an institution accredited by a regional or national accrediting
agency recognized by the United States Secretary of Education,
and members of certain professional organizations.
ANALYSIS:
Existing law:
1)Requires an elections official to send to each voter, together
with the sample ballot, a voter's pamphlet which contains the
written statements of each candidate as prescribed in statute.
The elections official is required to provide a Spanish
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translation to those candidates who wish to have one, and
shall select a person to provide that translation from the
list of approved Spanish language translators and interpreters
of the superior court of the county or from an institution
accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges
(WASC).
2)Provides for translations of the ballot measures and ballot
instructions, be provided by a person selected by the
elections official from the list of approved translators and
interpreters of the superior court of the county or from an
institution accredited by the WASC.
This bill:
1)Requires an elections official to provide a Spanish
translation to those candidates who wish to have one.
2)Requires the elections official to provide translations of the
ballot measures and ballot instructions, and to select a
person to provide those translations who is one of the
following:
a) A certified and registered interpreter on the Judicial
Council Master List.
b) An interpreter categorized as "certified" or
"professionally qualified" by the Administrative Office of
the United States Courts.
c) From an institution accredited by a regional or national
accrediting agency recognized by the United States
Secretary of Education.
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d) A current voting member in good standing of the American
Translators Association.
e) A current member in good standing of the American
Association of Language Specialists.
Prior Legislation
AB 2003 (Fong, 2013) would have allowed the county elections
official to select an accredited translator registered with the
American Translators Association to provide among other things,
the translation of ballot measures and ballot instructions. The
bill died in the Assembly Committee on Elections and
Redistricting.
FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: No Fiscal
Com.:NoLocal: No
SUPPORT: (Verified4/10/15)
California Association of Clerks and Election Officials (source)
Voz Interpreting
OPPOSITION: (Verified4/9/15)
None received
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ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT: According to the author's office,
elections officials will be able to contract with translators
approved and certified by the California State Courts or the
United States Federal Courts, translators not only from WASC
accredited schools and universities but from any similarly
accredited institutions across the country, and translators who
belong to either the American Translators Association or the
American Association of Language Specialists, two professional
associations known internationally as leaders in the translation
industry.
All of these organizations hold their translators to similar or
higher standards than the organizations already in existing law.
Creating additional options for local elections officials will
give them access to better and more cost effective translators
throughout the state and the country, allowing for a more
efficient use of public money and resources.
Prepared by:Frances Tibon Estoista / E. & C.A. / (916) 651-4106
4/10/15 12:06:33
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