BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 2493
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB 2493 (Roger Hernández)
As Amended May 25, 2012
Majority vote
INSURANCE 13-0 APPROPRIATIONS 17-0
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|Ayes:|Solorio, Hagman, |Ayes:|Fuentes, Harkey, |
| |Bradford, | |Blumenfield, Bradford, |
| |Charles Calderon, Carter, | |Charles Calderon, Campos, |
| |Feuer, | |Davis, Donnelly, Gatto, |
| |Beth Gaines, Hayashi, | |Ammiano, Hill, Lara, |
| |Miller, Olsen, Skinner, | |Mitchell, Nielsen, Norby, |
| |Torres, Wieckowski | |Solorio, Wagner |
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Authorizes the Administrative Director (AD) of the
Division of Workers' Compensation (DWC) to certify interpreters.
Specifically, this bill :
1)Authorizes the AD to establish, maintain, administer and
publish annually a list of certified administrative hearing
and certified medical examination interpreters determined to
meet the minimum standards specified in the Government Code.
2)Authorizes the AD to designate an independent organization to
carry out these functions in lieu of having the work performed
within the DWC.
3)Authorizes the AD to collect an appropriate fee to cover the
costs of certifying the interpreters.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Requires the State Personnel Board (SPB) to establish,
maintain, administer and publish annually an updated list of
certified court, administrative hearing, and medical
examination interpreters.
2)Entitles an injured worker who is not proficient in English to
an interpreter at various stages of the workers' compensation
process.
AB 2493
Page 2
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee, $190,000 first year costs, and $120,000 ongoing
costs, to operate the certification program, offset by fees
charged to applicants for certification.
COMMENTS : According to the author, the budget constraints of
the past several years have seriously hampered the SPB's ability
to certify enough interpreters for the workers' compensation
system. As a result, uncertified interpreters are frequently
used.
The Commission on Health and Safety and Workers' Compensation
(CHSWC) recommended in a report issued last year that the AD be
authorized to designate an organization to certify interpreters.
The bill does not currently specify the fee that an applicant
would have to pay to either the DWC or the designated
organization to cover the costs of the examination and
maintenance of the certified interpreter lists. According to
the author, the SPB charges $150 per applicant.
Analysis Prepared by : Mark Rakich / INS. / (916) 319-2086
FN: 0003988