BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                  AB 2493
                                                                  Page  1

          CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
          AB 2493 (Roger Hernández)
          As Amended  July 3, 2012
          Majority vote
           
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          |ASSEMBLY:  |65-9 |(May 30, 2012)  |SENATE: |31-4 |(August 22,    |
          |           |     |                |        |     |2012)          |
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           Original Committee Reference:    INS.

          SUMMARY  :   Authorizes the Administrative Director (AD) of the 
          Division of Workers' Compensation (DWC) to certify interpreters. 
           

           The Senate amendments  recast the authorization for the AD to 
          certify interpreters, and adopt a requirement that a certifying 
          organization not have any financial interest in training or 
          employing 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.

           AS PASSED BY THE ASSEMBLY  the bill had substantially the same 
          effect as the version passed by the Senate.
           
          FISCAL EFFECT  :   According to the Assembly and Senate 
          Appropriations Committees, $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.








                                                                  AB 2493
                                                                  Page  2


          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) 319-2086FN: 
          0005091