Amended  IN  Assembly  April 08, 2019

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2019–2020 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill No. 229

Introduced by Assembly Member Nazarian

January 17, 2019

An act to add Section 12300.5 to the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to in-home supportive services.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


AB 229, as amended, Nazarian. In-home supportive services: written content translation.
Existing law requires a state agency that serves a substantial number of non-English-speaking people and provides English language materials explaining services to provide the same type of materials in other languages, as specified. Existing law requires the State Department of Social Services to translate a specified notice of action into all languages spoken by a substantial number of the public receiving in-home supportive services, as specified.
This bill would clarify that the department is required to provide translations of written content, as defined, and transcriptions or captioning of videos, in languages spoken by a substantial number of providers of in-home supportive services in California. The bill would permit the department to work with counties and the County Welfare Directors Association of California to repurpose existing, county-produced translations of written content. content and videos.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 (a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(1) The In-Home Supportive Services program (Article 7 (commencing with Section 12300) of Chapter 3 of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code) enables individuals who need assistance with activities of daily living to live safely in their homes with the aid of providers who provide services such as approved nonmedical care.
(2) The program reflects the diversity of the State of California with regards to the languages written and spoken by providers and recipients. A majority of in-home supportive services providers are related to, or live with, the individuals for whom they provide care.
(3) In all cases, ensuring that providers and recipients are able to understand and follow the rules of the program, including, but not limited to, enrollment processes, timesheet entry, overtime usage, and other program aspects, is critical to ensuring that recipients remain safe and receive the care to which they are entitled.
(4) The unique nature of this program, in which the needs of recipients and providers are significantly interdependent, requires that the state make available program materials to both recipients and providers that are understandable in their preferred language.
(b) It is, therefore, the intent of the Legislature to enact a requirement that materials produced for in-home supportive services providers be translated into the languages spoken by a substantial number of providers.

SECTION 1.SEC. 2.

 Section 12300.5 is added to the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:

12300.5.
 (a) For all written content to be mailed to, or and all written content and transcriptions or captioning of videos that are intended to be electronically viewed by, providers of in-home supportive services, the department shall provide translations of the content in all languages spoken by a substantial number of providers of in-home supportive services within the state, in accordance with Section 7295.2 of the Government Code and related regulations.
(b) To implement this section, the department may work with counties and the County Welfare Directors Association of California to repurpose existing, county-produced translations of written content. content and video transcriptions or captioning.
(c) For purposes of this section, “written content” includes, but is not limited to, any informational notice, notice of action, timesheet, or form intended for providers of in-home supportive services that is required by this article, state regulations, or other state action.