Bill Text: CA AB3179 | 2017-2018 | Regular Session | Amended
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: State agencies: bilingual services.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Vetoed) 2018-09-22 - Vetoed by Governor. [AB3179 Detail]
Download: California-2017-AB3179-Amended.html
SEC. 2. Section 7292.5 is added to the Government Code , to read: 7292.5. 5 3 percent or more of the people served by the statewide or any local office or facility of a state agency.
Bill Title: State agencies: bilingual services.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Vetoed) 2018-09-22 - Vetoed by Governor. [AB3179 Detail]
Download: California-2017-AB3179-Amended.html
|
Amended
IN
Assembly
April 17, 2018 |
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
2017–2018 REGULAR SESSION
| Assembly Bill | No. 3179 |
| Introduced by Assembly Member Salas (Principal coauthor: Assembly Member Kalra) (Coauthors: Assembly Members Arambula, Bigelow, Cooper, Mathis, and Patterson) |
February 16, 2018 |
An act to add Section 7292.5 to amend Section 7296.2 of the Government Code, relating to state government.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 3179, as amended, Salas.
State agencies: bilingual services: Punjabi. services.
The Dymally-Alatorre Bilingual Services Act, among other things, generally requires every state agency, as defined, directly involved in certain activities involving contact with a substantial number of non-English-speaking people, and every local agency, as defined, serving a substantial number of non-English-speaking people, to employ a sufficient number of qualified bilingual persons in public contact positions. For specified provisions of the act, the act defines a “substantial number of non-English-speaking people” as 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% or more of the people served by the statewide or any local office or facility of a state agency.
This bill would require every state agency, as defined, to update its data collection categories to match those used by the United States Census Bureau in the most recent update in December 2017. The bill would also require every state agency that directly or by contract provides translations for language accessibility to make provisions for the Punjabi language on or after an unspecified date and to recalculate
its threshold languages in light of the United States Census data around Punjabi to see if eligibility numbers are met, but would require specified state agencies to comply with these provisions as early as possible, but no later than an unspecified date. modify the definition of “substantial number of non-English-speaking people” to reduce that percentage from 5% to 3%.
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NOBill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
The Legislature hereby finds and declares all of the following:(a) Punjabi is the tenth most spoken language in the world, originating in the border regions of South Asia between Pakistan and India, with over 100,000,000 speakers worldwide, also making it the third most spoken language in Canada and the fourth most spoken language in the United Kingdom.
(b) Punjabi is one of the oldest languages of South Asia, with a tradition
extending from Sheikh Fareed to Guru Nanak to present day, and being written most commonly in Gurmukhi script.
(c) Punjabi has faced repeated discrimination in India since 1947 as the Indian government has repeatedly targeted Punjabi due to its ties with the Sikhs, most visibly in 1984 with the attack on Darbar Sahib, also known as the Golden Temple, when numerous priceless Sikh and Punjabi manuscripts were torched and stolen. Punjabi continues to face challenges in Pakistan as well.
(b)
(d) Punjabi has been spoken
was first recorded
in California since 1899, when the first Sikhs entered through the Angel Island Immigration Station in San Francisco. Francisco, California.
(c)
(e) The first Punjabi newspaper printing press in California dates to 1913, where Kartar Singh Sarabha published The Ghadar with financial support from the Stockton Gurdwara.
(d)
(f) Punjabi is one of the top 10 most spoken languages in California, with the most sizable populations throughout the Central Valley.
(e)
(g) Punjabi is often the third most spoken language in most counties between Kern and Sutter Counties.
(f)
(h) Punjabi language instruction is expanding in many high schools in Union City, Live Oak, Yuba City, Livingston, Selma, Fresno, Clovis, and Bakersfield.
(g)
(i) Punjabi language is celebrated in Yuba City, often called “mini-Punjab” because of its 10 percent Punjabi population, which celebrates the birth of the founder of the Sikh tradition, Baba Guru Nanak, in November.
installation of Guru Granth and Guru Panth as the final authority of the Sikh tradition.
(h)
(j) Punjabi language is celebrated through festivals, publications, and events in many “Little Punjabs” throughout California including: Live Oak, Natomas, Sacramento, Elk Grove, Stockton, Ceres, Turlock, Livingston, Madera, Fresno, Selma, Kerman, San Joaquin, Fowler, Porterville, Delano, Bakersfield, Arvin, Union City, Fremont, Hayward, and San Jose.
(i)
(k) Punjabi language is promoted and taught by institutions such as the Jakara Movement, Bakersfield Sikh Women’s Association, Punjabi Cultural Association (Fresno), Punjabi American Heritage Society (Yuba City), Punjabi language academies, Punjabi Sahit Academies, and Gurdwaras with Punjabi and Khalsa schools.
(l) Punjabis work a wide range of jobs and contribute their labor in all fields throughout California, especially agriculture, transportation, health care, and small businesses.
(j)
(m) The United States Census Bureau began reporting data for Punjabi language speakers in December, 2017.
(n) Lowering the threshold for state agencies to provide language access services will ensure that non-English speakers have greater access to the state government services that they need.
(a)Every state agency, as defined in Section 11000, shall update its data collection categories to match those used by the United States Census Bureau in the most recent update in December, 2017.
(b)(1)Except as otherwise provided in subdivision (c), every state agency, as defined in Section 11000, that directly or by contract provides translations for language accessibility shall make provisions for the Punjabi language on or after ____.
(2)A state agency, as defined in Section 11000, shall recalculate its threshold languages in light of the United States census data around Punjabi to see if eligibility numbers are met.
(c)The following state agencies shall comply with this section as early as possible, but no later than ____:
(1)(A)The State Department of Health Care Services.
(B)In carrying out its duties pursuant to this section, the State Department of Health Care Services shall give priority to providing access in Punjabi to those services provided under the Medi-Cal Act (Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 14000) of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code).
(2)The State Department of Public Health.
(3)The State Department of Social Services.
(4)The State Department of Education.
(5)The Department of Fair Employment and Housing.
(6)The Department of Housing and Community Development.
(7)The Department of Food and Agriculture.
(8)The Department of Transportation.
