2011 California Code
Government Code
TITLE 1. GENERAL [100 - 7914]
CHAPTER 17.5. Use of a Foreign Language in Public Services
Section 7296

(a) As used in this chapter, a qualified bilingual person, qualified bilingual employee, or qualified interpreter is a person who is proficient in both the English language and the non-English language to be used. For any state agency, qualified means one of the following:

(1) A bilingual person or employee who the State Personnel Board has tested and certified as proficient in the ability to understand and convey in English and a non-English language commonly used terms and ideas, including terms and ideas regularly used in state government.

(2) A bilingual employee who was tested and certified by a state agency or other testing authority approved by the State Personnel Board as proficient in the ability to understand and convey in English and a non-English language commonly used terms and ideas, including terms and ideas regularly used in state government.

(3) An interpreter who has met the testing or certification standards established by the State Personnel Board for outside or contract interpreters, as proficient in the ability to communicate commonly used terms and ideas between the English language and the non-English language to be used and has knowledge of basic interpreter practices, including, but not limited to, confidentiality, neutrality, accuracy, completeness, and transparency.

(b) The determination of what constitutes qualified for local agencies, shall be left to the discretion of the local agency.

(Amended by Stats. 2007, Ch. 259, Sec. 4. Effective January 1, 2008.)