Bill Text: CA AB635 | 2015-2016 | Regular Session | Chaptered
Bill Title: Medical interpretation services.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)
Status: (Passed) 2016-09-25 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 600, Statutes of 2016. [AB635 Detail]
Download: California-2015-AB635-Chaptered.html
BILL NUMBER: AB 635 CHAPTERED
BILL TEXT
CHAPTER 600
FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE SEPTEMBER 25, 2016
APPROVED BY GOVERNOR SEPTEMBER 25, 2016
PASSED THE SENATE AUGUST 25, 2016
PASSED THE ASSEMBLY AUGUST 30, 2016
AMENDED IN SENATE AUGUST 18, 2016
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Atkins
FEBRUARY 24, 2015
An act to add and repeal Article 4.6 (commencing with Section
14146) of Chapter 7 of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and
Institutions Code, relating to Medi-Cal.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 635, Atkins. Medical interpretation services.
Existing law provides for the Medi-Cal program, which is
administered by the State Department of Health Care Services, under
which qualified low-income individuals receive health care services.
The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal
Medicaid program provisions. Existing federal law provides for
increased administrative funding for translation and interpretation
services provided in connection with the enrollment, retention, and
use of services under the Medicaid program.
This bill would require the department to work with stakeholders
to conduct a study to identify current requirements for medical
interpretation services as well as education, training, and licensure
requirements, analyze other state Medicaid programs, make
recommendations on strategies that may be employed regarding the
provision of medical interpretation services for Medi-Cal
beneficiaries who are limited English proficient, and establish a
pilot project in up to 4 separate sites to evaluate a mechanism to
provide and improve medical interpretation services for those
individuals. The bill would authorize the department to expend
specified funds for the support of activities relating to medical
interpreters for a pilot project, study, or both. The bill also would
require the department to seek any available federal funding for the
purposes of the bill and would make expenditure of all of the
described funds contingent on approval by the Department of Finance,
as specified. The bill would require the department, commencing in
2017, to provide an annual update to the budget committees of the
Legislature on the implementation of the bill, as specified. The
provisions of the bill would become inoperative on July 1, 2020.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. It is the intent of the Legislature to support
activities related to a medical interpretation pilot project, study,
or both, to be administered by the State Department of Health Care
Services, in order to assess the process for delivering language
interpretation services for limited English proficient (LEP) Medi-Cal
beneficiaries and make recommendations regarding existing medical
interpretation services and possible mechanisms to improve those
services.
SEC. 2. Article 4.6 (commencing with Section 14146) is added to
Chapter 7 of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions
Code, to read:
Article 4.6. Medi-Cal Medical Interpretation Services
14146. (a) The department shall work with identified stakeholders
to conduct a study to identify current requirements for medical
interpretation services as well as education, training, and licensure
requirements, analyze other state Medicaid programs, and make
recommendations on strategies that may be employed regarding the
provision of medical interpretation services for Medi-Cal
beneficiaries who are limited English proficient (LEP), in compliance
with applicable state and federal requirements.
(b) The study also shall assess and make recommendations on pilot
projects that would further the objectives of this article, including
funding for those activities and the allowable use of federal
funding.
(c) Based on the recommendations of the study related to pilot
projects established under subdivision (b), and available funding
pursuant to subdivision (f), the department shall work with
identified stakeholders to establish a pilot project in up to four
separate sites to evaluate a mechanism to provide and improve medical
interpretation services for LEP Medi-Cal beneficiaries. In
identifying sites, the department shall take into account both the
need for those services and the recommendations from the study.
(d) The department may use or contract with an external vendor,
vendors, or other contracted subject matter experts to implement the
activities described in this section. The department shall consult
with identified stakeholders regarding the draft initial scope of
work that shall be used to seek and evaluate proposals pursuant to
this section.
(e) (1) Each year, commencing in 2017, during the annual state
budget process, the department shall provide an update to the budget
committees of the Legislature on the implementation of this article.
(2) Any report submitted under this subdivision shall be submitted
in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.
(f) (1) For activities under this section, the department may
expend up to three million dollars ($3,000,000) under Provision 14 of
Item 4260-101-0001 of Section 2.00 of the Budget Act of 2016
(Chapter 23 of the Statutes of 2016) for the support of activities
related to a medical interpreters pilot project, study, or both.
(2) The department may seek any available federal funding for
support of activities relating to medical interpretation services as
provided under this section.
(3) Expenditure or encumbrance of the funds described in this
subdivision is contingent upon approval by the Department of Finance.
14146.5. This article shall become inoperative on July 1, 2020,
and, as of January 1, 2021, is repealed, unless a later enacted
statute, that becomes operative on or before January 1, 2021, deletes
or extends the dates on which it becomes inoperative and is
repealed.
