Section 7290.

7290. This chapter may be known and cited as the Dymally-Alatorre Bilingual Services Act. (Added by Stats. 1973, Ch. 1182.)

Section 7291.

7291. The Legislature hereby finds and declares that the effective maintenance and development of a free and democratic society depends on the right and ability of its citizens and residents to communicate with their government and the right and ability of the government to communicate with them. The Legislature further finds and declares that substantial […]

Section 7292.

7292. (a) Every state agency, as defined in Section 11000, except the State Compensation Insurance Fund, directly involved in the furnishing of information or the rendering of services to the public whereby contact is made with a substantial number of non-English-speaking people, shall employ a sufficient number of qualified bilingual persons in public contact positions to […]

Section 7293.

7293. Every local public agency, as defined in Section 54951, serving a substantial number of non-English-speaking people, shall employ a sufficient number of qualified bilingual persons in public contact positions or as interpreters to assist those in such positions, to ensure provision of information and services in the language of the non-English-speaking person. The determination […]

Section 7294.

7294. An employee of a state or local agency, as defined by Sections 11000 and 54951, may not be dismissed to carry out the purposes of this chapter. A state or local public agency need only implement this chapter by filling employee public contact positions made vacant by retirement or normal attrition. (Added by Stats. […]

Section 7295.

7295. Any materials explaining services available to the public shall be translated into any non-English language spoken by a substantial number of the public served by the agency. Whenever notice of the availability of materials explaining services available is given, orally or in writing, it shall be given in English and in the non-English language […]

Section 7295.2.

7295.2. Every state agency which serves a substantial number of non-English-speaking people and which provides materials in English explaining services shall also provide the same type of materials in any non-English language spoken by a substantial number of the public served by the agency. Whenever notice of the availability of materials explaining services available is […]

Section 7295.4.

7295.4. Whenever a state agency finds that the factors listed in both subdivisions (a) and (c) or (b) and (c) exist, it shall distribute the applicable written materials in the appropriate non-English language through its statewide and local offices or facilities to non-English-speaking persons, or, as an alternative, the state agency may instead elect to […]

Section 7296.

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 Department of Human Resources […]

Section 7296.2.

7296.2. As used in Sections 7292, 7295.2, 7295.4, 7299.3, and 7299.4, a “substantial number of non-English-speaking people” are 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 percent or more of the people served […]

Section 7296.4.

7296.4. As used in Section 7292, “a sufficient number of qualified bilingual persons in public contact positions” is the number required to provide the same level of services to non-English-speaking persons as is available to English-speaking persons seeking these services. However, where the statewide or local office or facility of the state employs the equivalent […]

Section 7297.

7297. As used in this chapter, a “public contact position” is a position determined by the agency to be one which emphasizes the ability to meet, contact and deal with the public in the performance of the agency’s functions. (Amended by Stats. 1977, Ch. 1035.)

Section 7298.

7298. The provisions of this chapter are not applicable to school districts, county boards of education, or the office of a county superintendent of schools. (Added by Stats. 1973, Ch. 1182.)

Section 7299.

7299. The provisions of this act shall be implemented to the extent that local, state or federal funds are available, and to the extent permissible under federal law and the provisions of civil service law governing the state and local agencies. (Added by Stats. 1973, Ch. 1182.)

Section 7299.1.

7299.1. State agencies may, utilizing existing funds, contract for telephone-based interpretation services in addition to employing qualified bilingual persons in public contact positions. (Amended by Stats. 2007, Ch. 259, Sec. 6. Effective January 1, 2008.)

Section 7299.2.

7299.2. The Department of Human Resources shall be responsible for informing state agencies of their responsibilities under this chapter and providing state agencies with technical assistance, upon request on a reimbursable basis. (Amended by Stats. 2012, Ch. 360, Sec. 2. (SB 1309) Effective January 1, 2013.)

Section 7299.3.

7299.3. Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, by July 1, 2015, a state agency subject to the requirements of this chapter shall translate and make accessible on the homepage of its Internet Web site, forms and processes for submitting complaints of alleged violations of this chapter, as referenced in paragraph (15) of subdivision (b) […]

Section 7299.4.

7299.4. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision in this chapter, each state agency shall conduct a language survey and develop and update an implementation plan that complies with the requirements of this chapter. (b) Each agency shall conduct a language survey of each of its statewide and local offices every two years to determine and provide all of […]

Section 7299.5.

7299.5. The Department of Human Resources may exempt state agencies from the requirements of Section 7299.4, where it determines that any of the following conditions apply: (a) The agency’s primary mission does not include responsibility for furnishing information or rendering services to the public. (b) The agency has consistently received such limited public contact with the non-English-speaking […]

Section 7299.6.

7299.6. The Department of Human Resources shall review the results of the surveys and implementation plans required to be made by Section 7299.4, compile this data, and provide a report to the Legislature every two years. The report shall identify significant problems or deficiencies and propose solutions where warranted. (Amended by Stats. 2012, Ch. 360, […]