71st OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2001 Regular Session
 
SA to SB 790
 
LC 1524/SB 790-1
 
                      SENATE AMENDMENTS TO
                         SENATE BILL 790
 
            By COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
 
                              May 3
 
  On page 1 of the printed bill, line 6, delete 'Certified ' and
delete 'certified by the Department of'.
  In line 7, delete 'Human Services under the provisions of
section 5 of this 2001 Act'.
  In line 24, after 'preventing' insert 'clear and accurate
communication and'.
  On page 2, line 3, before 'Council' insert 'Oregon'.
  In line 4, delete 'nine' and insert '23'.
  In line 7, delete 'and'.
  Delete line 8 and insert:
  ' (B) Educators who either teach interpreters or persons in
related educational fields, or who train recent immigrants and
persons with limited English proficiency;
  ' (C) Persons with expertise and experience in administration
or policymaking related to the development and operation of
policies, programs or services related to interpreters, and who
have familiarity with the rulings of the federal Office for Civil
Rights concerning interpreter services for various institutions;
  ' (D) Health care providers, consisting of one physician and
one registered nurse, who utilize interpreter services regularly
in their practice; and
  ' (E) Representatives of safety net clinics that predominantly
serve persons with limited English proficiency.
  ' (b) The Governor shall appoint one representative from each
of the following agencies and organizations after consideration
of nominations by the executive authority of each:
  ' (A) The Commission on Asian Affairs;
  ' (B) The Commission on Black Affairs;
  ' (C) The Commission on Hispanic Affairs;
  ' (D) The Commission on Indian Services;
  ' (E) The International Refugee Center of Oregon;
  ' (F) The Oregon Judicial Department's Certified Court
Interpreter program;
  ' (G) The Commission for Women; and
  ' (H) The Institute for Health Professionals of Portland
Community College.'.
  In line 9, delete '(b)' and insert '(c)'.
  In line 15, delete '(c)' and insert '(d)'.
  In line 41, before 'Council' insert 'Oregon'.
  In line 43, after 'testing' insert ', qualification'.
  On page 3, after line 1, insert:
  ' (3) Examine operational and funding issues, including but not
limited to the feasibility of developing a central registry and
annual subscription mechanism for health care interpreters.'.
  In line 2, delete '(3)' and insert '(4)'.
  Delete lines 4 through 34 and insert:
  '  { +  SECTION 5. + }  { + (1) In consultation with the Oregon
Council on Health Care Interpreters, the Department of Human
Services shall by rule establish procedures for testing,
qualification and certification of health care interpreters for
persons with limited English proficiency, including but not
limited to:
  ' (a) Minimum standards for qualification and certification as
a health care interpreter, including:
  ' (A) Oral and written language skills in English and in the
language for which health care interpreter qualification or
certification is granted; and
  ' (B) Formal education or training in medical terminology,
anatomy and physiology, and medical ethics;
  ' (b) Categories of expertise of health care interpreters based
on the English and non-English skills and the medical terminology
skills of the person seeking qualification or certification;
  ' (c) Procedures for receiving applications and for examining
applicants for qualification or certification;
  ' (d) The content and administration of required examinations;
  ' (e) The requirements and procedures for reciprocity of
qualification and certification for health care interpreters
qualified or certified in another state or territory of the
United States; and
  ' (f) Fees for application, examination, initial issuance,
renewal and reciprocal acceptance of qualification or
certification as a health care interpreter and for other fees
deemed necessary by the department.
  ' (2) Any person seeking qualification or certification as a
health care interpreter must submit an application to the
department. If the applicant meets the requirements for
qualification or certification established by the department
under this section, the department shall issue an annual
certificate of qualification or a certification to the health
care interpreter.  The department shall collect a fee for the
issuance of the certificate of qualification or the certification
and for any required examinations in the amount established
pursuant to subsection (1) of this section.
  ' (3) The department shall work with other states to develop
educational and testing programs and procedures for the
qualification and certification of health care interpreters.
  ' (4) In addition to the requirements for qualification
established under subsection (1) of this section, a person may be
qualified as a health care interpreter only if the person:
  ' (a) Is able to fluently interpret or translate the dialect,
slang or specialized vocabulary of the non-English language for
which qualification is sought;
  ' (b) Has had at least 60 hours of health care interpreter
training that includes anatomy and physiology and concepts of
medical interpretation; and
  ' (c) Has had practical experience as an intern with a
practicing health care interpreter.
  ' (5) A person may not use the title of 'qualified health care
interpreter' unless the person has met the requirements for
qualification established under subsections (1) and (4) of this
section and has been issued a valid certificate of qualification
by the department.
  ' (6) In addition to the requirements for certification
established under subsection (1) of this section, a person may be
certified as a health care interpreter only if:
  ' (a) The person has met all the requirements established under
subsection (4) of this section; and
  ' (b) The person has passed written and oral examinations
required by the department in English, in the non-English
language the person wishes to translate and in medical
terminology.
  ' (7) A person may not use the title of 'certified health care
interpreter' unless the person has met the requirements for
certification established under subsections (1) and (6) of this
section and has been issued a valid certification by the
department. + } ' .
  In line 36, before 'Council' insert 'Oregon'.
  In line 37, delete 'Two' and insert 'Ten'.
  In line 41, after 'the' insert 'Oregon'.
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