Welcome to the Language Access Work Group
This page was created to share news, resources, documents, and more related to the Language Access Work Group mandated by Substitute Senate Bill 5304.
NEWS
Friday - January 19th, 2024
DSHS convened the Language Access Work Group in accordance with Substitute Senate Bill 5304 to create recommendations for medical interpreter testing and certification policies and programs. Accordingly, six 90-minute meetings took place between July 25, 2023, and Oct. 3, 2023.
Following a mandatory review of the draft report by the Washington State Office of Financial Management, DSHS submitted the final report to the Legislature on 1/19/2024. The report presents the valuable insights and feedback that each work group participant contributed during the time allotted by the bill.
With the submission of the final report to the Legislature, the work of the Language Access Work Group has concluded, and no further updates will be made to this website.
AGENDA
Following is a high-level overview of the topics that were covered in each of the work group's meetings. For more information, please click on the dates in the table, or the links under the MEETINGS subheading below, to see detailed agendas and more for each meeting.
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Date |
Overview |
|---|---|
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Welcome and introductions; SSB5304 purpose, scope and goals; small group discussion; homework assignment; next steps |
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Review assignment and small group discussion |
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Review assignment and small group discussion |
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Review assignment and small group discussion |
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Review assignment and small group discussion |
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Review assignment and small group discussion; review the content for draft report; confirm public comment dates |
RESOURCES
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Substitute Senate Bill 5304. This bill directed DSHS to convene the Language Access Work Group.
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LTC Background (PDF). DSHS created this timeline to help work group participants get a high-level overview of the Language Testing and Certification (LTC) program that began in the early 1990s.
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DSHS Administrative Policy and Washington State Agency Publication Guidelines. These documents explain the process that the Language Access Work Group's report will go through before it can be submitted to the Legislature.
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Information Sheet: Preliminary Elements of Medical Interpreter Testing and Certification (PDF). Elements in this document helped participants create recommendations for how the State of Washington can support having more qualified medical interpreters.
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Participants were encouraged to use the Language Access Work Group: Draft Recommendations Form, which includes elements from the Information Sheet, as they drafted their recommendations.
MEETINGS
Click on the links below to find information pertinent to each meeting.
