Plain English Breakdown
The official text presents two dates (July 1, 2026 and January 1, 2027) without clarifying which applies to specific boards or if both are options.
AB-667: Language Information for Professional License Applications
This law requires state licensing boards to add a section to license applications asking about language preferences and report on the need for interpreters.
What This Bill Does
- Requires various boards under the Department of Consumer Affairs to include an additional section in license applications by July 1, 2026, or January 1, 2027.
- Asks applicants to identify their preferred written, spoken, and signed languages on these forms.
- Orders each board to conduct an annual review of applicants' language preferences starting July 1, 2027.
- Requires boards to determine by July 1, 2027, if there is a substantial number of non-English-speaking applicants who need interpreter services.
- Mandates that boards send their findings on interpreter needs to the Legislature by January 1, 2028.
- Directs boards to submit annual reports with language data to specified legislative committees starting in January 2029.
Who It Names or Affects
- Boards that license professions under the Department of Consumer Affairs.
- People applying for professional licenses who must fill out new application sections.
- The state Legislature and its specified committees receiving reports on language data.
Terms To Know
- Department of Consumer Affairs
- A state agency composed of various boards that license and regulate professions.
- Substantial number
- The bill uses this phrase to describe a group of non-English-speaking applicants needing interpreters, noting it is 'as defined' in the law.
Limits and Unknowns
- The text lists two different dates for when boards must add the new application section: July 1, 2026, and January 1, 2027.
- The provided summary states that 'substantial number' is defined in the bill but does not provide the specific definition.