AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- LICENSING OF HEALTHCARE FACILITIES (Amends current law on interpreter services to mandate hospitals provide a certified, interpreter for every non-English speaker, unless there is no national or state certification for a specific language so that a qualified interpreter may be used.)

H7931

2026 -- H 7931
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LC005339
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026
____________
A N A C T
RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- LICENSING OF HEALTHCARE FACILITIES

Introduced By:
Representatives Morales, Sanchez, Giraldo, Cruz, Potter, and Tanzi

Date Introduced:
February 27, 2026

Referred To:
House Health & Human Services
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
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SECTION 1. Section 23-17-54 of the General Laws in Chapter 23-17 entitled "Licensing
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of Healthcare Facilities" is hereby amended to read as follows:
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23-17-54. Provisions of interpreter services.
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(a) Every hospital and freestanding emergency-care facility shall, as a condition of initial
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or continued licensure, provide a
qualified

certified
interpreter,
if an appropriate bilingual clinician
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is not available to translate,
in connection with all services provided to every non-English speaker
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who is a patient or seeks appropriate care and treatment
and is not accompanied or represented by
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an appropriate, qualified interpreter or a qualified sign-language interpreter who has attained at
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least sixteen (16) years of age
.
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(1) In instances where a national or state certification for a specific language does not exist,
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the facility shall provide a qualified interpreter who has demonstrated proficiency in English and
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the target language, and is familiar with biomedical terminology and ethical principles of
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interpretation.
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(2) A patient may decline the services of a certified or qualified interpreter in favor of a
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family member or friend; provided, however, the facility shall document such a request in the
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medical record. The facility reserves the right to provide a certified or qualified interpreter to
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observe the encounter to ensure clinical accuracy and safety, at no cost to the patient.
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(b) Each hospital and freestanding emergency-care facility shall post a multi-lingual notice
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in conspicuous places
and on its public website,
setting forth the requirement in subsection (a)
in

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English and the, at minimum, three (3) most-common foreign languages used by the hospital or
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freestanding emergency-care facility as determined by the hospital or freestanding emergency-care
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facility
.
The determination of languages for the translation of vital documents and notices shall be
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governed by the Safe Harbor standards established under Section 1557 of the Patient Protection
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and Affordable Care Act (45 CFR Part 92), specifically:
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(1) The facility shall provide written translations of vital documents for each limited
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English proficient (LEP) language group that constitutes five percent (5%) of the population of
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persons eligible to be served or likely to be affected or encountered, or one thousand (1,000)
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persons, whichever is less.
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(2) If there are fewer than fifty (50) persons in a language group that reaches the five
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percent (5%) threshold, the facility is not required to translate vital written materials but shall
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provide written notice in the group’s primary language of the right to receive competent oral
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interpretation of those written materials, free of cost.
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(3) These determinations shall be updated following the community needs assessment
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conducted by the facility every three (3) years, utilizing the most recent U.S. Census Bureau data
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and the Rhode Island division of statewide planning’s limited English proficiency plan metrics.
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(c) The receipt by a non-English speaker of interpreter services shall not be deemed the
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receipt of a benefit under any provisions of law restricting benefits or assistance on the basis of
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immigrant status.
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(d) Every hospital and freestanding emergency-care facility shall, as a condition of initial
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or continued licensure, provide mandated training to providers on how to access and utilize certified
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and qualified interpretation services.
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(d)
(e)
Nothing in this section shall be construed to affect or limit any rights, remedies, or
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obligations under chapter 24 of title 11 or under chapters 87 or 112 of title 42.
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SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.
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LC005339
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EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- LICENSING OF HEALTHCARE FACILITIES
***
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This act would amend the current law on interpreter services to mandate that hospital and
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emergency-care facilities provide a certified, rather than qualified, interpreter for every non-English
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speaker, except in instances where a national or state certification for a specific language is
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unavailable so that a qualified interpreter may be used.
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The act would also require that the facility provide written translations of vital documents
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depending on the size of the population of the LEP group.
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The act would further require every facility to train their staff in how to access and utilize
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certified and qualified interpretation services and to conduct a community needs assessment of their
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language interpretation needs every three years.
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This act would take effect upon passage.
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LC005339
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