Interpreter background check

AN ACT Relating to requiring interpreters providing services 1
under certain state contracts and purchase agreements to complete 2
national fingerprint background checks; and amending RCW 39.26.300.3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:4
Sec. 1. RCW 39.26.300 and 2019 c 266 s 24 are each amended to 5
read as follows: 6
(1) The department of social and health services, the department 7
of children, youth, and families, and the health care authority are 8
each authorized to purchase interpreter services on behalf of limited 9
English-speaking applicants and recipients of public assistance.10
(2) The department of labor and industries is authorized to 11
purchase interpreter services for medical and vocational providers 12
authorized to provide services to limited English-speaking injured 13
workers or crime victims. 14
(3) No later than September 1, 2020, the department of social and 15
health services, the department of children, youth, and families, the 16
health care authority, and the department of labor and industries 17
must purchase in-person spoken language interpreter services directly 18
from language access providers as defined in RCW 74.04.025, or 19
through limited contracts with scheduling and coordinating delivery 20
organizations, or both. Each state agency must have at least one 21
H-0621.1
HOUSE BILL 1419
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Representatives Low, Leavitt, Rule, Bronoske, Parshley, Bergquist,
Doglio, Fosse, Macri, and Davis
Read first time 01/20/25. Referred to Committee on State Government
& Tribal Relations.
p. 1 HB 1419
contract with an entity that provides interpreter services through 1
telephonic and video remote technologies. Nothing in this section 2
precludes the department of labor and industries from purchasing in-3
person spoken language interpreter services directly from language 4
access providers or from directly reimbursing language access 5
providers. 6
(4) Notwithstanding subsection (3) of this section, the 7
department of labor and industries may pay a language access provider 8
directly for the costs of interpreter services when the services are 9
necessary for use by a medical provider for emergency or urgent care, 10
or where the medical provider determines that advanced notice is not 11
feasible. 12
(5) Upon the expiration of any contract in effect on June 7, 13
2018, but no later than September 1, 2020, the department must 14
develop and implement a model that all state agencies must use to 15
procure spoken language interpreter services by purchasing directly 16
from language access providers or through contracts with scheduling 17
and coordinating entities, or both. The department must have at least 18
one contract with an entity that provides interpreter services 19
through telephonic and video remote technologies. If the department 20
determines it is more cost-effective or efficient, it may jointly 21
purchase these services with the department of social and health 22
services, the department of children, youth, and families, the health 23
care authority, and the department of labor and industries as 24
provided in subsection (3) of this section. The department of social 25
and health services, the department of children, youth, and families, 26
the health care authority, and the department of labor and industries 27
have the authority to procure interpreters through the department if 28
the demand for spoken language interpreters cannot be met through 29
their respective contracts. 30
(6) All interpreter services procured under this section must be 31
provided by language access providers who are certified or authorized 32
by the state, or nationally certified by the certification commission 33
for health care interpreters or the national board for certification 34
of medical interpreters. When a nationally certified, state-35
certified, or authorized language access provider is not available, a 36
state agency is authorized to contract with a spoken language 37
interpreter with other certifications or qualifications deemed to 38
meet agency needs. Nothing in this subsection precludes providing 39
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interpretive services through state employees or employees of medical 1
or vocational providers. 2
(7)(a) For any interpreter hired before July 1, 2026, to provide 3
services procured under this section, the interpreter shall submit to 4
the hiring entity a national federal bureau of investigation 5
fingerprint background check before July 1, 2026.6
(b) For any interpreter hired on or after July 1, 2026, to 7
provide services procured under this section, the interpreter shall 8
submit to the hiring entity a federal bureau of investigation 9
fingerprint background check before being permitted to provide 10
interpreter services.11
(c) Beginning July 1, 2026, any interpreter providing services 12
procured under this section shall submit to the hiring entity a 13
federal bureau of investigation identity history summary at least 14
once per year.15
(8) Nothing in this section is intended to address how state 16
agencies procure interpreters for sensory-impaired persons.17
(((8))) (9) For purposes of this section, "state agency" means 18
any state office or activity of the executive branch of state 19
government, including state agencies, departments, offices, 20
divisions, boards, commissions, and correctional and other types of 21
institutions, but excludes institutions of higher education as 22
defined in RCW 28B.10.016, the school for the blind, and the 23
Washington center for deaf and hard of hearing youth.24
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p. 3 HB 1419