SF 2043

2nd Engrossment - 94th Legislature (2025 - 2026) Posted on 03/18/2025 09:05am

A bill for an act
relating to health occupations; establishing a spoken language health care interpreter
work group; requiring reports; appropriating money; proposing coding for new
law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 144.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

new text begin [144.0581] SPOKEN LANGUAGE HEALTH CARE INTERPRETER
WORK GROUP.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Definitions. new text end

new text begin (a) For the purposes of this section, the following terms have
the meanings given them.
new text end

new text begin (b) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of health.
new text end

new text begin (c) "Common languages" means the 15 most frequent languages without regard to dialect
in Minnesota.
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new text begin (d) "Registered interpreter" means a spoken language interpreter who is listed on the
Department of Health's spoken language health care interpreter roster.
new text end

new text begin (e) "Work group" means the spoken language health care interpreter work group
established in subdivision 2.
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new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Composition. new text end

new text begin The commissioner shall, after receiving work group candidate
applications, appoint 15 members to the work group consisting of the following members:
new text end

new text begin (1) three members who are interpreters listed on the Department of Health's spoken
language health care interpreter roster and who are Minnesota residents. Of these members:
(i) each must be an interpreter for a different language; (ii) at least one must have a national
certification credential; and (iii) at least one must have been listed on the roster as an
interpreter in a language other than the common languages and must have completed a
nationally recognized training program for health care interpreters that is, at a minimum,
40 hours in length;
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new text begin (2) three members representing limited English proficiency (LEP) individuals. Of these
members, two must represent LEP individuals who are not proficient in a common language
and one must represent LEP individuals who are proficient in a language that is not one of
the common languages;
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new text begin (3) one member representing a health plan company;
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new text begin (4) one member representing a Minnesota health system who is not an interpreter;
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new text begin (5) two members representing interpreter agencies, including one member representing
agencies whose main office is located outside the seven-county metropolitan area and one
member representing agencies whose main office is located within the seven-county
metropolitan area;
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new text begin (6) one member representing the Department of Health;
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new text begin (7) one member representing the Department of Human Services;
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new text begin (8) one member representing an interpreter training program or postsecondary educational
institution program providing interpreter courses or skills assessment;
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new text begin (9) one member who is affiliated with a Minnesota-based or Minnesota chapter of a
national or international organization representing interpreters; and
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new text begin (10) one member who is a licensed direct care health provider.
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new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Duties. new text end

new text begin The work group must compile a list of recommendations to support
and improve access to the critical health care interpreting services provided across the state,
including but not limited to:
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new text begin (1) changing requirements for registered and certified interpreters to reflect changing
needs of the Minnesota health care community and emerging national standards of training,
competency, and testing;
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new text begin (2) addressing barriers for interpreters to gain access to the roster, including barriers to
interpreters of uncommon languages and interpreters in rural areas;
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new text begin (3) reimbursing spoken language health care interpreting;
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new text begin (4) identifying gaps in interpreter services in rural areas and recommending ways to
address interpreter training and funding needs;
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new text begin (5) training, certification, and continuing education programs;
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new text begin (6) convening a meeting of public and private sector representatives of the spoken
language health care interpreters community to identify ongoing sources of financial
assistance to aid individual interpreters in meeting interpreter training and testing registry
requirements;
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new text begin (7) conducting surveys of people receiving and providing interpreter services to
understand changing needs and consumer quality care; and
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new text begin (8) suggesting changes in requirements and qualifications on telehealth or remote
interpreting.
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new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Compensation; expense reimbursement. new text end

new text begin Compensation shall be offered to
work group members not being compensated for their participation in work group activities
as part of their existing job duties. Work group members shall be compensated and
reimbursed for expenses for work group activities under section 15.059, subdivision 3.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 5. new text end

new text begin Administrative support; meeting space; meeting facilitation. new text end

new text begin The
commissioner must provide meeting space and administrative support for the work group.
The commissioner may contract with a neutral independent consultant to provide this
administrative support and to facilitate and lead the meetings of the work group.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 6. new text end

new text begin Deadline for appointments. new text end

new text begin The commissioner must appoint members to the
work group by August 15, 2025.
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new text begin Subd. 7. new text end

new text begin Expiration. new text end

new text begin This section expires on November 2, 2026, or upon submission
of the report required under subdivision 9, whichever is earlier.
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new text begin Subd. 8. new text end

new text begin Initial spoken language health care interpreter work group meetings. new text end

new text begin The
commissioner shall convene the first meeting of the work group by October 1, 2025. Prior
to the first meeting, work group members must receive survey results and evidence-based
research on interpreter services in Minnesota. During the first meetings, work group members
must receive survey results and consult with subject matter experts, including but not limited
to signed language interpreting experts, academic experts with knowledge of interpreting
research, and academic health experts to address specific gaps in spoken language health
care interpreting. The work group shall provide a minimum of two opportunities for public
comment. These opportunities shall be announced with at least four weeks' notice, with
publicity in the five most common languages in Minnesota. Interpreters for those same
languages shall be provided during the public comment opportunities.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 9. new text end

new text begin Report. new text end

new text begin The commissioner must provide the chairs and ranking minority
members of the legislative committees with jurisdiction over health care interpreter services
with recommendations, including draft legislation and any statutory changes needed to
implement the recommendations, to improve and support access to health care interpreting
services statewide by November 1, 2026.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 10. new text end

new text begin Appropriation. new text end

new text begin $....... in fiscal year 2026 is appropriated from the general
fund to the commissioner of health to establish a request for proposals for the spoken
language health care interpreter work group established under subdivision 2. This is a
onetime appropriation and is available until June 30, 2027.
new text end