AB 2325 Summary

• Establishes the CommuniCal program to provide medical interpretation services to limited English proficient (LEP) Medi-Cal beneficiaries, administered by a third-party broker, commencing July 1, 2015.

• Creates the State Department of Health Care Services as the certifying body for CommuniCal Certified Medical Interpreters (CCMIs) and requires approval of an examination and certification process by September 1, 2015, with a registry of qualified interpreters.

• Grants CommuniCal interpreters the right to form, join, and collectively bargain with the state through a labor organization of their choosing on matters including base reimbursement rates, certification standards, and dispute resolution, with the Public Employment Relations Board administering union representation elections.

• Establishes the CommuniCal Program Fund in the State Treasury to be appropriated by the Legislature for exclusive use in funding the program, with federal Medicaid matching funds as a primary funding source.

• Designates CommuniCal interpreters as independent contractors (not state employees) who must be certified or authorized under the program's quality and competency standards to provide in-person, telephonic, or video interpretation services.