RI H7931

Hospitals and freestanding emergency-care facilities must provide certified interpreters (upgraded from "qualified") for all non-English speaking patients; qualified interpreters may be used only when no national or state certification exists for a specific language

Facilities must provide written translations of vital documents for limited English proficient (LEP) language groups that constitute 5% of the population served or 1,000 persons, whichever is less, following federal Safe Harbor standards under Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act

Language groups with fewer than 50 persons meeting the 5% threshold must receive written notice in their primary language of the right to free oral interpretation, rather than translated documents

Mandatory training for healthcare providers on accessing and utilizing certified and qualified interpretation services is required as a condition of licensure

Facilities must update language determinations every 3 years through community needs assessments using U.S. Census Bureau data and Rhode Island's statewide planning limited English proficiency metrics