§ 74.04.025. Bilingual services for non-English speaking applicants and recipients -- Bilingual personnel, when -- Primary language pamphlets and written materials
(1) The department and the office of administrative hearings shall ensure that bilingual services are provided to non-English speaking applicants and recipients. The services shall be provided to the extent necessary to assure that non-English speaking persons are not denied, or unable to obtain or maintain, services or benefits because of their inability to speak English.
(2) If the number of non-English speaking applicants or recipients sharing the same language served by any community service office client contact job classification equals or exceeds fifty percent of the average caseload of a full-time position in such classification, the department shall, through attrition, employ bilingual personnel to serve such applicants or recipients.
(3) Regardless of the applicant or recipient caseload of any community service office, each community service office shall ensure that bilingual services required to supplement the community service office staff are provided through contracts with interpreters, local agencies, or other community resources.
(4) Initial client contact materials shall inform clients in all primary languages of the availability of interpretation services for non-English speaking persons. Basic informational pamphlets shall be translated into all primary languages.
(5) To the extent all written communications directed to applicants or recipients are not in the primary language of the applicant or recipient, the department and the office of administrative hearings shall include with the written communication a notice in all primary languages of applicants or recipients describing the significance of the communication and specifically how the applicants or recipients may receive assistance in understanding, and responding to if necessary, the written communication. The department shall assure that sufficient resources are available to assist applicants and recipients in a timely fashion with understanding, responding to, and complying with the requirements of all such written communications.
(6) As used in this section, "primary languages" includes but is not limited to Spanish, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Laotian, and Chinese.
[1998 c 245 § 143; 1983 1st ex.s. c 41 § 33.]
Notes:
Severability -- 1983 1st ex.s. c 41: See note following RCW 26.09.060.
Sections: Previous 74.04.005 74.04.00511 74.04.0052 74.04.006 74.04.011 74.04.012 74.04.015 74.04.025 74.04.033 74.04.040 74.04.050 74.04.055 74.04.057 74.04.060 74.04.062 Next
Last modified: April 7, 2009