Health care facilities would provide interpreters for patients struggling with English

Health care facilities would provide trained interpreters fluent in English and the person's language. All services would be covered for patients and people seeking appropriate care who struggle with English because they primarily or only use another spoken language. Facilities would choose interpreter arrangements based on patient numbers and languages. Hospitals could use phone or video interpreters only when they could not reasonably anticipate the language need or an employed or contracted interpreter could not provide the service.

Receiving interpreter services would not count as receiving a public benefit under laws restricting assistance based on immigration status. This protection would cover people receiving interpreter services because they struggle with English and primarily or only use another spoken language.

Facilities would need to substantially meet interpreter requirements to obtain or renew licenses. Eligible patients or the attorney general could sue to enforce them. Cases could seek a court order requiring compliance or a ruling on the facility's legal duties. Patients could sue when a facility denied appropriate care because it failed to use reasonable judgment in arranging competent interpreters. The attorney general could sue after written notice from a state regulating agency of substantial failure to comply. Patients could go directly to court. Those who win would receive at least $250 per violation plus reasonable legal costs and could receive damages for actual harm. A lawsuit would have to be filed within three years of the failure to provide competent interpreter services.