The bill amends RCW 41.56.157 to establish collective bargaining rights for language access providers, designating the governor as their public employer for these purposes. It outlines specific bargaining units for language access providers who offer spoken language interpreter services across various state departments, including the Department of Social and Health Services and the Department of Labor and Industries. The bill specifies that the scope of collective bargaining is limited to economic compensation, professional development, grievance procedures, and other economic matters, while explicitly excluding retirement benefits. Additionally, it states that language access providers do not have the right to strike and establishes procedures for the negotiation and approval of collective bargaining agreements.

New provisions include the requirement for the governor to submit requests for funding necessary to implement collective bargaining agreements as part of the biennial budget, and the stipulation that if a conflict arises between an executive order or agency policy and a collective bargaining agreement, the agreement will prevail. The bill also mandates annual reporting from relevant state departments on their processes for procuring language access services and the implementation of previous legislative changes. Overall, the legislation aims to enhance the rights and working conditions of language access providers while ensuring compliance with state budgetary processes.

Statutes affected:
Original bill: 41.56.157
Bill as passed Legislature: 41.56.157
Session law: 41.56.157