S.B. 140

1

CULTURAL AND LINGUISTIC COMPETENCY
2 IN HEALTH CARE TASK FORCE
3 2001 GENERAL SESSION
4 STATE OF UTAH
5 Sponsor: Pete Suazo
6 This act creates the Cultural Linguistic Competency in Health Care Task Force. The act
7 specifies membership, responsibilities, procedures, and reporting dates for the task force.
8 The act appropriates $39,500 from the General Fund for fiscal year 2000-01 and $39,000
9 from the General Fund for fiscal year 2001-02 to fund the task force. The task force is
10 repealed on November 30, 2002.
11 This act enacts uncodified material.
12 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
13 Section 1. Cultural and Linguistic Competency in Health Care Task Force -- Creation
14 -- Membership -- Quorum -- Compensation -- Staff.
15 (1) There is created the Cultural and Linguistic Competency in Health Care Task Force
16 consisting of the following 17 members:
17 (a) three members of the Senate appointed by the president of the Senate, no more than
18 two of whom may be from the same political party;
19 (b) five members of the House of Representatives appointed by the speaker of the House
20 of Representatives, no more than three of whom may be from the same political party;
21 (c) a representative from the Department of Health, appointed by the executive director
22 of the Department of Health;
23 (d) a representative from the Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing
24 appointed by the executive director of the Department of Commerce;
25 (e) a representative from the Ethnic Health Advisory Board of the Department of Health
26 appointed by the executive director of the department;
27 (f) a representative of the Cultural Competency Advisory Committee of the Department

28 of Health's Bureau of Primary Care, Rural, and Ethic Care appointed by the executive director of
29 the Department of Health;
30 (g) a representative from the Association for Utah Community Health appointed by the
31 association; and
32 (h) four members from cultural minority populations appointed by the members of the
33 task force described in Subsections (1)(a) through (1)(g).
34 (2) (a) The president of the Senate shall designate a member of the Senate appointed under
35 Subsection (1)(a) as a cochair of the task force.
36 (b) The speaker of the House of Representatives shall designate a member of the House
37 of Representatives appointed under Subsection (1)(b) as a cochair of the task force.
38 (3) A majority of the members of the task force constitute a quorum. The action of a
39 majority of a quorum constitutes the action of the task force.
40 (4) (a) Salaries and expenses of the members of the task force who are legislators shall be
41 paid in accordance with Section 36-2-2 and Legislative Joint Rule 15.03.
42 (b) A member of the task force who is not a legislator may not receive compensation for
43 their work associated with the task force, but may receive per diem and reimbursement for travel
44 expenses incurred as a member of the task force at the rates established by the Division of Finance
45 under Sections 63A-3-106 and 63A-3-107 .
46 (5) The Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel shall provide staff support to
47 the task force.
48 Section 2. Duties -- Interim report.
49 (1) The task force shall review and make recommendations on the following issues:
50 (a) the impact that cultural factors such as ethnicity, geography, age, religion, gender,
51 education, socioeconomic status, and language have on how patients access and respond to health
52 care services;
53 (b) the ability of providers to deliver appropriate health care services to culturally diverse
54 populations;
55 (c) the impact that bridging the cultural and language barriers between providers and
56 patients has on improving diagnosis and treatment plans, patient satisfaction and compliance with
57 treatment plans, reduction in delays in seeking healthcare, and health outcomes;
58 (d) the federal and state resources available for delivery of culturally competent health

59 care;
60 (e) the relevant findings and recommendations from the 1999 Ethnic Community Health
61 Dialogues and the Center for Health Data findings regarding ethnic health disparities;
62 (f) the need to expand the federal standards for cultural and linguistic competency;
63 (g) the development of:
64 (i) an accessible format for dissemination of information regarding cultural beliefs and
65 attitudes of ethnic groups;
66 (ii) minimum standards for use of medical translators;
67 (iii) recommendations for voluntary certification standards and examinations for cultural
68 and linguistic competency; and
69 (iv) recommendations for continuing education of providers in cultural competency; and
70 (h) a mechanism and infrastructure for ongoing development of statewide cultural and
71 linguistic competency standards and policy in concert with the Health Advisory Council in the
72 Department of Health, including a monitoring and evaluating process of statewide efforts to build
73 culturally and linguistically competent health care services.
74 (2) A final report, including any proposed legislation shall be presented to the Health and
75 Human Services Interim Committee before November 30, 2002.
76 Section 3. Appropriation.
77 (1) There is appropriated from the General Fund for fiscal year 2000-01 only:
78 (a) $3,500 to the Senate to pay for the compensation and expenses of senators on the task
79 force;
80 (b) $6,000 to the House of Representatives to pay for the compensation and expenses of
81 representatives on the task force; and
82 (c) $30,000 to the Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel to pay for staffing
83 the task force.
84 (2) There is appropriated from the General Fund for fiscal year 2001-02 only:
85 (a) $3,500 to the Senate to pay for the compensation and expenses of senators on the task
86 force;
87 (b) $6,000 to the House of Representatives to pay for the compensation and expenses of
88 representatives on the task force; and
89 (c) $30,000 to the Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel to pay for staffing

90 the task force.
91 Section 4. Repeal date.
92 This act is repealed November 30, 2002.




Legislative Review Note
as of 1-19-01 9:00 AM

A limited legal review of this legislation raises no obvious constitutional or statutory concerns.

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel