Bilingual services.

Existing law, the Dymally-Alatorre Bilingual Services Act, requires every state agency, except as specified, that is directly involved in the furnishing of information or the rendering of services to the public whereby contact is made with a substantial number of non-English speaking people, to employ a sufficient number of qualified bilingual persons in public contact positions. Existing law also requires that any materials explaining services available to the public be translated into any non-English language spoken by a substantial number of the public served by the agency. Existing law imposes specified reporting requirements related to these provisions. This bill would prohibit a state or local agency from imposing or implementing an action or decision pursuant to these provisions as a pretext for discrimination on the basis of race, national origin, or other unlawful discrimination in employment, including any requirement that an employee be bilingual, as specified. The bill would also require that all information and reports required by the provisions of existing law described above be public information unless otherwise restricted by law.