Court interpreters., the official text

An act to amend Section 71808 of the Government Code, relating to courts.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

The existing Trial Court Interpreter Employment and Labor Relations Act divides trial courts into 4 specified regions and establishes regional court interpreter employment relations committees for those regions. Existing law requires each committee to set terms and conditions of employment for court interpreters within the respective region, as specified. Existing law requires that compensation be uniform throughout the region. Existing law, with exceptions, requires that other terms and conditions of employment be uniform throughout the region, but authorizes health and welfare and pension benefits to be the same as those provided to other employees of the same trial court. Existing law authorizes trial courts to set additional local compensation subject to specified conditions.
This bill would authorize a recognized employee organization to request a multiregional bargaining if more than one region is bargaining in a calendar year, subject to the mutual consent of the recognized employee organization and the regional court interpreter employment relations committee.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.
Section 71808 of the Government Code is amended to read:
71808.
(a) The regional court interpreter employment relations committee shall set terms and conditions of employment for court interpreters within the region, including, but not limited to, hourly rates of pay, subject to meet and confer in good faith. These terms and conditions of employment, when adopted by the regional committee, shall be binding on the trial courts within the region. Hourly rates of pay shall be uniform throughout the region. Unless otherwise provided in a memorandum of understanding or agreement with a recognized employee organization, other terms and conditions of employment shall be uniform throughout the region, except that health and welfare and pension benefits may be the same as those provided to other employees of the same trial court.
(b) Trial courts may set additional local compensation, subject to meet and confer in good faith between the trial court and the recognized employee organization. An agreement establishing local compensation shall be between the trial court and the recognized employee organization, and shall not modify the terms of a regional memorandum of understanding or agreement between the regional court interpreter employment relations committee and the recognized employee organization.
(c) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), if more than one region is bargaining in a calendar year, a recognized employee organization is authorized to request a multiregional bargaining. This request is subject to the mutual consent of the recognized employee organization and the regional court interpreter employment relations committee.