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AB 1916CALIFORNIASession 20252026

California AB 1916 extends labor protections to sign language court interpreters

Original title: Courts: court interpreters.

August 13, 2026

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The Frame

What this does

This change standardizes labor rights and compensation procedures for sign language interpreters working in California trial courts, ensuring they fall under the same regulatory framework as spoken language interpreters.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Sign language interpreters

They are now included under the employment and labor relations procedures of the Trial Court Interpreter Employment and Labor Relations Act.

California trial courts

They must apply the act's employment and compensation procedures to sign language interpreters.

What changed

Last recorded activity August 13, 2026.

What's next

Introduced.

Summary

This bill expands the to include sign language interpreters, granting them the same employment and compensation procedures currently reserved for spoken language interpreters. It formally classifies American Sign Language as a spoken language for the purposes of court employment law.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Why It Matters

This change standardizes labor rights and compensation procedures for sign language interpreters working in California trial courts, ensuring they fall under the same regulatory framework as spoken language interpreters.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this bill change how sign language interpreters are paid?
Yes, by bringing them under the , their employment and compensation procedures will now be governed by the same standards as spoken language interpreters.
Why is American Sign Language being called a 'spoken language' in this bill?
The bill defines it as such specifically for the purpose of applying existing court interpreter labor laws to sign language professionals.

News Coverage

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Connected Entities

otherAmerican Sign LanguageThe language classification being updated by the bill.Map →
otherTrial Court Interpreter Employment and Labor Relations ActThe existing law governing employment and compensation of court interpreters.Map →

Sources

Open source document

openstates.org

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance65
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy10
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment5
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz20
    Current news / social attention level

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