Protect Communication & Information Access NOW
Deaf, Deafblind, Deaf-Disabled, hard of hearing, and late-deafened individuals and communities are at risk of losing access to communication and information.
California lawmakers recently passed a law that makes it difficult for freelance workers to provide services, including professional Sign Language Interpreters and Realtime Captioners.
Two new bills, AB1850 & AB2257, will make it easier for many of these freelance workers to provide services again. However, professional Sign Language Interpreters and Realtime Captioners are NOT included in these bills.
The two bills are being voted on by the Assembly Labor and Employment Committee this Wednesday, May 20, 2020, at 10 AM. We need YOU to tell the Committee that we want them to add Sign Language Interpreters and Realtime Captioners to these bills.
Please send your letters as soon as possible so that the rights of Deaf, Deafblind, Deaf-Disabled, hard of hearing, and late-deafened people under the Americans with Disabilities Act are protected.
The public is encouraged to provide written testimony before the hearing by visiting the committee website at https://albr.assembly.ca.gov/ and following the web portal submission instructions. Please note that any written testimony submitted to the committee is considered public comment and may be read into the record or reprinted.
Due to the statewide stay-at-home order and guidance on physical distancing, seating for this hearing will be very limited for press and for the public. All are encouraged to watch the hearing from its live stream on the Assembly’s website at https://www.assembly.ca.gov/todaysevents.
Send your letters to the Committee
1. Create an account at the California Legislature Position Letter Portal (https://calegislation.lc.ca.gov/Advocates/) and check your email to verify your account and set a password.
2. Search for AB1850 and select “Oppose” as your stance. Copy and paste your letter or check the box “Submit a letter instead” to upload your letter as a file. Letter templates are available below.
3. Click submit and do step 2 again for AB2257.
4. Share this page with your friends, family, and other supporters of Deaf, Deafblind, Deaf-Disabled, hard of hearing, and late-deafened communities.
Do you live in the district of one of the following members of the Assembly Labor and Employment Committee? Send your letters directly to them as well.
- Ash Kalra (Chair)
Assembly District 27 – Parts of Santa Clara County (See District Map)
Contact Assembly Member Ash Kalra
Capitol Office, Room 2196
P.O. Box 942849, Sacramento, CA 94249-0027;
(916) 319-2027
- Heath Flora (Vice Chair)
Assembly District 12 – Parts of San Joaquin and Stanislaus Counties (See District Map)
Contact Assembly Member Heath Flora
Capitol Office, Room 3098
P.O. Box 942849, Sacramento, CA 94249-0012;
(916) 319-2012
- Wendy Carrillo
Assembly District 51 – Parts of Los Angeles County (See District Map)
Contact Assembly Member Wendy Carrillo
Capitol Office, Room 4167
P.O. Box 942849, Sacramento, CA 94249-0051;
(916) 319-2051
- Tyler Diep
Assembly District 72 – Parts of Orange County (See District Map)
Contact Assembly Member Tyler Diep
Capitol Office, Room 4153
P.O. Box 942849, Sacramento, CA 94249-0072;
(916) 319-2072
- Lorena Gonzalez
Assembly District 80 – Parts of San Diego County (See District Map)
Contact Assembly Member Lorena Gonzalez
Capitol Office, Room 2114
P.O. Box 942849, Sacramento, CA 94249-0080;
(916) 319-2080
- Reginald Byron Jones-Sawyer, Sr.
Assembly District 59 – Parts of Los Angeles County (See District Map)
Contact Assembly Member Reginald Byron Jones-Sawyer, Sr.
Capitol Office, Room 2117
P.O. Box 942849, Sacramento, CA 94249-0059;
(916) 319-2059
- Luz M. Rivas
Assembly District 39 – Parts of Los Angeles County (See District Map)
Contact Assembly Member Luz M. Rivas
Capitol Office, Room 2160
P.O. Box 942849, Sacramento, CA 94249-0039;
(916) 319-2039
Sample Letter Template
Send your letters before May 20, 2020! Copy the letters or download the Microsoft Word files (.doc) below. Make sure change your name and address.
AB1850
May 18, 2020
Assembly Committee on Labor and Employment
1020 N Street, Room 155
Sacramento, CA 95814RE: Add Exemptions for Sign Language Interpreters and Realtime Captioners in AB1850
Dear Chair Kalra and Honorable Members of the Assembly Labor and Employment Committee,
I am writing to urge you to amend AB1850 and add Sign Language Interpreters and Realtime Captioners as exempted professional service providers from AB5.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) mandates communication services to Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals. Employers, hospitals, medical offices, mental health facilities, law enforcement, and local government entities depend on Sign Language Interpreters and Realtime Captioners for compliance with the ADA, and other federal and state nondiscrimination laws.
Interpreters are provided 24/7 in a variety of settings. Evenings, weekends and holiday requests are often last minute. Flexibility in schedules is critical for effective provision of communication services. Emergency requests by hospitals, mental health facilities, and law enforcement will be impacted by staff shortages and overtime pay.
Sign Language Interpreters and Realtime Captioners provide professional services as they have extensive education and training.
Many agencies providing interpreting/captioning services are either nonprofit organizations, or small businesses, lacking the resources to offer full-time work for all of their contractors. Existing law is forcing these agencies to increase costs that will be passed along to the state agencies, and all their customers.
These professions have been contractors for decades and are founded on freedom of choice for schedules and types of assignments; thus, these providers strongly desire to remain independent contractors. Existing law is resulting in Interpreters/Realtime Captioners needing to be an employee of 2-15 different entities, rendering an employee status impractical. Thus providers forced to be employees lose the advantages of contracting without gaining the advantages of employment
California currently has a shortage of Interpreters and Realtime Captioners. The supply doesn’t meet the demand. The pool of available Interpreters and Captioners will further be reduced if they are required to become employees. This defeats the ADA because providers can’t provide communication access to all parties involved.
Thank you for your support of Sign Language Interpreters, Realtime Captioners, and the many Deaf, Deafblind, Deaf-Disabled, hard of hearing, and late-deafened individuals in California they serve.
Sincerely,
Name
Address
City, State ZIP
AB2257
May 18, 2020
Assembly Committee on Labor and Employment
1020 N Street, Room 155
Sacramento, CA 95814RE: Add Exemptions for Sign Language Interpreters and Realtime Captioners in AB2257
Dear Chair Kalra and Honorable Members of the Assembly Labor and Employment Committee,
I am writing to urge you to amend AB2257 and add Sign Language Interpreters and Realtime Captioners as exempted professional service providers from AB5.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) mandates communication services to Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals. Employers, hospitals, medical offices, mental health facilities, law enforcement, and local government entities depend on Sign Language Interpreters and Realtime Captioners for compliance with the ADA, and other federal and state nondiscrimination laws.
Interpreters are provided 24/7 in a variety of settings. Evenings, weekends and holiday requests are often last minute. Flexibility in schedules is critical for effective provision of communication services. Emergency requests by hospitals, mental health facilities, and law enforcement will be impacted by staff shortages and overtime pay.
Sign Language Interpreters and Realtime Captioners provide professional services as they have extensive education and training.
Many agencies providing interpreting/captioning services are either nonprofit organizations, or small businesses, lacking the resources to offer full-time work for all of their contractors. Existing law is forcing these agencies to increase costs that will be passed along to the state agencies, and all their customers.
These professions have been contractors for decades and are founded on freedom of choice for schedules and types of assignments; thus, these providers strongly desire to remain independent contractors. Existing law is resulting in Interpreters/Realtime Captioners needing to be an employee of 2-15 different entities, rendering an employee status impractical. Thus providers forced to be employees lose the advantages of contracting without gaining the advantages of employment
California currently has a shortage of Interpreters and Realtime Captioners. The supply doesn’t meet the demand. The pool of available Interpreters and Captioners will further be reduced if they are required to become employees. This defeats the ADA because providers can’t provide communication access to all parties involved.
Thank you for your support of Sign Language Interpreters, Realtime Captioners, and the many Deaf, Deafblind, Deaf-Disabled, hard of hearing, and late-deafened individuals in California they serve.
Sincerely,
Name
Address
City, State ZIP