Bilingual Hearings and Materials in Relation to Public Works Board

Q: There is a Public Works Board (PWB) meeting and I would like to request that the materials at the meeting be bilingual and that there be a translator at the meeting. What is the law surrounding bilingual hearings and/or handouts? Is the PWB legally required to provide translation? Is there someone I could go to find our more information on this law?

A: With respect to meetings of state bodies such as the Public Works Board, the public's rights to attend, receive notice of, and otherwise access those meetings are governed by the Bagley-Keene Act, Govt. Code Sections 11120 et seq.  I am not aware of any provision of the Bagley-Keene Act that would require meeting materials to be bilingual, nor am I aware of any provision in the Act that would require a translator to be on hand.

It is possible that there is some other provision of California law that would require bilingual materials and/or a translator, at least for certain specified items to be considered by the Board.  However, we are not aware of it.  To the extent you are seeking an attorney with expertise about such matters, you may want to check with the California State Bar. You can find information about finding an attorney at the California Bar Association web site:

http://www.calbar.ca.gov/state/calbar/calbar_generic.jsp?cid=10182.