Court interpreters.

Assembly Member Lee's proposal to modify California's court interpreter employment framework would allow recognized employee organizations to initiate multiregional labor negotiations when multiple regions are bargaining within the same calendar year. The measure amends the Trial Court Interpreter Employment and Labor Relations Act, which currently divides courts into four regions with separate employment relations committees that independently set interpreter working conditions.

Under the proposed changes, employee organizations could request consolidated bargaining across multiple regions, with courts required to accept such requests within 30 days unless agreements have already been reached in all but one region. The bill maintains existing provisions for uniform regional compensation rates and working conditions, while preserving trial courts' ability to establish additional local compensation through separate negotiations with employee organizations.

The measure builds upon the current system where regional committees establish binding terms of employment for court interpreters within their jurisdictions, including standardized hourly pay rates. Individual trial courts retain authority to negotiate supplemental local compensation with employee organizations, provided these agreements do not modify terms established in regional memoranda of understanding.