Rhode Island General Laws 23-17-54. Provisions of interpreter services
(a) Every hospital and freestanding emergency-care facility shall, as a condition of initial or continued licensure, provide a qualified interpreter, if an appropriate bilingual clinician is not available to translate, in connection with all services provided to every non-English speaker who is a patient or seeks appropriate care and treatment and is not accompanied or represented by an appropriate, qualified interpreter or a qualified sign-language interpreter who has attained at least sixteen (16) years of age.
Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 23-17-54
- Clinician: means a physician licensed under chapter 37 of Title 5; a nurse licensed under chapter 34 of Title 5; a psychologist licensed under chapter 44 of Title 5; a social worker licensed under Rhode Island General Laws 23-17-2
- Freestanding emergency-care facility: means an establishment, place, or facility that may be a public or private organization, structurally distinct and separate from a hospital; staffed, equipped, and operated to provide prompt, emergency medical care. See Rhode Island General Laws 23-17-2
- Hospital: means a person or governmental entity licensed in accordance with this chapter to establish, maintain, and operate a hospital. See Rhode Island General Laws 23-17-2
- Qualified interpreter: means a person who, through experience and/or training, is able to translate a particular foreign language into English, with the exception of sign-language interpreters who must be licensed in accordance with chapter 71 of Title 5. See Rhode Island General Laws 23-17-2
- Qualified sign-language interpreter: means one who has been licensed in accordance with the provisions of chapter 71 of Title 5. See Rhode Island General Laws 23-17-2
(b) Each hospital and freestanding emergency-care facility shall post a multi-lingual notice in conspicuous places setting forth the requirement in subsection (a) in English and the, at minimum, three (3) most-common foreign languages used by the hospital or freestanding emergency-care facility as determined by the hospital or freestanding emergency-care facility.
(c) The receipt by a non-English speaker of interpreter services shall not be deemed the receipt of a benefit under any provisions of law restricting benefits or assistance on the basis of immigrant status.
(d) Nothing in this section shall be construed to affect or limit any rights, remedies, or obligations under chapter 24 of Title 11 or under chapters 87 or 112 of title 42.
History of Section.
P.L. 2001, ch. 88, § 2; P.L. 2001, ch. 253, § 2; P.L. 2016, ch. 417, § 1; P.L. 2016, ch. 418, § 1.