Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Language Access topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
CSLB outlines expansion of Spanish translations, plans surveys to guide other languages
Summary
At a May 15 Contractors State License Board Licensing Committee meeting, staff described current Spanish-language exam and consumer materials and proposed monthly applicant surveys and staffing additions to identify other language needs.
The Contractors State License Board’s Licensing Committee on May 15 detailed existing Spanish-language services for applicants and described next steps to identify additional languages for exams and materials.
CSLB Licensing Chief Carol Gagnon said the board "currently provides the following items of languages other than English," and that staff have focused on Spanish because it generates the most requests from both applicants and consumers. "Our exam study guides and 10 of our most popular exams are offered in Spanish," Gagnon said. She added that CSLB hosts a monthly Spanish workshop for prospective licensees.
The discussion outlined current translation resources and planned follow-up actions. Public Affairs Chief Catherine White said recent consumer materials — including a terms-of-agreement publication — had been translated into Spanish using an existing Department of Consumer Affairs contract. White said disaster-response materials have also been translated into Chinese and other languages, and that CSLB is "continuing to find more and more publications that need to be updated and are updated."
Why it matters: CSLB licenses and exams determine eligibility to perform regulated construction trades across California; access to translated materials affects non-English speakers’ ability to apply, study, and comply with licensing rules.
Details from the meeting
Staff said they have in-house Spanish translation capacity for written documents and a contract to translate larger documents and exam item banks. The board has also translated application instructions, translator request letters and exam-appeal response paragraphs into Spanish; those will be posted on the CSLB website after remediation.
As next steps, staff proposed adding a monthly applicant question to survey incoming applicants about language needs, identifying additional exams to translate into Spanish, cataloguing more documents and forms for translation, and pursuing an additional bilingual position in the Exam Development Unit (EDU) focused on Spanish-language exam work. Committee members were invited to suggest specific exams or documents for prioritization and to follow up by email.
Public participation and oversight
Committee members asked whether CSLB will evaluate the impact of translated materials. Gagnon said staff have not yet surveyed Spanish-language candidates or consumers on effectiveness, but "it's something we can look into." No public comments were recorded during this portion of the meeting.
Next steps and timeline
Staff did not provide a firm timeline for adding new languages beyond the near-term posting of Spanish translations and the proposed monthly applicant survey; staffing and prioritization were presented as items for future committee updates.
Ending
Committee members had no additional recommendations on the record; staff said they will present survey drafts and further translation plans at upcoming meetings.
