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Appropriations committee advances bill to translate CNA and home-health aide certification exams amid safety concerns
Summary
AB 4134, to require translation of homemaker/home health aide and nursing assistant certification exams, was favorably released after committee debate: supporters said translations help address a CNA shortage; some members raised patient-safety and assimilation concerns.
The Appropriations Committee favorably released Assembly Bill 4134 (first reprint), which would require written certification examinations for homemakers/home health aides and nursing assistants to be translated into multiple languages.
Committee slips show broad support, but several members raised concerns during floor discussion. One member warned that translated tests could hamper patient safety if caregivers and patients later must communicate directly in English, and said language translation for exams “prolongs the problem of assimilation.” The sponsor responded that the bill is intended to provide written-language access to individuals who already work in caregiving roles and to address a statewide shortage of roughly 5,000 CNAs mentioned during debate.
After a brief exchange about the scope of translated material (written test translation vs. live interpretation or hands-on training), the committee voted to favorably release AB 4134; the roll-call record shows at least one recorded no vote and the measure was released for further consideration.
