Committee approves $10,000 plan to add languages to SafeUT crisis app
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Summary
The committee favorably recommended SB 311 to fund multilingual support for the SafeUT crisis app, with the sponsor saying the $10,000 annual cost would expand access for Spanish and other language speakers and likely save lives by reducing barriers to crisis help.
The committee passed a favorable recommendation for SB 311, which would add multilingual functionality to the SafeUT crisis‑response app.
Sponsor Senator (speaker 15) said translating SafeUT would cost roughly $10,000 annually and that translation costs are based on usage rather than number of languages. "For $10,000 ongoing, we can strengthen families, prevent tragedy, ensure that SafeUT works for every family, not just those who speak English," the sponsor said, arguing the change would help Spanish speakers and others access timely crisis support.
Committee members noted the bill's rural importance and stressed that response timeliness and quality should remain equal across languages. Representative Fitzsimano urged monitoring to ensure translated services deliver the same responsiveness as English‑language support.
Representative Monson moved the favorable recommendation; the motion passed unanimously by voice vote.
Next steps: SB 311 will advance with a favorable recommendation; implementation details and ongoing monitoring of response timeliness in multiple languages were flagged as follow‑up items.