L&I to audit interpreter contractor after community raises ICE-contract concerns

Brenda Heilman reported that community members raised concerns about the agency's interpreter-services contractor, SOSI, having contracts with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. She said the contractor has provided verbal and written assurances that it protects interpreter and worker confidentiality and abides by Washington law, but the department has contracted an audit firm to verify those protections.

"We learned a few weeks ago that our contractor SOSI ... has contracts with immigration and customs enforcement and we know that there are real concerns in the community about this," Heilman said. "SOSI has assured us that they do protect this information. They've assured us verbally and in writing. However, we have decided to contract with an audit firm to verify and to validate that the protections that SOSI has in place are effective."

Agency staff said the audit began the Monday of the meeting and is expected to take two to three months. In the interim, L&I plans to begin a new procurement process and issue a request for qualifications and quotations in April to seek a new contract for interpreter services. Heilman emphasized the agency's commitment to worker confidentiality and said the procurement and audit would be used to ensure protections are effective.

Committee members asked whether interpreters can bargain under expanded bargaining topics; staff explained that the bill does not create a new bargaining unit but allows language-access providers to bargain about compensation for late cancelled appointments. A labor representative said the difference between state-fund and self-insured claim costs and interpreter timing was important and the agency agreed to follow up with additional data for self-insured timelines.

The committee did not take formal action; staff said they would keep the advisory committee updated as the audit and procurement progress.