§ 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.
(b) Each hospital and freestanding
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§ 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.
(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.