Section 852.

(a) The Task Force on Culturally and Linguistically Competent Physicians and Dentists is hereby created and shall consist of the following members:

(1) The State Director of Health Services and the Director of Consumer Affairs, who shall serve as cochairs of the task force.

(2) The Executive Director of the Medical Board of California.

(3) The Executive Director of the Dental Board of California.

(4) One member appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules.

(5) One member appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly.

(b) Additional task force members shall be appointed by the Director of Consumer Affairs, in consultation with the State Director of Health Services, as follows:

(1) Representatives of organizations that advocate on behalf of California licensed physicians and dentists.

(2) California licensed physicians and dentists that provide health services to members of language and ethnic minority groups.

(3) Representatives of organizations that advocate on behalf of, or provide health services to, members of language and ethnic minority groups.

(4) Representatives of entities that offer continuing education for physicians and dentists.

(5) Representatives of California's medical and dental schools.

(6) Individuals with experience in developing, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating cultural and linguistic programs.

(c) The duties of the task force shall include the following:

(1) Developing recommendations for a continuing education program that includes language proficiency standards of foreign language to be acquired to meet linguistic competency.

(2) Identifying the key cultural elements necessary to meet cultural competency by physicians, dentists, and their offices.

(3) Assessing the need for voluntary certification standards and examinations for cultural and linguistic competency.

(d) The task force shall hold hearings and convene meetings to obtain input from persons belonging to language and ethnic minority groups to determine their needs and preferences for having culturally competent medical providers. These hearings and meetings shall be convened in communities that have large populations of language and ethnic minority groups.

(e) The task force shall report its findings to the Legislature and appropriate licensing boards within two years after creation of the task force.

(f) The Medical Board of California and the Dental Board of California shall pay the state administrative costs of implementing this section.

(g) Nothing in this section shall be construed to require mandatory continuing education of physicians and dentists.

(Added by Stats. 2000, Ch. 802, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2001.)