Court interpreters.

The existing Trial Court Interpreter Employment and Labor Relations Act divides trial courts into 4 specified regions and establishes regional court interpreter employment relations committees for those regions. Existing law requires each committee to set terms and conditions of employment for court interpreters within the respective region, as specified. Existing law requires that compensation be uniform throughout the region. Existing law, with exceptions, requires that other terms and conditions of employment be uniform throughout the region, but authorizes health and welfare and pension benefits to be the same as those provided to other employees of the same trial court. Existing law authorizes trial courts to set additional local compensation subject to specified conditions. This bill would authorize a recognized employee organization to request a multiregional bargaining if more than one region is bargaining in a calendar year, subject to the mutual consent of the recognized employee organization and the regional court interpreter employment relations committee.