Rep. Andrea Salinas Announced as Keynote for Language Access Virtual Event

WASHINGTON - Feb. 17, 2022 - PRLog -- Oregon State Representative Andrea Salinas will be the Keynote Speaker at the National Council on Interpreting in Health Care's (NCIHC) 15^th Annual Membership Meeting (AMM) to be held online April 29-30, 2022, as a virtual event.

For more than 20 years, Representative Salinas has worked on the front lines of politics to protect and pass policies that help women and children, working people, seniors and the environment. She first served as an intern to Senator Dianne Feinstein in her San Francisco district office, then as legislative staff to Senator Harry Reid, as tax and trade policy advisor to Congressman Pete Stark and finally as a district aide to Congresswoman Darlene Hooley.

Rep. Salinas was appointed to the legislature in September 2017 and won her first election in 2018. Since that time, she has been working to increase access to affordable, high-quality health care; prevent bankruptcy from medical debt; guarantee Oregon workers access to paid family and medical leave; fight for a safe and healthy environment; and ensure Oregon achieved a fair, accurate, and complete census count. Rep. Salinas currently serves as Chair of the House Special Committee on Redistricting, Vice-Chair of the House Committee on Health Care, and House Majority Whip.

Representative Salinas is one of the sponsors of Oregon HB 2359 for health care interpreting, which became law July 14, 2021. This law requires health care providers and interpreting service companies to employ or contract with qualified interpreters registered by the Oregon Health Authority. In a statement released before the law was passed, Rep Salinas wrote that HB 2359 is designed to close loopholes in Oregon law that allow health care agencies to hire unqualified or non-certified interpreters. The law also requires state agencies to develop an enforcement and correction process to address violations.

The theme for the NCIHC's 15th Annual Membership Meeting is "Moving Forward: Stronger, Wiser, Together." For more information about the NCIHC Virtual AMM, visit https://www.ncihc.org/.