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COMMITTEE ON BUDGET, APPROPRIATIONS AND FINANCE BILL NO. 35-0059 Thirty-Fifth Legislature of the Virgin Islands March 24, 2023 An Act amending title 3 Virgin Islands Code, chapter 25, subchapter V, section 559 by inserting a subsection (g) relating to pay systems. to establish a pay differential for French and Spanish- speaking bilingual 911 Dispatch Operators and amending title 3 Virgin Islands Code, chapter 25, subchapter IV, section 522, relating to entrance and promotion tests, to provide for foreign language proficiency tests PROPOSED BY: Senator Franklin D. Johnson WHEREAS, the Virgin Islands is a multi-lingual community with many residents and 1 visitors whose primary language is not English; and 2 WHEREAS, 911 Dispatch Operators often have to communicate with individuals in 3 emergency situations; and 4 WHEREAS, Spanish and French are the other primary languages that are spoken in the 5 Territory; and 6 WHEREAS, a pay differential for 911 Dispatch Operators with a demonstrated 7 proficiency in English as well as Spanish or French would help with recruitment and retention 8 of 911 Dispatch Operators; and 9 WHEREAS, when individuals that speak only Spanish or French call the 911 Public 10 Safety Answering Points there will be an increased likelihood that they will be able to 11 effectively communicate with a 911 Dispatch Operator in Spanish or French; Now Therefore 12 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the Virgin Islands: 13 2 SECTION 1. Title 3 Virgin Islands Code, chapter 25, subchapter V, section 559, is 1 amended by adding a subsection (g) that reads as follows: 2 “(f) All bilingual 911 Dispatch Operators of the Virgin Islands Territorial 3 Management Agency fluent in French or Spanish, as determined by the Director, shall be 4 paid a differential of 10 percent of their basic compensation which shall be in addition to 5 their basic compensation. 6 (1) Eligibility under this subsection requires that an Operator must be 7 certified by the Director of Personnel as being proficient in English as well as 8 Spanish or French under section 522(a) of this chapter. 9 (2) Operators who receive a foreign language proficiency pay differential 10 shall be expected to use their foreign language proficiency in the performance of 11 their duties as a 911 Dispatch Operators and are required to recertify each year.” 12 SECTION 2. Title 3 Virgin Islands Code, chapter 25, subchapter IV, section 522, is 13 amended in subsection in the following instances: 14 (1) By inserting “, foreign language proficiency tests,” after “entrance tests”; and 15 (2) By inserting “, differential pay qualification lists” after “employment lists”. 16 BILL SUMMARY 17 This bill amends title 3 Virgin Islands Code, chapter 25, subchapter V, section 559 by 18 inserting a subsection (g) that allows for a ten percent (10%) pay differential for French and 19 Spanish-speaking bilingual 911 dispatch operators of the Virgin Islands Territorial Emergency 20 Management. It also amends title 3 Virgin Islands Code, chapter 25, subchapter IV section 522 21 by adding a foreign language proficiency examination under the purview of the Division of 22 Personnel. 23 BR23-0356/February 6, 2023/LMW 24