[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7223 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7223
To improve access to Federal services by individuals with limited
English proficiency, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 22, 2026
Ms. Meng (for herself, Ms. Chu, Mr. Goldman of New York, and Mr.
Vargas) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To improve access to Federal services by individuals with limited
English proficiency, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Language Access for All Act of
2026''.
SEC. 2. IMPROVING ACCESS TO FEDERAL SERVICES BY INDIVIDUALS WITH
LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY.
(a) Ensuring Meaningful Access.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the head of each agency shall ensure
that individuals with LEP can meaningfully access the federally
conducted programs and activities of the agency, including by--
(A) consistent with any applicable Language Access
Technical Standards established by the agency under
subsection (c)--
(i) translating each vital document or
content created for the public into--
(I) any languages the agency
frequently encounters; and
(II) the dominant languages spoken
in the United States based on current
U.S. Census data; and
(ii) adding multilingual functionality to
agency digital and information technology
systems to identify and track the spoken and
written language needs of people who engage
with the agency and to provide documents and
content in other languages;
(B) providing oral interpretation, sight
translation, and telephonic or remote interpretation
services to such individuals;
(C) recognizing, as an alternative to using
qualified interpreters or translators, the use of
demonstrably bilingual staff of the agency that have
been assessed and are qualified to deliver accurate and
effective communication as an appropriate method of
providing language assistance;
(D) acknowledging that, when qualified, such staff
may offer service that is faster, more effective, and
more cost-efficient than the use of qualified
interpreters or translators;
(E) notifying the public of the availability of
language assistance, including interpreters, translated
documents and digital content, and bilingual staff,
through the use of multilingual notices, taglines,
signage or demonstrably equivalent alternatives
included on documents and digital content the agency
creates for the public and in agency buildings and
offices; and
(F) training employees of the agency who interact
with the public on any policy or procedure established
by the agency to implement the language access plan
established by the agency under subsection (b).
(2) Public complaint and tracking system.--
(A) Complaints.--The Attorney General shall
establish and maintain a publicly accessible system for
individuals to submit complaints to the Attorney
General regarding barriers to receiving meaningful
access, as described under paragraph (1), from an
agency.
(B) Response.--The head of the agency with respect
to which the complaint was made shall respond to each
complaint that was made not later than 60 days after
receipt of the complaint from the Attorney General.
(C) Reports.--The Attorney General shall publish on
the website of the Department of Justice an annual
report summarizing the complaints made under
subparagraph (A), disaggregated by the agency that is
the subject of the complaint, the language with respect
to which the agency failed to provide access, and the
program or activity to which the person is guaranteed
meaningful access under paragraph (1).
(b) Language Access Plan.--
(1) Establishment.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the head of each agency shall
establish a language access plan to implement subsection (a)
that--
(A) is practical and effective, readily
implemented, and responsive to the particular
circumstances and mission of the agency;
(B) is consistent with the Language Access
Technical Standards issued under subsection (c);
(C) is consistent with the standards set forth--
(i) in the initial LEP Guidance of the
agency;
(ii) in the policy guidance document
entitled ``Enforcement of Title VI of the Civil
Rights Act of 1964--National Origin
Discrimination Against Persons With Limited
English Proficiency'' 65 Fed. Reg. 50, 123
(Aug. 16, 2000); and
(iii) in the Attorney General's memorandum
to the heads of Department components issued on
November 21, 2022, entitled ``Strengthening the
Federal Government's Commitment to Language
Access'';
(D) identifies which populations containing
individuals with LEP are likely to seek access to the
services and programs of the agency, including language
populations that are emerging, have been historically
isolated, are of lesser diffusion, and do not have a
commonly used written format;
(E) describes how multilingual communications will
be meaningfully provided to the populations identified
pursuant under subparagraph (D), including whether such
communications will be provided through oral, visual,
or community-based modes of communication as
appropriate;
(F) in the case that the agency provides assistance
during emergency response situations (such as
disasters, public health crises, and other urgent
circumstances) specifies how multilingual
communications will be meaningfully provided to such
populations during such situations regardless of
whether an official state of emergency has been
declared; and
(G) sets procedures for the agency with respect to
monitoring, evaluating, and improving the performance
of the agency in implementing the plan, including--
(i) regular assessments of the language
access needs of the agency and the
effectiveness of the language access provided
by the agency;
(ii) measurable performance indicators
addressing timeliness, accuracy, and quality of
language assistance services;
(iii) mechanisms for collecting and
reviewing data on service usage, complaints,
and identified barriers;
(iv) periodic internal reviews conducted by
the civil rights office of the agency; and
(v) processes for corrective action and
continuous improvement when deficiencies or
gaps in meaningful access are identified.
(2) Notice and comment.--The head of each agency shall
publish a proposal for the plan required to be established
under paragraph (1) in the Federal Register for a 60-day public
comment period to ensure that stakeholders, including
individuals with LEP and organizations representing such
individuals, have an adequate opportunity to provide input on
how the head of such agency carries out the provisions of this
Act.
(3) Federal register.--After considering any comments
received during the period described under paragraph (2) with
respect to plan published under such paragraph, the head of an
agency shall--
(A) update such plan on the basis of such comments
as the head of the agency determines appropriate; and
(B) publish a finalized version of the plan in the
Federal Register.
(4) Submission to the attorney general and to congress.--
Not later than 30 days after the head of an agency establishes
the language access plan required by paragraph (1), the head of
such agency shall submit such plan to--
(A) the Attorney General; and
(B) the Chair and Ranking Minority Member of--
(i) the Committee on the Judiciary of the
House of Representatives;
(ii) the Committee on the Judiciary of the
Senate;
(iii) the Committee on Oversight and
Government Reform of the House of
Representatives; and
(iv) the Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs of the Senate.
(5) Central repository.--The Department of Justice shall
establish and maintain a publicly available website with the
domain name ``LEP.gov'' to serve as the central repository for
each plan submitted to the Attorney General under paragraph
(4)(A).
(c) Language Access Technical Standards.--
(1) Establishment of standard.--Not later than 1 year after
the date of the enactment of this Act, the head of each agency,
in consultation with the Attorney General, the National
Institute of Standards and Technology, and stakeholders and
advocates from non-English-speaking communities, shall
establish standards to be known as Language Access Technical
Standards to--
(A) ensure meaningful access to federally conducted
programs and activities under subsection (a); and
(B) be used as a measure of progress to evaluate
the effectiveness and accuracy of language access for
federally conducted programs and activities carried out
by each agency.
(2) General accessibility requirements.--The Language
Access Technical Standards shall at a minimum, with respect to
the systems and services of the agency--
(A) allow individuals with LEP to access any
written content provided by the agency in the language
of their choice among the agency's supported languages;
(B) ensure the functionality, quality, and
timeliness of the system and services for all
languages;
(C) implement user-friendly interfaces that account
for varying literacy and digital skills; and
(D) be culturally determined.
(3) Undue burden exception.--
(A) Written request.--In the case that the head of
an agency determines that compliance with a specific
requirement included in the Language Access Technical
Standards established under this subsection would
impose an undue burden on the agency, the head of the
agency shall submit to the Attorney General a written
request to waive such requirement for the agency that
identifies--
(i) the specific requirement that would
impose such undue burden;
(ii) the nature of the burden; and
(iii) any alternative to fulfilling the
requirement and why each such alternative is
not feasible.
(B) Attorney general review.--
(i) In general.--Not later than 30 days
after receiving a request under subparagraph
(A), the Attorney General shall grant or deny
the request.
(ii) Determination criteria.--In
determining whether to grant or deny a request
under paragraph (2), the Attorney General an
agency shall consider whether--
(I) individuals with limited
English proficiency are likely to
interact with the agency; and
(II) a failure to provide
meaningful language access is likely to
result in significant harm, denial of
benefits, or diminished civil rights
protections.
(C) Expiration.--A grant of a waiver under this
subsection shall expire two years after such grant.
(D) Record.--The Attorney General shall maintain a
publicly accessible record of all written requests
received under subparagraph (A) in the central
repository established under subsection (b)(5).
(4) Public participation and comment.--Before establishing
Language Access Technical Standards, or updating any such
standards, the head of an agency shall provide opportunity for
public comment and engage communities representing individuals
with LEP, including community and cultural organizations that
work with individuals with LEP, and providers of professional
language services.
(5) Updates.--The Language Access Technical Standards shall
be reviewed at least once every 3 years, and updated as
necessary following such review.
(6) Adoption.--The head of each agency shall certify
compliance with the Language Access Technical Standards
annually to the Attorney General.
(7) Scope.--The Language Access Technical Standards shall
apply to all agency programs, activities, and communications,
including--
(A) in-person, telephonic, and virtual
interactions;
(B) paper and digital content and documents;
(C) websites, portals, and mobile applications; and
(D) artificial intelligence-assisted and machine
translation language assistance services, including
automated translation, transcription, and
interpretation technologies.
(d) AI and Automated Language Assistance Services.--
(1) Limitation.--The head of an agency--
(A) may not fully replace any qualified language
assistance services of the agency with artificial
intelligence or machine translation services; and
(B) shall require a qualified human translator or
interpreter to verify any use of such service or
machine translation by the agency.
(2) Requirements.--The head of each agency shall ensure
that any artificial intelligence-assisted language assistance
services used by the agency--
(A) do not replace any qualified translators and
interpreters;
(B) publicly disclose on an annual basis on
www.LEP.gov data sources, limitations, confidence
levels, and error rates of the service;
(C) comply with section 552a of title 5, United
States Code (commonly referred to as the Privacy Act of
1974), the Federal Information Security Modernization
Act of 2014, and the E-Government Act of 2002, and
protect personal and sensitive information from
disclosure;
(D) are tested to prevent discrimination based on
language, culture, ethnicity, or other protected
characteristics, with mitigation strategies documented;
(E) are reviewed and validated by qualified
translators and interpreters to ensure proper cultural
context, idiomatic accuracy, and clarity of the
translation or interpretation; and
(F) are continuously monitored by the agency for
performance, with errors reported and corrective
actions for user-reported inaccuracies in translation
and interpretation implemented.
(3) Best practices.--Not later than 1 year after the date
of the enactment of this Act, the Attorney General shall issue
guidance on best practices for the use of artificial
intelligence in language assistance services, including
validation, monitoring, and accountability measures for such
artificial intelligence.
(4) Audit requirement.--
(A) In general.--The Inspector General of each
agency shall conduct, at least once every two years
after the date of the enactment of this Act, an audit
of all artificial intelligence-assisted language
systems to assess accuracy, fairness, cultural
relevance, and compliance with the Language Access
Technical Standards established under subsection (c).
(B) Report.--An Inspector General shall submit to
the Attorney General a report on an audit conducted
under subparagraph (A), not later than 90 days after
such audit is completed.
(C) Public transparency.--The Attorney General
shall make publicly available a summary of the report
submitted under subparagraph (B).
(5) NIST.--The National Institute of Standards and
Technology shall provide technical expertise, validation
protocols, and standardization tools for artificial
intelligence-assisted language assistance services.
(e) Interagency Coordination.--
(1) Interagency language access standard council.--The
Administrator of General Services shall convene an Interagency
Language Access Standards Council to coordinate updates, best
practices, and research on emerging technologies.
(2) Language access working group.--
(A) In general.--There is established an Language
Access Working Group to--
(i) serve as a central resource for
providing support and technical assistance to
agencies in implementing the language access
plan of the agency; and
(ii) directly engage with community groups,
individuals with LEP, and other stakeholders to
ensure adherence with this Act.
(B) Membership.--The members of the Group shall be
comprised of one Language Access Coordinator from each
agency and the Attorney General.
(C) Head of group.--The Attorney General shall
serve as the head of the Group.
(f) Establishment of Language Access Coordinator Position.--
(1) Position.--There is established in each agency a
position to be known as the Language Access Coordinator.
(2) Designation.--The head of each agency shall designate
an officer or employee of the agency to serve as the Language
Access Coordinator for the agency.
(3) Duties.--The Language Access Coordinator shall--
(A) serve as point of contact for each language
access effort of the agency;
(B) shall ensure that each agency component that
frequently interacts with individuals with LEP
provides, if feasible, mandatory annual training to
managers, personnel who frequently communicate with
individuals with LEP, and personnel who arrange for
language support, on this Act, the language access plan
of the agency, and agency procedures for identifying
language access needs, providing language assistance
services, working with interpreters and translators,
requesting document translations, and tracking the use
of language access services;
(C) determine annually whether additional federally
conducted programs and activities should be made
accessible for individuals with LEP and notify agency
components of their responsibility to provide such
access; and
(D) beginning on the date that is 3 years after the
date of the enactment of this Act, evaluate the
language access plan of the agency, including a review
of the costs of language assistance services, and
propose changes to agency components, as appropriate,
to refine such plan.
(g) Noncompliance.--Noncompliance with the requirements of this
Act--
(1) shall be treated as discrimination under title VI of
the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000d et seq.), thereby
granting the Department of Justice enforcement authority,
including the authority to conduct an investigation, commence
an administrative action, and seek civil remedies; and
(2) may trigger administrative, civil, or injunctive
remedies by aggrieved parties or the Attorney General.
(h) Definitions.--In this Act:
(1) Agency.--The term ``agency'' has the meaning given that
term in section 551 of title 5, United States Code.
(2) Individual with lep.--The term ``individual with LEP''
means an individual for whom English is not a primary language
and who has a limited ability to read, speak, write, or
understand the English language (including an individual who is
able to speak or understand the English language, but has a
limited ability to read or write the English language).
(3) Language assistance services.--The term ``language
assistance services'' means oral and written language
assistance services used to provide individuals with LEP
meaningful access to, and an equal opportunity to participate
fully in, the services, activities, and other programs
administered by the Federal Government.
(4) Meaningful access.--The term ``meaningful access''
means access that--
(A) results in accurate, timely, and effective
communication at no cost to the individual with LEP;
and
(B) is comparable to the access provided to
individuals who are proficient in English.
(5) Primary language.--The term ``primary language'' means
the language in which an individual most effectively
communicates.
(6) Program or activity.--The term ``program or activity''
means all the operations of an agency that involve contact with
the public, the administration of Federal benefits, or
communication with members of the public or program
participants.
(7) Qualified interpreter or translator.--The term
``qualified interpreter or translator'' means--
(A) an individual who--
(i) is capable of effective, accurate, and
impartial rendition of spoken or signed
communication from one language to another
between people who speak, sign, read, or write
in a different language, both receptively and
expressively, using any necessary specialized
vocabulary and with appropriate cultural
relevance, either simultaneously or
consecutively;
(ii) demonstrates to the Language Access
Coordinator of the agency proficiency in and
ability to listen to a spoken language, seeing
or feeling a signed or manual language, or
reading something written in one language and
expressing what is being conveyed by that
language accurately and with appropriate
cultural relevance into another language,
either simultaneously or consecutively,
including with respect to any specialized term,
concept, or any particularized vocabulary or
phraseology particular to the program or
service concerned that is being conveyed; and
(iii) understands and adheres to the roles
of interpreters or translators, including any
confidentiality, ethics, and impartiality
rules.
(8) Vital document.--The term ``vital document'' means any
written material containing information critical for--
(A) accessing or understanding a Federal program or
activity or required by law; or
(B) obtaining any aid, benefit, service, or
training, such as--
(i) an application for a benefit or
service;
(ii) a consent or complaint form;
(iii) a notice of rights and
responsibilities; or
(iv) a letter or notice that requires a
response from a beneficiary, applicant,
participant, or employee.
<all>
Language Access for All Act of 2026
#7223 | HR Congress #119
Policy Area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects:
Last Action: Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. (1/22/2026)
Bill Text Source: Congress.gov
Summary and Impacts
Original Text