H.R. 7223

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7223 Introduced in House (IH)]

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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.
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