Bill > S4985

This bill, titled the "Language Access for All Act of 2026," aims to significantly improve how federal agencies serve individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP), meaning those for whom English is not their primary language and who have difficulty understanding or communicating in English. Key provisions require federal agencies to ensure meaningful access to their programs and activities by translating vital documents, which are critical for understanding services or benefits, into frequently encountered and dominant languages, and by incorporating multilingual functionality into their digital systems. Agencies must also provide oral interpretation and sight translation services, and can recognize qualified bilingual staff as an alternative to professional interpreters in certain situations. To ensure public awareness, agencies will post multilingual notices about available language assistance. The bill mandates the establishment of a Language Access Plan by each agency, detailing how they will identify and serve populations with LEP, including during emergencies, and outlines procedures for monitoring and improving their language access efforts. A public complaint system will be managed by the Attorney General, with agencies required to respond to complaints within 60 days, and the Attorney General will publish annual reports on these complaints. Furthermore, agencies must develop "Language Access Technical Standards" to guide their efforts, ensuring accessibility, quality, and timeliness of services, with a process for requesting waivers if compliance poses an undue burden, subject to Attorney General review. The bill also addresses the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in language assistance, prohibiting its full replacement of human services and requiring human verification, public disclosure of AI limitations, and rigorous testing for accuracy and fairness, with regular audits by agency Inspectors General. Finally, it establishes an Interagency Language Access Standards Council and a Language Access Working Group, both headed by the Attorney General, and requires each agency to designate a Language Access Coordinator to oversee these efforts, with noncompliance being treated as discrimination under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.