Texas 2023 - 88th Regular

Texas House Bill HB5166 Compare Versions

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1	1	By: Morales Shaw H.B. No. 5166
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4	4	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
5	5	AN ACT
6	6	relating to the development of a language access plan to increase
7	7	access to assistance under health and human services programs by
8	8	certain individuals.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 531, Government Code, is
11	11	amended by adding Section 531.0193 to read as follows:
12	12	Sec. 531.0193. LANGUAGE ACCESS PLAN. (a) The commission
13	13	shall develop a language access plan to increase non-English
14	14	speakers' access to assistance provided under the health and human
15	15	services programs the commission administers. The plan must
16	16	ensure:
17	17	(1) all of the commission's public written materials,
18	18	forms, applications, portal application systems, and external
19	19	communications are translated and orally interpreted into any
20	20	language spoken by a group in this state with a population of at
21	21	least 50,000 of which at least 33 percent have limited English
22	22	proficiency, according to the most recent American Community Survey
23	23	compiled by the United States Census Bureau, including:
24	24	(A) English;
25	25	(B) Spanish;
26	26	(C) Vietnamese;
27	27	(D) Korean;
28	28	(E) Arabic;
29	29	(F) Mandarin or Cantonese; and
30	30	(G) traditional and simplified written Chinese;
31	31	(2) the translated materials, forms, applications,
32	32	and external communications are available to the public on the
33	33	commission's Internet website;
34	34	(3) that groups described by Subdivision (1) are
35	35	informed about language access rights and services, including the
36	36	availability of the commission's written translations and oral
37	37	interpretations by:
38	38	(A) conducting intentional outreach efforts; and
39	39	(B) posting translated information and public
40	40	announcements in public spaces;
41	41	(4) commission employees are provided training on the
42	42	language access plan, language access procedures, and expectations
43	43	related to the access plan; and
44	44	(5) that quality control and accountability measures
45	45	are developed to make certain:
46	46	(A) all translations and interpretations are
47	47	professional and understandable; and
48	48	(B) members of the groups described by
49	49	Subdivision (1) are able to evaluate the performance of the
50	50	commission's language access services and the effectiveness of the
51	51	language access plan.
52	52	(b) The commission shall employ at least one language access
53	53	officer to oversee the implementation of the language access plan
54	54	and ensure language access services are provided in accordance with
55	55	the plan.
56	56	(c) The commission may use multilingual commission
57	57	employees or contract with a third party to translate and prepare or
58	58	provide oral interpretations of the commission's written
59	59	materials, forms, applications, portal application systems, and
60	60	external communications as required by Subsection (a).
61	61	(d) The executive commissioner may adopt rules necessary to
62	62	implement this section.
63	63	SECTION 2. If before implementing any provision of this Act
64	64	a state agency determines that a waiver or authorization from a
65	65	federal agency is necessary for implementation of that provision,
66	66	the agency affected by the provision shall request the waiver or
67	67	authorization and may delay implementing that provision until the
68	68	waiver or authorization is granted.
69	69	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.