Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB2914 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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1	1	By: Miles S.B. No. 2914
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6	6	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
7	7	AN ACT
8	8	relating to the development of a language access plan to increase
9	9	access to assistance under health and human services programs by
10	10	certain individuals.
11	11	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
12	12	SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 531, Government Code, is
13	13	amended by adding Section 531.0193 to read as follows:
14	14	Sec. 531.0193. LANGUAGE ACCESS PLAN. (a) The commission
15	15	shall develop a language access plan to increase non-English
16	16	speakers' access to assistance provided under the health and human
17	17	services programs the commission administers. The plan must
18	18	ensure:
19	19	(1) all of the commission's public written materials,
20	20	forms, applications, portal application systems, and external
21	21	communications are translated and orally interpreted into any
22	22	language spoken by a group in this state with a population of at
23	23	least 50,000 of which at least 33 percent have limited English
24	24	proficiency, according to the most recent American Community Survey
25	25	compiled by the United States Census Bureau, including:
26	26	(A) English;
27	27	(B) Spanish;
28	28	(C) Vietnamese;
29	29	(D) Korean;
30	30	(E) Arabic;
31	31	(F) Mandarin or Cantonese; and
32	32	(G) traditional and simplified written Chinese;
33	33	(2) the translated materials, forms, applications,
34	34	and external communications are available to the public on the
35	35	commission's Internet website;
36	36	(3) that groups described by Subdivision (1) are
37	37	informed about language access rights and services, including the
38	38	availability of the commission's written translations and oral
39	39	interpretations by:
40	40	(A) conducting intentional outreach efforts; and
41	41	(B) posting translated information and public
42	42	announcements in public spaces;
43	43	(4) commission employees are provided training on the
44	44	language access plan, language access procedures, and expectations
45	45	related to the access plan; and
46	46	(5) that quality control and accountability measures
47	47	are developed to make certain:
48	48	(A) all translations and interpretations are
49	49	professional and understandable; and
50	50	(B) members of the groups described by
51	51	Subdivision (1) are able to evaluate the performance of the
52	52	commission's language access services and the effectiveness of the
53	53	language access plan.
54	54	(b) The commission shall employ at least one language access
55	55	officer to oversee the implementation of the language access plan
56	56	and ensure language access services are provided in accordance with
57	57	the plan.
58	58	(c) The commission may use multilingual commission
59	59	employees or contract with a third party to translate and prepare or
60	60	provide oral interpretations of the commission's written
61	61	materials, forms, applications, portal application systems, and
62	62	external communications as required by Subsection (a).
63	63	(d) The executive commissioner may adopt rules necessary to
64	64	implement this section.
65	65	SECTION 2. If before implementing any provision of this Act
66	66	a state agency determines that a waiver or authorization from a
67	67	federal agency is necessary for implementation of that provision,
68	68	the agency affected by the provision shall request the waiver or
69	69	authorization and may delay implementing that provision until the
70	70	waiver or authorization is granted.
71	71	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.