By: Miles S.B. No. 2914
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the development of a language access plan to increase
access to assistance under health and human services programs by
certain individuals.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 531, Government Code, is
amended by adding Section 531.0193 to read as follows:
Sec. 531.0193. LANGUAGE ACCESS PLAN. (a) The commission
shall develop a language access plan to increase non-English
speakers' access to assistance provided under the health and human
services programs the commission administers. The plan must
ensure:
(1) all of the commission's public written materials,
forms, applications, portal application systems, and external
communications are translated and orally interpreted into any
language spoken by a group in this state with a population of at
least 50,000 of which at least 33 percent have limited English
proficiency, according to the most recent American Community Survey
compiled by the United States Census Bureau, including:
(A) English;
(B) Spanish;
(C) Vietnamese;
(D) Korean;
(E) Arabic;
(F) Mandarin or Cantonese; and
(G) traditional and simplified written Chinese;
(2) the translated materials, forms, applications,
and external communications are available to the public on the
commission's Internet website;
(3) that groups described by Subdivision (1) are
informed about language access rights and services, including the
availability of the commission's written translations and oral
interpretations by:
(A) conducting intentional outreach efforts; and
(B) posting translated information and public
announcements in public spaces;
(4) commission employees are provided training on the
language access plan, language access procedures, and expectations
related to the access plan; and
(5) that quality control and accountability measures
are developed to make certain:
(A) all translations and interpretations are
professional and understandable; and
(B) members of the groups described by
Subdivision (1) are able to evaluate the performance of the
commission's language access services and the effectiveness of the
language access plan.
(b) The commission shall employ at least one language access
officer to oversee the implementation of the language access plan
and ensure language access services are provided in accordance with
the plan.
(c) The commission may use multilingual commission
employees or contract with a third party to translate and prepare or
provide oral interpretations of the commission's written
materials, forms, applications, portal application systems, and
external communications as required by Subsection (a).
(d) The executive commissioner may adopt rules necessary to
implement this section.
SECTION 2. If before implementing any provision of this Act
a state agency determines that a waiver or authorization from a
federal agency is necessary for implementation of that provision,
the agency affected by the provision shall request the waiver or
authorization and may delay implementing that provision until the
waiver or authorization is granted.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.