May 7, 2025
Mr. Hernández (for himself, Mr. Torres of New York, Ms. Velázquez, Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, Mr. Case, Ms. Leger Fernandez, and Mr. Tran) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
To codify Executive Order 13166.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Helping All Beneficiaries with Language Access Act of 2025
or as the HABLA Act of 2025
.
Sec. 2. Federally Conducted Programs and Activities
Each Federal agency shall prepare a plan to improve access to its federally conducted programs and activities by eligible LEP persons. Each plan shall be consistent with the standards set forth in the LEP Guidance, and shall include the steps the agency will take to ensure that eligible LEP persons can meaningfully access the agency’s programs and activities. Agencies shall develop and begin to implement these plans within 120 days of the effective date of this Act, and shall send copies of their plans to the Department of Justice, which shall serve as the central repository of the agencies’ plans. Each agency shall publish its final plans on their respective web pages in a matter that is accessible to LEP individuals.
Sec. 3. Federally Assisted Programs and Activities
Each agency providing Federal financial assistance shall draft guidance for purposes of compliance with title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 specifically tailored to its recipients that is consistent with the guidance relating to such matters issued by the Department of Justice entitled Guidance to Federal Financial Assistance Recipients Regarding Title VI Prohibition Against National Origin Discrimination Affecting Limited English Proficient Persons
(67 Fed. Reg. 41455) (hereinafter referred to as the LEP Guidance
). This agency-specific guidance shall detail how the general standards established in the LEP Guidance will be applied to the agency’s recipients. The agency-specific guidance shall take into account the types of services provided by the recipients, the individuals served by the recipients, and other factors set out in the LEP Guidance. Agencies that already have developed such guidance that the Department of Justice determines is consistent with the LEP Guidance shall examine their existing guidance, as well as their programs and activities, to determine if additional guidance is necessary to comply with this order. The Department of Justice shall consult with the agencies in creating their guidance and, within 120 days of the effective date of this Act, each agency shall submit its specific guidance to the Department of Justice for review and approval. Following approval by the Department of Justice, each agency shall publish its guidance document in the Federal Register for public comment.
Sec. 4. Consultations
In carrying out this Act, agencies shall ensure that stakeholders, including LEP persons and their representative organizations, recipients, and other appropriate individuals or entities, have an opportunity to provide input for a period of not less than 60 days. Agencies shall evaluate the particular needs of the LEP persons they and their recipients serve and the burdens of compliance on the agency and its recipients. This input from stakeholders shall assist the agencies in developing an approach to ensuring meaningful access by LEP persons that is practical and effective, fiscally responsible, responsive to the particular circumstances of each agency, and can be readily implemented.
Sec. 5. Definitions
In this Act:
(1)
The term LEP person
means a person whose first language is not English and chooses to receive assistance in a language other than English.
(2)
The term eligible LEP person
means an LEP person legally entitled to a particular government service provided by an agency.