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    "title" : "Requirements for improving access to services for people with limited English proficiency (LEP) |Digital.gov",
    "description": "Requirements for improving access to services for people with limited English proficiency (LEP)",
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    {"title" :"Requirements for improving access to services for people with limited English proficiency (LEP)","deck" : "Understand the policy framework: Executive Order 13166, Attorney General memorandum, and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act","summary" : "Learn how to strengthen and improve meaningful language access for all people in the U.S., regardless of the language they speak.","date" : "2024-04-19T00:00:00Z","date_modified" : "2025-01-27T19:42:55-05:00","authors" : {"cathryn-camenzind" : "Cathryn Camenzind","james-hill" : "James Hill"},"topics" : {
        
            "governance" : "Governance",
            "multilingual" : "Multilingual",
            "public-policy" : "Public policy"
            },"branch" : "bc-archive-content-3",
      "filename" :"requirements-for-improving-access-to-services-for-people-with-limited-english-proficiency-lep.md",
      
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      "filepathURL" :"https://github.com/GSA/digitalgov.gov/blob/bc-archive-content-3/content/resources/requirements-for-improving-access-to-services-for-people-with-limited-english-proficiency-lep.md",
      "editpathURL" :"https://github.com/GSA/digitalgov.gov/edit/bc-archive-content-3/content/resources/requirements-for-improving-access-to-services-for-people-with-limited-english-proficiency-lep.md","slug" : "requirements-for-improving-access-to-services-for-people-with-limited-english-proficiency-lep","url" : "/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/resources/requirements-for-improving-access-to-services-for-people-with-limited-english-proficiency-lep/","aliases" : {"0" : "/resources/improving-access-to-services-for-people-with-limited-english-proficiency-e-o-13166/","1" : "/resources/dept-of-justice-memo-reaffirming-the-mandates-of-eo-13166/"},"weight" : "1","content" :"\u003ch2 id=\"what-is-executive-order-13166\"\u003eWhat is Executive Order 13166?\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll people in this country, regardless of the language they speak, deserve meaningful access to programs and activities that are conducted or supported by federal agencies.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2000/08/16/00-20938/improving-access-to-services-for-persons-with-limited-english-proficiency\"\u003eExecutive Order 13166, Improving Access to Services for Persons with Limited English Proficiency\u003c/a\u003e was issued more than two decades ago in August 2000. It affirms the federal government\u0026rsquo;s commitment to improve the accessibility of these services, and to help ensure full participation by individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn November 2022, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland issued a memorandum to all federal agencies, \u003ca href=\"https://www.justice.gov/ag/file/1554086/dl\"\u003eStrengthening the Federal Government’s Commitment to Language Access (PDF, 289 KB, 2 pages)\u003c/a\u003e. This memo builds upon Executive Order 13166 — requiring agencies to reexamine and enhance their practices for creating a more accessible environment to those with limited English proficiency. Additionally, the memo asks agencies to share best practices for providing access to multilingual information with each other.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"why-is-it-important\"\u003eWhy is it important?\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMillions of Americans have limited English proficiency, meaning that they have difficulty reading, writing, speaking—or any combination of the three—in English. For example, finding a job, receiving education, and accessing healthcare can all be extremely difficult for these individuals when resources and information are not provided in their language.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Census Bureau estimates that about \u003ca href=\"https://public.tableau.com/views/PeopleThatSpeakEnglishLessthanVeryWellintheUnitedStates/2018LanguageCounty?:showVizHome=no\"\u003e8.3% of the U.S. population\u003c/a\u003e is of limited English proficiency, which they \u003ca href=\"https://www.census.gov/topics/population/language-use/about/faqs.html#ti1043546883\"\u003edefine\u003c/a\u003e as those who respond that they speak English at any level less than \u0026ldquo;very well.\u0026rdquo; And the need for language access will continue to grow as the population with limited English proficiency grows.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFurther strengthening and improving meaningful language access ensures we address linguistic barriers in governmental services that would otherwise deny individuals a full opportunity to participate in economic, social, and civic life.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"whats-in-the-executive-order\"\u003eWhat’s in the Executive Order?\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe executive order requires agencies to examine the services they provide, and then develop and implement a system by which LEP individuals can meaningfully access these services.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2008-title42/html/USCODE-2008-title42-chap21-subchapV.htm\"\u003eTitle VI of the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964\u003c/a\u003e prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance. Executive Order 13166 also requires agencies to ensure that these recipients of federal financial assistance provide meaningful access to their applicants and beneficiaries with limited English proficiency. The \u003ca href=\"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2002/06/18/02-15207/guidance-to-federal-financial-assistance-recipients-regarding-title-vi-prohibition-against-national\"\u003eDepartment of Justice’s Final LEP Guidance\u003c/a\u003e provides compliance standards for recipients to follow.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003carticle class=\"dg-ring\"\u003e\n\u003ch2 class=\"dg-ring__title\"\u003e\u003ca id=\"executive-order-13166\" class=\"usa-anchor\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003eExecutive Order 13166\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eExecutive Order 13166 requires:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEach agency to prepare a plan to improve access to its programs and activities by eligible LEP individuals\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEach agency providing financial assistance to draft title VI guidance specifically tailored to its recipients that is consistent with the LEP Guidance issued by the Department of Justice\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAgencies to ensure that stakeholders, such as LEP people and their representative organizations, recipients, and other appropriate individuals or entities, have an adequate opportunity to provide input.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2000/08/16/00-20938/improving-access-to-services-for-persons-with-limited-english-proficiency\"\u003eExplore Executive Order 13166\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/article\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"how-does-the-memo-strengthen-the-executive-order\"\u003eHow does the memo strengthen the Executive Order?\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Attorney General’s November 2022 memorandum requires agencies to improve upon their current processes for language access. The criteria for enhancing agency language access systems involves assessing whether agencies:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCan enhance their existing language access policies and plans\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCan effectively reach individuals with limited English proficiency when disseminating information\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHave considered updates to guidance for federal financial assistance recipients regarding obligations to provide meaningful language access under the requirements of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and its implementing regulations\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCan adapt their digital communications to welcome individuals with limited English proficiency\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eExecutive Order 13166 requires each federal agency to create a limited English proficiency (LEP) plan. In November 2023, as part of the one-year anniversary of the Attorney General’s memorandum on strengthening the federal government’s commitment to language access, several agencies released their \u003ca href=\"https://www.lep.gov/language-access-plans\"\u003efederal agency language access plans on LEP.gov\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003carticle\n  class=\"dg-note \"\n\u003e\n  \u003ch4 class=\"dg-note__heading\"\u003e\n    \u003csvg\n      class=\"dg-note__icon usa-icon dg-icon dg-icon--large\"\n      aria-hidden=\"true\"\n      focusable=\"false\"\n    \u003e\n      \u003cuse xlink:href=\"/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/uswds/img/sprite.svg#notifications\"\u003e\u003c/use\u003e\n    \u003c/svg\u003e\n    \n      Note\n    \n  \u003c/h4\u003e\n  \u003cp\u003eDigital.gov provides information and resources for federal agencies related to web and digital policies. However, we cannot interpret the statutes or specific requirements.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo contact the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division with any questions about interpretations of the executive order, memo, or Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, visit \u003ca href=\"https://www.lep.gov/contact-us\"\u003eLEP.gov/contact-us\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003c/article\u003e\n\n"}
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