Heinrich, Democratic Colleagues Working To Make Government Services Accessible In More Languages

Accessible In More Languages 

WASHINGTON (Feb. 14, 2022) — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) is working to make government services accessible in more languages.

Senator Heinrich and a group of 19 Democratic Senate colleagues are calling on U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland to direct Federal agencies to update their Language Access Plans, helping ensure people whose primary language is not English can access critical information and resources in their preferred language.

In a letter led by U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), the senators wrote, “Language barriers can impact access to vital services and information related to education, the legal system, health care, housing, and more. We ask that you issue a memorandum directing Federal agencies to update their Language Access Plans to meet the present-day needs.”

These language plans, some of which have not been updated in nearly a decade, would direct agencies to update their websites to include language assistance services and boost the distribution of translated materials.

A recent report found over 67 million households spoke a language other than English at home.

Read the full text of the letter by clicking here.

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