The Office of Human Rights Rulemaking Authority Amendment Act of 2026 seeks to enhance the enforcement mechanisms of the Language Access Act of 2004. The bill introduces new provisions that establish strict liability for covered entities that fail to comply with language access requirements. It simplifies the process for complainants to prove violations by only requiring evidence that they were entitled to language access services and that these services were not provided as mandated. Additionally, the bill removes the need for proof of intent or discrimination to establish non-compliance and states that lack of funding or staffing cannot be used as a defense.

Furthermore, the bill mandates that upon finding non-compliance, the Director of Language Access must order remedies to restore the complainant to their rightful position, which may include corrective actions and statutory damages. These damages will be awarded directly to the complainant without the need to prove actual damages. The Mayor is also authorized to issue rules to implement these provisions, ensuring that the act is effectively enforced.