Creates the Office of Language Equity and Access Act. Provides that the Office of Language Equity and Access is created in the Governor's Office of New Americans to ensure equitable and meaningful access to State information, services, programs, and activities for persons who have limited English proficiency. Provides that the Director of the Office shall work with State agencies and use available resources within the Office of New Americans and Office of Equity to ensure that, among other things, each State agency takes reasonable steps to ensure meaningful access to services, programs, and activities by persons with limited English proficiency. Provides that the Office shall have a full-time Director who is bilingual and has experience in serving immigrant populations. Describes the duties and responsibilities of the Director. Provides that there shall be a bilingual employment plan, which would require designations of positions as bilingual and result in the hiring of qualified personnel who are bilingual. Provides that the Director shall comply with specified requirements concerning the need for interpreters and translators. Provides that the Director shall develop a template and mechanism for collecting, storing, and analyzing language access plans.
House Floor Amendment No. 1: Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Makes changes to the Language Equity and Access Act. Creates the Division of Language Equity and Access within the Governor's Office of New Americans to lead Statewide efforts in the implementation of the State's language equity and access policy for Limited English Proficient persons and to ensure meaningful access to information, services, programs, and activities offered by State agencies and other covered entities, including departments, offices, commissions, boards, or other agencies for Limited English Proficient persons. Provides that the role of the Division is to advance and monitor implementation of and compliance with the Act. Provides that the Division shall work with State agencies, covered entities and use other available State resources, such as the Office of New Americans, the Office of Equity, and the Department of Human Services Bureau of Refugee and Immigrant Services, to ensure that the State compiles available U.S. Census data on languages used across the State, including the identification of geographic patterns and trend data. Provides that each State agency and covered entity shall prepare a language access plan that will describe its Limited English Proficient service population, the policy and programmatic actions it will implement and the metrics that will be used to measure compliance. Provides that the Division will prepare and submit a Language Equity and Access Compliance Report to the General Assembly on an annual basis by January 1, 2024. Provides that the Governor's Office shall provide administrative and other support to the Governor's Office of New Americans and its Division of Language Equity and Access. Defines terms. Effective July 1, 2023.