FL H1249

Creates Section 97.027, Florida Statutes, requiring supervisors of elections and political subdivisions to provide language assistance to limited English-proficient voters when more than 2% (minimum 300 persons) or more than 4,000 voting-age residents are members of a single language minority group

Defines "language minority group" per the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and explicitly includes Haitian-Creole and Brazilian-Portuguese speakers; persons who have not completed fifth grade are presumed to not speak English adequately for electoral participation

Requires election materials in covered languages to match English materials in quality and timing, with manual translation required whenever possible and automatic translation only permitted when manual translation is not available

Mandates supervisors of elections operate a language assistance hotline staffed during all early voting hours, election day polling hours, and ballot curing periods, with prompts allowing callers to access assistance in their covered language

Authorizes limited English-proficient voters to bring court actions for declaratory judgment and injunctive relief against supervisors or political subdivisions that violate these requirements; effective date July 1, 2023