SB 0066 Summary

• Establishes the "Equal Language Access to State Services Act" requiring all state departments, agencies, and entities to provide reasonable language access services to individuals with limited English proficiency.

• Mandates covered entities provide oral language services through qualified interpreters, translate vital documents into languages spoken by at least 3% of the local population or 1,000+ people, and prohibits charging individuals for these services.

• Requires each covered entity to submit biennial reports to the Department of Civil Rights detailing bilingual staff availability, staffing needs, staff training plans, translated documents, and a designated language access coordinator.

• Establishes the Department of Civil Rights as responsible for creating a complaint process for noncompliance and designating a language access liaison to assist covered entities with training, resources, and compliance.

• Takes effect 90 days after enactment, with implementation guided by federal Executive Order 13166 and related federal language access provisions.