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Sponsor seeks broader language access and disability accommodations across state agencies
Summary
Delegate Acevedo and advocates urged stronger translation and interpreter services across state agencies to ensure limited English proficiency residents and people with disabilities can access public programs; the bill drew questions about fiscal impact and agency capacity.
Delegate Acevedo told the Health and Government Operations Committee the bill aims to expand language access in state agencies, providing bilingual staffing, telephone interpreter programs, oral translation and written translations for “critical services” to better serve Marylanders who speak languages other than English and residents with disabilities.
Cornelia Bright Gordon of Maryland Legal Aid said limited language access impedes interactions with unemployment, SNAP and other programs and cited client examples in which translated documents were incomplete or interpreters were not provided. She and other supporters said Title VI civil‑rights obligations remain in force and that stronger state oversight, clearer plans and enforcement are needed because federal language‑access requirements have been weakened in recent years.
Committee members asked about the fiscal note and agency capacity to implement the expanded requirements. The sponsor said he would work with agencies and suggested that some improvements could be achieved through existing resources and by prioritizing critical services, but members flagged the need to negotiate technical language with departments to better estimate costs and implementation timelines.
No vote was taken during the hearing. Advocates asked lawmakers to consider targeted language‑access improvements for high‑impact services and for stronger oversight and monitoring to ensure meaningful translations and interpreter availability.
