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Advocates press council to give OHR enforcement power for Language Access Act
Summary
Advocates testified that the Language Access Act lacks enforceable penalties and urged the council to pass rulemaking authority or legislation enabling fines and damages so agencies comply with translation and interpretation requirements.
Witnesses across multiple panels urged the committee to strengthen enforcement of the Language Access Act of 2004, arguing that findings of noncompliance rarely produce corrective action without financial penalties.
Maggie Snow of DC Hunger Solutions described automated and partial translations that leave Spanish‑speaking SNAP clients unable to respond to notices, and recommended an explicit fine structure where agency fines would flow to harmed residents. Allison Miles Lee of Bread for the City and other witnesses backed the OHR Rulemaking Authority Amendment Act of 2026, which would let OHR levy fines on DC agencies that repeatedly fail to provide required translation and interpretation services.
OHR leadership acknowledged robust language-access protections on the books but said enforcement tools are limited; Director Elizabeth Fox Solomon said OHR expanded multilingual phone and digital access and offered guidance on responsible use of AI translation tools, but noted the agency lacks statutory authority to impose fines. Advocates asked the committee to move quickly on the rulemaking authority bill and to provide funding for training and monitoring so enforcement can be credible and actionable.
