2022 New York State Language Access Campaign
New York State took an important step toward expanding language access when Governor Cuomo signed Executive Order No. 26 in 2011, which orders all executive State agencies to translate vital documents into the six most common state languages (“statewide languages of translation”) and to offer interpretation services to individuals in their primary language. However, even after the implementation of the Executive Order, significant language access barriers remain.
New York’s statewide languages of translation left out large groups of immigrant New Yorkers from the translation of vital documents.
Campaign Proposal
OUR REQUESTS
Codification
Asked to change the existing language access policy which is an Executive Order (just covers agencies and departments under the jurisdiction of the Governor) to legislation (that would cover agencies and departments currently excluded like key agencies such as the Department of Motor Vehicles and the Department of Education).
Expansion & Inclusion
Expanding the amount of languages covered from 6 to 12. Including, at a minimum, French, Arabic, and an additional South Asian language.
Data Driven Formula
We propose: Using the top languages spoken statewide by recent arrival LEPs, within the last 5 years, using the American Community Survey instead of the US Census. Counties being able to use local information to add additional languages as necessary to accommodate from local variances from the statewide languages.
OUR IMPACT
Campaign Wins!
Governor Hochul passed legislation to increase Statewide translation to the top 12 languages.
The new language access law codifies and expands New York's statewide language access policy by requiring all executive State agencies that provide direct services or benefits to provide interpretation services in any language. In addition, applicable agencies must translate vital agency documents into the top 12 most commonly spoken non-English languages based on data published by the Census Bureau. These languages currently include Spanish, Chinese, Russian, Yiddish, Bengali, Korean, Haitian Creole, Italian, Arabic, Polish, French, and Urdu.