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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the development of a language access plan to increase |
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access to assistance under health and human services programs by |
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certain individuals. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 531, Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 531.0193 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 531.0193. LANGUAGE ACCESS PLAN. (a) The commission |
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shall develop a language access plan to increase non-English |
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speakers' access to assistance provided under the health and human |
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services programs the commission administers. The plan must |
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ensure: |
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(1) all of the commission's public written materials, |
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forms, applications, portal application systems, and external |
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communications are translated and orally interpreted into any |
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language spoken by a group in this state with a population of at |
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least 50,000 of which at least 33 percent have limited English |
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proficiency, according to the most recent American Community Survey |
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compiled by the United States Census Bureau, including: |
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(A) English; |
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(B) Spanish; |
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(C) Vietnamese; |
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(D) Korean; |
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(E) Arabic; |
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(F) Mandarin or Cantonese; and |
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(G) traditional and simplified written Chinese; |
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(2) the translated materials, forms, applications, |
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and external communications are available to the public on the |
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commission's Internet website; |
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(3) that groups described by Subdivision (1) are |
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informed about language access rights and services, including the |
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availability of the commission's written translations and oral |
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interpretations by: |
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(A) conducting intentional outreach efforts; and |
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(B) posting translated information and public |
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announcements in public spaces; |
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(4) commission employees are provided training on the |
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language access plan, language access procedures, and expectations |
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related to the access plan; and |
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(5) that quality control and accountability measures |
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are developed to make certain: |
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(A) all translations and interpretations are |
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professional and understandable; and |
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(B) members of the groups described by |
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Subdivision (1) are able to evaluate the performance of the |
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commission's language access services and the effectiveness of the |
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language access plan. |
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(b) The commission shall employ at least one language access |
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officer to oversee the implementation of the language access plan |
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and ensure language access services are provided in accordance with |
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the plan. |
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(c) The commission may use multilingual commission |
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employees or contract with a third party to translate and prepare or |
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provide oral interpretations of the commission's written |
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materials, forms, applications, portal application systems, and |
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external communications as required by Subsection (a). |
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(d) The executive commissioner may adopt rules necessary to |
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implement this section. |
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SECTION 2. If before implementing any provision of this Act |
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a state agency determines that a waiver or authorization from a |
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federal agency is necessary for implementation of that provision, |
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the agency affected by the provision shall request the waiver or |
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authorization and may delay implementing that provision until the |
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waiver or authorization is granted. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |