WASHINGTON, DC — Even as the Trump administration narrows the federal government’s role in supporting the provision of information and services in languages other than English, a growing number of states and localities continue to advance their own language access measures. Since 2020, nine states and 31 local jurisdictions have enacted new language access laws or policies, a new report from the Migration Policy Institute’s National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy finds. By helping governments communicate with an increasingly multilingual U.S. public, such efforts improve the overall effectiveness of government programs and enhance community well-being, public safety and emergency responses. Of the approximately 27.7 million individuals reporting limited proficiency in English in 2023, more than half were U.S. citizens. The report, New Frameworks for Language Access: Tracking the Expansion and Features of State and Local Laws and Policies, explores the expansion and key features of these policies, as well as their role in a changing national policy context. In March 2025, President Donald Trump revoked via executive order a Clinton-era directive that had guided federal agencies’ language access efforts; administration officials also have made clear they will seek to reduce support, oversight and technical assistance for language access in federal programs delivered by state and local governments. Despite these headwinds, most state and local language access policies do not depend solely on federal mandates and continue to remain in effect, not least because of support from policymakers, advocates and community members. As of late 2025, 13 states, the District of Columbia and more than 60 localities across the United States had adopted formal laws or policies that require agencies to provide language assistance such as interpreting and translation of written materials to residents with limited English proficiency. These policies generally share certain common features related to agency responsibilities and policy administration (such as designating centralized oversight offices to ensure accountability and consistency across agencies). Providing language access is a complex task, the study notes. It requires integrating interpreting, translation and the use of qualified multilingual employees into call centers, government offices, websites, social media, public health announcements and emergency alerts. It can also include adopting procedures to ensure the responsible use of technologies such as machine translation. State and local governments increasingly approach language access not only as a civil rights requirement but as a practical necessity for effective governance. Policymakers have cited the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic—when gaps in multilingual communication had life-or-death consequences—as a key catalyst for reform. “Effective language access policies strengthen public safety, improve service delivery and bring collective benefits for local communities,” said policy analyst Jacob Hofstetter, who authored the report. “Even as federal leadership wanes, state and local governments are building durable systems that ensure all residents can receive critical communications, information and services.” Read the report here: www.migrationpolicy.org/research/language-access-state-local-expansion. And for a related resource that details the features of individual language access policies and laws in all U.S. jurisdictions with such state and local policies, click here. | 
