Code of the District of Columbia

§ 2–1935. Language access oversight; duties of Language Access Director.

(a) The Office of Human Rights shall provide oversight, central coordination, and technical assistance to covered entities in their implementation of the provisions of this subchapter and ensure that the provision of services by covered entities meets acceptable standards of translation or interpretation.

(b) There shall be within the Office of Human Rights a Language Access Director to coordinate activities under this subchapter. The Language Access Director shall:

(1) Review and monitor each covered entity’s language access plan for compliance with this subchapter and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, approved July 2, 1964 (78 Stat. 252; 42 U.S.C. §§ 2000d through 2000d-7);

(2) Track, monitor, and investigate public complaints regarding language access violations at covered entities, and where necessary, issue written findings of noncompliance to the covered entities regarding failures to provide language access; provided, that this responsibility shall not supersede or preclude the existing individual complaint process and mechanism under the jurisdiction of the Office of Human Rights;

(3) Review and monitor the language access coordinators with respect to their performance of responsibilities under this subchapter;

(4) Consult with language access coordinators, the D.C. Language Access Coalition, and the heads of government offices that conduct outreach to communities with limited or no-English proficient populations;

(5) Serve as the language access coordinator for the Office of Human Rights; and

(6) Through the Mayor, by regulation, after consultation with the D.C. Language Access Coalition, designate additional covered entities with major public contact.