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A2011
ASSEMBLY, No. 2011
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
�
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman SHAMA A. HAIDER
District 37 (Bergen)
SYNOPSIS
���� Requires Commissioners of DOH and DHS to perform
language needs assessment.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.
��
An Act
concerning translation services and
supplementing Titles 26 and 30 of the Revised Statutes.
����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:
���� 1.��� a.� The Commissioner of
Health shall perform a language needs assessment for all offices and programs
in the department.� The language needs assessment shall include, but not be
limited to, research concerning the linguistic groups found in the office or
program�s service area; new linguistic groups entering the office or program�s
service area; the frequency with which certain linguistic groups in the service
area utilize the office or program; the linguistic groups that most often
request materials from the office or program in languages other than English;
the linguistic groups that may be in need of materials from the office or
program in languages other than English but who do not request those materials;
the linguistic groups in the service area that do not access services in the
office or program; the significant unmet needs for providing materials in
languages other than English; the outreach activities that need to occur to
ensure that certain linguistic groups know that materials in languages other
than English are either available, or can be made available once a significant
unmet language need is identified.�
���� b.��� The Commissioner of
Health shall analyze the results of the language needs assessment established
pursuant to subsection a. of this section in preparation for a future joint
request for proposals for a translation service to serve both the Departments
of Health and Human Services, which would translate materials into languages
other than English for any linguistic communities served by their offices or
programs that present a significant unmet language need.� Any requests for
proposals made in response to the language needs assessment established
pursuant to subsection a. of this section shall be governed by applicable laws
and procurement rules.�
���� 2.��� a.� The Commissioner of
Human Services shall perform a language needs assessment for all offices and
programs in the department.� The language needs assessment shall include, but
not be limited to, research concerning the linguistic groups found in the office
or program�s service area; new linguistic groups entering the office or
program�s service area; the frequency with which certain linguistic groups in
the service area utilize the office or program; the linguistic groups that most
often request materials from the office or program in languages other than
English; the linguistic groups that may be in need of materials from the office
or program in languages other than English but who do not request those
materials; the linguistic groups in the service area that do not access
services in the office or program; the significant unmet needs for providing
materials in languages other than English; the outreach activities that need to
occur to ensure that certain linguistic groups know that materials in languages
other than English are either available, or can be made available once a
significant unmet language need is identified.�
���� b.��� The Commissioner of
Human Services shall analyze the results of the language needs assessment
established pursuant to subsection a. of this section in preparation for a
future joint request for proposals for a translation service to serve both the
Departments of Health and Human Services, which would translate materials into
languages other than English for any linguistic communities served by their
offices or programs that present a significant unmet language need.� Any
requests for proposals made in response to the language needs assessment
established pursuant to subsection a. of this section shall be governed by
applicable laws and procurement rules.�
���� 3.��� Within 180 days after
the effective date of this act, the Commissioners of Health and Human Services,
in consultation with each other, shall adopt rules and regulations, pursuant to
the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et
seq.), as may be necessary to implement the provisions of this act.� �
���� 4.��� This act shall take
effect immediately.
STATEMENT
���� This bill requires the
Commissioners of Health and Human Services to perform a language needs
assessment for all offices and programs in their respective departments.� The
language needs assessment is to include, but not be limited to, questions
concerning the linguistic groups found in the office or program�s service area;
new linguistic groups entering the office or program�s service area; the
frequency with which certain linguistic groups in the service area utilize the
office or program; the linguistic groups that most often request materials from
the office or program in languages other than English; the linguistic groups
that may be in need of materials from the office or program in languages other
than English but who do not request those materials; the linguistic groups in
the service area that do not access services in the office or program; the
significant unmet needs for providing materials in languages other than
English; the outreach activities that need to occur to ensure that certain
linguistic groups know that materials in languages other than English are
either available, or can be made available once a significant unmet language
need is identified.�
���� The bill provides that the
Commissioners of Health and Human Services would analyze the results of the
language needs assessment in order to prepare a joint request for proposals for
a translation service to serve both departments, and translate materials into
languages other than English for any linguistic communities served by their
offices or programs that present a significant unmet language need.