Bill Commons

CA AB 1242

in committee

Language access.

California · 2025-2026 Regular Session · lower

Follow this bill’s action updates (Atom)

Subscribe in a feed reader. The feed covers recorded actions from the last 30 days; Bill Commons may record an action after it happened at the legislature.

Quick answers

Did CA AB 1242 pass?

Not yet. CA AB 1242 is in committee and has not come to a final vote. Latest recorded action (2026-08-13): In committee: Held under submission.

What is CA AB 1242 about?

Existing law, the Dymally-Alatorre Bilingual Services Act, requires every state agency directly involved in the furnishing of information or the rendering of services to the public where contact is made with a substantial number of non-English-speaking people to employ a sufficient number of qualified bilingual persons in public contact positions to ensure provision of information and services to the public in the language of the non-English-speaking person, except as specified. The act requires every state agency that serves a substantial number of non-English-speaking people and provides materials in English explaining services to also provide the same type of materials in any non-English language spoken by a substantial number of the public served by the agency, as specified. The act also requires a state agency to distribute certain written materials in the appropriate non-English language or provide other specified translation assistance at its statewide and local offices and facilities if the state agency finds, among other things, that the statewide or local office or facility serves a substantial number of non-English-speaking persons. The act defines "substantial number of non-English-speaking people" to mean members of a group who either do not speak English or who are unable to effectively communicate in English because it is not their native language and who comprise 5% or more of the people served by the state agency, as specified. This bill would revise the definition of "substantial number of non-English-speaking people" to include the higher of either the people served by or eligible to be served by the state agency and would make related conforming changes to the act. The act requires each state agency to conduct a language survey of each of its statewide and local offices every 2 years to determine and provide, among other things, the number and percentage of non-English-speaking people served by each statewide and local office, broken down by native language. The act requires each state agency to develop and update an implementation plan that provides a detailed description of how the agency plans to address any deficiencies in meeting the requirements of the act, as specified. The act authorizes a state agency to rely upon data gathered from its most recent language survey in developing its implementation plan. This bill would revise and recast the above-described language survey requirements to instead require each state agency to conduct an assessment and survey of the language needs of non-English-speaking and limited-English-speaking people, as specified. The bill would require a state agency to utilize specified information in conducting the assessment and survey and in developing and updating the above-described implementation plan, including, among other things, the most recent census data from the United States Census Bureau. The bill would authorize a state agency to rely on its most recent survey and assessment in developing its implementation plan. The act requires each state agency to report to the Department of Human Resources the language survey results, its implementation plan, and any additional information requested by the department, as specified. The act requires the department to review the results of the surveys and implementation plans, compile that data, and provide a report to the Legislature every 2 years that identifies significant problems or deficiencies and propose solutions where warranted. This bill would include each state agency's most recent language assessment in the materials required to be reported to and reviewed by the department and would require the department's report to the Legislature to include each state agency's language assessment, survey results, and implementation plan. This bill would also require the California Health and Human Services Agency to designate a Language Access Director to ensure individuals with limited English proficiency and individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing have meaningful access to government programs and services. This bill would require the Language Access Director to, among other things, lead the implementation, monitoring, and periodic updating of every Language Access Plan within the agency and coordinate with language access coordinators throughout the agency to implement each Language Access Plan. The bill would require the Language Access Director, commencing no later than January 1, 2027, to engage communities with limited English proficiency and deaf and hard of hearing communities to assist in expanding access to the programs and services provided by the California Health and Human Services Agency and the various departments and offices within the agency. This bill would require the Language Access Director to develop a Language Access Plan Guidance Document to support its various departments and offices in the development of their Language Access Plans. The bill would require each department and office within the agency to develop a Language Access Plan, as specified. The bill would require the California Health and Human Services Agency to allocate, from a specified appropriation, sufficient funds to implement and carry out the provisions relating to the Language Access Director and Language Access Plans.

Who sponsors CA AB 1242?

Nguyen is the primary sponsor of CA AB 1242, joined by 4 cosponsors.

Description

Existing law, the Dymally-Alatorre Bilingual Services Act, requires every state agency directly involved in the furnishing of information or the rendering of services to the public where contact is made with a substantial number of non-English-speaking people to employ a sufficient number of qualified bilingual persons in public contact positions to ensure provision of information and services to the public in the language of the non-English-speaking person, except as specified. The act requires every state agency that serves a substantial number of non-English-speaking people and provides materials in English explaining services to also provide the same type of materials in any non-English language spoken by a substantial number of the public served by the agency, as specified. The act also requires a state agency to distribute certain written materials in the appropriate non-English language or provide other specified translation assistance at its statewide and local offices and facilities if the state agency finds, among other things, that the statewide or local office or facility serves a substantial number of non-English-speaking persons. The act defines "substantial number of non-English-speaking people" to mean members of a group who either do not speak English or who are unable to effectively communicate in English because it is not their native language and who comprise 5% or more of the people served by the state agency, as specified. This bill would revise the definition of "substantial number of non-English-speaking people" to include the higher of either the people served by or eligible to be served by the state agency and would make related conforming changes to the act. The act requires each state agency to conduct a language survey of each of its statewide and local offices every 2 years to determine and provide, among other things, the number and percentage of non-English-speaking people served by each statewide and local office, broken down by native language. The act requires each state agency to develop and update an implementation plan that provides a detailed description of how the agency plans to address any deficiencies in meeting the requirements of the act, as specified. The act authorizes a state agency to rely upon data gathered from its most recent language survey in developing its implementation plan. This bill would revise and recast the above-described language survey requirements to instead require each state agency to conduct an assessment and survey of the language needs of non-English-speaking and limited-English-speaking people, as specified. The bill would require a state agency to utilize specified information in conducting the assessment and survey and in developing and updating the above-described implementation plan, including, among other things, the most recent census data from the United States Census Bureau. The bill would authorize a state agency to rely on its most recent survey and assessment in developing its implementation plan. The act requires each state agency to report to the Department of Human Resources the language survey results, its implementation plan, and any additional information requested by the department, as specified. The act requires the department to review the results of the surveys and implementation plans, compile that data, and provide a report to the Legislature every 2 years that identifies significant problems or deficiencies and propose solutions where warranted. This bill would include each state agency's most recent language assessment in the materials required to be reported to and reviewed by the department and would require the department's report to the Legislature to include each state agency's language assessment, survey results, and implementation plan. This bill would also require the California Health and Human Services Agency to designate a Language Access Director to ensure individuals with limited English proficiency and individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing have meaningful access to government programs and services. This bill would require the Language Access Director to, among other things, lead the implementation, monitoring, and periodic updating of every Language Access Plan within the agency and coordinate with language access coordinators throughout the agency to implement each Language Access Plan. The bill would require the Language Access Director, commencing no later than January 1, 2027, to engage communities with limited English proficiency and deaf and hard of hearing communities to assist in expanding access to the programs and services provided by the California Health and Human Services Agency and the various departments and offices within the agency. This bill would require the Language Access Director to develop a Language Access Plan Guidance Document to support its various departments and offices in the development of their Language Access Plans. The bill would require each department and office within the agency to develop a Language Access Plan, as specified. The bill would require the California Health and Human Services Agency to allocate, from a specified appropriation, sufficient funds to implement and carry out the provisions relating to the Language Access Director and Language Access Plans.

Introduced
2025-02-21
Latest action
2026-08-13 — In committee: Held under submission.
Bill type
bill
Last updated
—

Subjects

Sponsors

  • Nguyenauthor
  • Leeauthor
  • Bontacoauthor
  • Krellcoauthor
  • Celeste Rodriguezcoauthor

Committees

Not provided by source.

Action timeline

Newest first

  1. 2026-08-13

    In committee: Held under submission.

  2. 2025-08-29

    In committee: Held under submission.

  3. 2025-08-18

    In committee: Referred to suspense file.

    referral-committee

  4. 2025-07-09

    Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

    amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee

  5. 2025-07-08

    From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (July 8).

    amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage,referral-committee

  6. 2025-07-03

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on G.O. (Ayes 10. Noes 0.) (July 2). Re-referred to Com. on G.O.

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable,referral-committee

  7. 2025-06-18

    Referred to Coms. on HEALTH and G.O.

    referral-committee

  8. 2025-06-04

    In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.

    reading-1,referral-committee

  9. 2025-06-03

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 72. Noes 3. Page 2016.)

    passage,reading-1,reading-3

  10. 2025-05-27

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1,reading-2,reading-3

  11. 2025-05-23

    From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 11. Noes 1.) (May 23).

    amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage

  12. 2025-05-23

    Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.

    amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2

  13. 2025-05-23

    Assembly Rule 63 suspended. (Ayes 51. Noes 16. Page 1644.)

  14. 2025-05-14

    In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.

    referral-committee

  15. 2025-04-30

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 6. Noes 0.) (April 29). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable,referral-committee

  16. 2025-04-30

    Coauthors revised.

  17. 2025-04-23

    Coauthors revised.

  18. 2025-04-23

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on HUM. S. (Ayes 16. Noes 0.) (April 22). Re-referred to Com. on HUM. S.

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable,referral-committee

  19. 2025-04-01

    Re-referred to Com. on HEALTH.

    referral-committee

  20. 2025-03-28

    Referred to Coms. on HEALTH and HUM. S.

    referral-committee

  21. 2025-03-28

    From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on HEALTH. Read second time and amended.

    amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee

  22. 2025-02-24

    Read first time.

    reading-1

  23. 2025-02-22

    From printer. May be heard in committee March 24.

  24. 2025-02-21

    Introduced. To print.

    introduction

Versions

  • 02/21/25 - Introduced — 2025-02-21Compare
  • 03/28/25 - Amended Assembly — 2025-03-28Compare
  • 05/23/25 - Amended Assembly — 2025-05-23Compare
  • 07/09/25 - Amended Senate — 2025-07-09Compare
  • AB1242Compare
  • (document, no version)Compare

Documents

Votes

  • Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Human Services]

    2025-04-22 · pass · 16-0

    Member-level votes (16)
    • Chen: yes
    • Patel: yes
    • Rogers: yes
    • Sharp-Collins: yes
    • Krell: yes
    • Carrillo: yes
    • Celeste Rodriguez: yes
    • Bonta: yes
    • Flora: yes
    • Mark González: yes
    • Sanchez: yes
    • Aguiar-Curry: yes
    • Schiavo: yes
    • Stefani: yes
    • Patterson: yes
    • Addis: yes

  • Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]

    2025-04-29 · pass · 6-0

    Member-level votes (7)
    • Celeste Rodriguez: yes
    • Lee: yes
    • Elhawary: yes
    • Castillo: yes
    • Jackson: yes
    • Calderon: yes
    • Tangipa: other

  • Do pass as amended.

    2025-05-23 · pass · 11-1

    Member-level votes (15)
    • Calderon: yes
    • Elhawary: yes
    • Hart: yes
    • Mark González: yes
    • Arambula: yes
    • Pacheco: yes
    • Solache: yes
    • Caloza: yes
    • Wicks: yes
    • Pellerin: yes
    • Fong: yes
    • Dixon: no
    • Ta: other
    • Sanchez: other
    • Tangipa: other

  • AB 1242 Nguyen Assembly Third Reading

    2025-06-04 · pass · 72-3

    Member-level votes (79)
    • Berman: yes
    • Jeff Gonzalez: yes
    • Zbur: yes
    • Sanchez: yes
    • Celeste Rodriguez: yes
    • Bonta: yes
    • Blanca Rubio: yes
    • Castillo: yes
    • Fong: yes
    • Flora: yes
    • Elhawary: yes
    • Bauer-Kahan: yes
    • Harabedian: yes
    • Rivas: yes
    • Valencia: yes
    • Wilson: yes
    • Wicks: yes
    • Bennett: yes
    • Haney: yes
    • Quirk-Silva: yes
    • Caloza: yes
    • Muratsuchi: yes
    • Soria: yes
    • Schiavo: yes
    • Ávila Farías: yes
    • Gabriel: yes
    • Mark González: yes
    • Nguyen: yes
    • Chen: yes
    • Papan: yes
    • Ransom: yes
    • Bains: yes
    • Addis: yes
    • Kalra: yes
    • Lowenthal: yes
    • Ta: yes
    • Solache: yes
    • Lee: yes
    • Alanis: yes
    • Ortega: yes
    • Patterson: yes
    • Calderon: yes
    • Patel: yes
    • Ward: yes
    • Hoover: yes
    • Irwin: yes
    • Lackey: yes
    • Michelle Rodriguez: yes
    • Krell: yes
    • Pellerin: yes
    • Sharp-Collins: yes
    • Ramos: yes
    • Bryan: yes
    • Boerner: yes
    • Davies: yes
    • Garcia: yes
    • Gipson: yes
    • McKinnor: yes
    • Stefani: yes
    • Connolly: yes
    • Alvarez: yes
    • Petrie-Norris: yes
    • Ahrens: yes
    • Wallis: yes
    • Jackson: yes
    • Schultz: yes
    • Aguiar-Curry: yes
    • Arambula: yes
    • Rogers: yes
    • Pacheco: yes
    • Hart: yes
    • Carrillo: yes
    • DeMaio: no
    • Hadwick: no
    • Macedo: no
    • Ellis: other
    • Gallagher: other
    • Dixon: other
    • Tangipa: other

  • Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Governmental Organization]

    2025-07-02 · pass · 10-0

    Member-level votes (11)
    • Gonzalez: yes
    • Durazo: yes
    • Grove: yes
    • Limón: yes
    • Weber Pierson: yes
    • Rubio: yes
    • Richardson: yes
    • Wiener: yes
    • Padilla: yes
    • Menjivar: yes
    • Valladares: other

  • Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Appropriations]

    2025-07-08 · pass · 11-0

    Member-level votes (15)
    • Archuleta: yes
    • Blakespear: yes
    • Rubio: yes
    • Smallwood-Cuevas: yes
    • Richardson: yes
    • Weber Pierson: yes
    • Wahab: yes
    • Cervantes: yes
    • Ashby: yes
    • Hurtado: yes
    • Padilla: yes
    • Ochoa Bogh: other
    • Jones: other
    • Valladares: other
    • Dahle: other

  • Placed on suspense file

    2025-08-18 · pass · 7-0

    Member-level votes (7)
    • Richardson: yes
    • Seyarto: yes
    • Caballero: yes
    • Cabaldon: yes
    • Dahle: yes
    • Wahab: yes
    • Grayson: yes

Related bills

No related bills recorded for this bill.

Official source

http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB1242

Attribution

Data from openstates_bulk_csv, retrieved 2026-07-24T01:34:27.960412Z

Inspect retained evidence for changes recorded after evidence tracking began:

Source and document changesStatus and relationship changes

Session-wide evidence can include changes to other bills:

Bulk imports for this sessionSession dates and activity

Use this data

Every field on this page is available from the free public API — no key or licence required. Fetch this bill as JSON: GET /api/v1/bills?jurisdiction=CA&identifier=AB 1242. See the API docs or the MCP server for AI assistants.

Known limitations

  • Sponsor party and chamber affiliation are not yet captured by this API.
  • Committee referrals are not yet captured.
  • Some documents have no extracted text yet, so version comparison may be limited.

See the methodology page for data sources and limitations.