Washington State Passes Law to Promote Consistent Language Access

In a win for local language access efforts in the United States, Washington State passed SHB 2475, a bill aimed at standardizing language access guidelines across all state agencies.

SHB 2475, whose full title is “An act relating to providing language accessible public programs, activities, and services conducted, operated, or administered by state agencies,” was signed into law at the end of March 2026 (SHB 2475).

Originally sponsored by Rep. Lillian Ortiz-Self and 17 other Democrats in the House of Representatives, the bill moved quickly through both houses of the Washington State legislature during a short 60-day legislative session that began January 12, 2026. The bill passed the House on February 16 and the Senate on March 5, before Governor Bob Ferguson signed it into law on March 23, 2026.

While this bill will not create new language access requirements or establish new legally protected classes, it does aim to eliminate inconsistencies in language access delivery across state agencies. 

The Office of Equity will have until December 2027 to create uniform language access guidelines for all state agencies covering spoken, signed, written, and digital communications delivered via in-person, remote, and pre-recorded modalities.

In collaboration with “interested parties,” the Office of Equity will also draft a proposal for addressing the state’s shortage of qualified interpreters and translators, including sign language interpreters and interpreters and translators working with “languages of lesser diffusion.” 

State agencies will have until June 2028 to report on how they will implement the new guidelines.

In a March 27, 2026, newsletter, Rep. Ortiz-Self encapsulated the key value of SHB 2475, saying, “this legislation helps ensure state agencies provide programs, services, and information in ways that are accessible to people in their primary language. By improving language access, the bill helps families better navigate government services and ensures more Washingtonians can fully participate in their communities.”

The bill will officially take effect on June 11, 2026.

Image: Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson (now Washington State Governor) attends the Time 100 Gala on April 25, 2017, in New York City.