Federal Agency Guidance on Complying with Title VI

Providing Services to Limited English-Proficient (LEP) Persons

Under an executive order issued by the Clinton administration, federal agencies that fund programs and services conducted by non-federal recipients must develop guidance to their recipients on providing reasonable access for limited English-proficient (LEP) persons.  An Oct. 26, 2001, clarifying memorandum from the Dept. of Justice (DOJ) reiterated agencies' obligation to develop such guidance and directed agencies to publish their guidance for public comment.  Links to subsequent memos and other related information are available from "Limited English Proficiency: A Federal Interagency Website."

• Executive Order 13166 – "Improving Access to Services for Persons with Limited English Proficiency" (8/16/00) (PDF)

• DOJ Memorandum re. Clarification of Requirements of Executive Order 13166 (10/26/01) (PDF)

What follows is a list of links to some guidance-related documents that have been published to date, as well as comment letters submitted by NILC. Guidance documents from government agencies are also available from "Limited English Proficiency: A Federal Interagency Website."

• U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security (Final policy guidance, 4/18/11) (PDF).  Information about the DHS LEP Guidance is available from the DHS LEP guidance webpage in the following languages in addition to English: Spanish, simplified Chinese, Haitian Creole, Arabic, Hmong, Korean, Russian, Vietnamese, Khmer.

• Corporation for National and Community Service (NILC Comment Letter, 3/1/02) (PDF)

• Dept. of Health and Human Services – HHS's republished guidance (comments were due in Dec. 2003) (NILC Comment Letter, 12/5/03) (PDF)

• Dept. of Health and Human Services (HHS's guidance is available in Spanish and Chinese) (NILC Comment Letter, 4/2/02) (PDF)

• Dept. of Justice: Final LEP Guidance (6/18/02) (NILC Comment Letter, 5/20/02) (HTML)

• Dept. of Labor (NELP Comment Letter, 6/30/03) (PDF)

• Dept. of Treasury

• General Services Administration (GSA) (NILC Comment Letter) (PDF)

• GSA Republished Guidance (NILC Comment Letter, 8/11/03) (PDF)

• National Science Foundation

• Office of Management and Budget (OMB): Assessment of the Total Benefits and Costs of Implementing Executive Order 13166 (Report to Congress) (3/14/02) (PDF)

• OMB Request for Comments re. Assessment of Costs and Benefits Associated with the Implemention of E.O. 13166 (11/30/01)