Committee hears proponents say HB 2475 will standardize language access across state agencies

Substitute House Bill 2475 was presented to the committee as a planning and coordination measure to address inconsistent language access across state agencies. Danielle Creech, staff to the State Government, Tribal Affairs and Elections Committee, summarized the bill's three core components: creating uniform guidelines through the Office of Equity, collaborating on a proposal to address interpreter shortages, and requiring agencies to report timelines and resource needs to the Office of Equity and the Office of Financial Management.

Committee staff noted a fiscal note is indeterminate because cost depends on implementation choices; the bill includes deadlines for guideline development (12/01/2027) and agency reporting (06/30/2028).

Testimony came from community groups and students. Aaron Tullock of Washington Build Back Black Alliance urged support, emphasizing that more than 700,000 Washingtonians have limited English proficiency and inconsistent access means residents miss services and emergency communications. Andre Ferreira, a student who speaks Portuguese, said his mother’s work as a school translator illustrated how essential consistent, professional interpretation is for families to meaningfully participate in education and public services.

Ending: Witnesses urged the committee to advance HB 2475 so agencies can better coordinate language access, but staff warned the fiscal and implementation details will require follow‑up as guidelines are developed.