2025 Language Access Compliance Summary Report

Full Report

View the 2025 Language Access Compliance Summary Report.

Key Findings and Recommendations

On February 1, 2025, the Office of Civic Engagement and Immigrant Affairs (OCEIA) published the annual Language Access Ordinance (LAO) Summary Report, which compiles and summarizes City departments’ data on LAO compliance. This year’s report highlights the recent amendments to the LAO, findings from City department LAO compliance data, and recommendations for improvement in the next year.

This overview presents the key findings and recommendations of the 2025 Language Access Ordinance Summary Report, covering the period from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024. In compliance with the recent amendments to the LAO, this document is available in English, Chinese, Spanish, and Filipino. To request this document in another language, please contact OCEIA at language.access@sfgov.org.

Forty-two percent (42%) of San Franciscans over the age of five speak a language other than English at home. Language access is key to ensuring that Limited English Proficient (LEP) communities can effectively access City services, programs, and information, resulting in greater participation, improved outcomes, and a City that is more responsive to and inclusive of all its residents.

With 100% of the required Departments successfully submitting reports this year, and over 96% of them having written language access policies in place, the number of City departments continuing to strengthen language access capacity is increasing. During Fiscal Year (FY) 2023-2024, City departments reported a record high of LEP interactions and increases in telephonic interpretations, in-person interpretations, language services budgets, and translated materials. However, Departments continued to report a slight decline in bilingual staffing.

The amount of money that City departments spent on language services increased from approximately $14.91 million in FY 2022-2023 to $17.02 million in FY 2023-2024. However, this figure continues to fall below the five-year average (FY 2019-2020 to FY 2023-2024) of about $17.80 million.

In 2024, the Board of Supervisors passed amendments to strengthen the Language Access Ordinance and improve the City’s language access services. Most notably, the threshold for certifying a Limited English Proficient (LEP) language population was reduced from 10,000 to 6,000 LEP individuals, effective January 1, 2026. It is anticipated that Vietnamese and/or other language(s) will become eligible for certification in 2026. The amendments also clarify that the requirement to translate vital information applies to public signage and digital content. They require Departments to respond to public translation requests within 48 business hours and provide updates on completion timelines, among other key changes.

Given the recent amendments to the LAO and the City's current economic climate, it is imperative for Departments to establish a dedicated language services budget and plan to enhance services for LEP community members. Language access is key to ensuring that all community members can have access to timely, accurate information and continue to access the City services they need. Building capacity through the hiring and training of bilingual staff, ensuring accurate Departmental data collection, and allocating a robust language services budget can significantly enhance the quality of language services provided by City departments.

To read the full report, visit: https://bit.ly/laoreport2025

To view the LAO Department compliance data for FY 23-24, visit: https://www.sf.gov/data--language-access-ordinance-compliance-data