The DOJ released new language access guidance on July 14, and many organizations have questions about what it means in practice. This FAQ clarifies the most common points of confusion.
The DOJ issued guidance following Executive Order 14224, signed in March 2025, which designated English as the official language of the U.S. and revoked Clinton-era language access protections. The new guidance aligns with that order by narrowing federal obligations around multilingual services.
To that end, the DOJ reinterpreted the relationship between national origin and language. Historically, language has been considered an intrinsic part of national origin. The new guidance claims that language is an associated factor of national origin but not strictly national origin in and of itself.
Yes! Language access is still the law. Federal agencies and covered entities are still required to provide meaningful access to language services under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. The new guidance does not change Title VI itself. Instead, it reflects DOJ’s interpretation of national origin and enforcement priorities.
Healthcare entities must also meet requirements under Section 1557 of the ACA.
Get the full breakdown of Section 1557’s language access requirements →
Technically, only the DOJ and any entity receiving funding from the DOJ need to consider the new guidance. However, since the DOJ enforces Title VI, other federal agencies may choose to adopt their framework.
It’s still too early tell. Agencies are under no obligation to change any of their language access efforts or programs at the moment.
No. Your obligations under Title VI and Section 1557 remain unchanged. The DOJ memo was issued to federal agencies for guidance on enforcement. It does not alter current laws.
Whenever language access rights are rolled back, it affects us all.
This guidance reframes language access from a civil right to a discretionary service. The guidance weakens compliance standards by asserting that limited English proficiency alone doesn’t constitute national origin discrimination.
This shift in tone could have ripple effects that change expectations, even across the private sector. Leadership could start to scale back or cut services, downplay risk, and approve the use of ad hoc interpreters or unsafe AI alternatives.
Yes. Within six months of the memo’s issuance, the DOJ will publish additional guidance in the Federal Register on how federal agencies can meet compliance.
Once the DOJ publishes their guidelines in the Federal Register, the public will have 30 days to submit comments. We strongly urge you and your colleagues to provide your valuable feedback during this time! Quantity matters but quality matters more, so make sure your comments are unique, evidence-based, and raise legal, technical, or economic concerns, if applicable.
* This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.
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