Language Access Plan (LAP) Download the Entire Plan (PDF)
Executive Summary
As a recipient of federal funds, the City of National City (“City” or “National City”) is required to make reasonable efforts to provide language assistance to ensure meaningful access for Limited English Proficiency (LEP) persons to the City’s projects. “Project” is defined as a program, activity, development, acquisition, capital improvement, plan, and the administration of said project(s). “Meaningful access” is defined as language assistance that results in accurate, timely, and effective communication and is available at no cost to the LEP individual. Executive Order 13166, “Improving Access to Services for Persons with Limited English Proficiency,” Title VI of the Civil Right Act of 1964, provides the basis for these requirements.
To ensure the appropriate targeting of resources, the City conducted a “Four Factor Analysis” in accordance with U.S. Department of Justice LEP guidance, evaluating:
- The number or proportion of LEP persons in the population to be served.
- The frequency with which LEP persons come into contact with the project.
- The importance of the project.
- The resources, financial and human, available to the City. The analysis was conducted in the context of “safe harbor” thresholds provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
After determining the applicable language groups that may require LEP assistance, a review of federally funded projects was conducted, along with the relationship of those projects to the target populations. A final analysis was then conducted to determine available staffing and other resources to meet LEP needs for translation services.
A Language Access Plan was then developed, focused on the provision of translation and interpretation services to LEP individuals who speak the following languages: 1) Spanish, and 2) Tagalog.
Through the Language Access Plan, the City commits to providing language assistance efforts that include, but are not limited to the following:
- Providing free oral interpretation services at public hearings and at facilities where the City provides federally funded projects;
- Upon request, ensuring the translation of materials deemed vital for each federally funded project; and
- Providing notices to LEP persons advising them of the availability of free translation and interpretation services by the City.
