Title VI

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin by recipients of federal financial assistance. For language services, Title VI requires that federally funded organizations — including school districts, hospitals, healthcare clinics, and many government agencies — take reasonable steps to provide meaningful access to limited-English-proficient (LEP) individuals.

Title VI is enforced primarily by the US Department of Justice and the relevant agency Office for Civil Rights (OCR). For schools, the Department of Education OCR enforces Title VI; for healthcare, the Department of Health and Human Services OCR. Enforcement typically takes the form of a Voluntary Resolution Agreement requiring the entity to develop and implement a Language Access Plan, document language assistance provision, and demonstrate corrective action.

Title VI does not explicitly require a written Language Access Plan, but OCR universally asks for one first in any Title VI review. Recipients without a written Plan typically end up under a Voluntary Resolution Agreement that requires them to develop one.

Related federal authorities include Executive Order 13166 (which extends similar requirements to federal agencies and federal funding recipients), Section 1557 of the ACA (for healthcare), and ESSA Title III (for K-12 English Learner programs).