San Francisco, CA – Tomorrow, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and the Language Access Network of San Francisco will hold a hearing to urge Mayor Lurie to fully fund language access as the federal government steps up its attacks against San Francisco and its residents. 

Last year, the Board of Supervisors took a critical step by unanimously passing amendments to strengthen San Francisco’s Language Access Ordinance. These amendments expanded protections to include emerging languages such as Vietnamese and strengthened requirements for city departments to serve limited English proficient residents. However, the implementation of these changes remains incomplete as a result of insufficient funding while the City faces a budget deficit. 

The San Francisco Budget and Legislative Office anticipates that departments will need $5.8 million in order to realize the vision behind the Language Access Ordinance’s amendments. This will require the Mayor and the Board of Supervisors to increase its investment in language access for a total of $22.9 million to ensure all city departments have the resources necessary to implement new language rights for our communities.

San Francisco is home to thousands of limited English proficient (LEP) residents who speak languages such as Chinese, Spanish, Tagalog, Vietnamese, and others. Specifically, one in three San Francisco residents identifies as an immigrant and 18.9% of residents identify as limited English proficient. Without adequate language services, these residents will face barriers to basic city services — from calling 911 to applying for affordable housing to accessing government-issued identification. In an age of Trump, immigrant communities cannot rely on the federal government, so safety requires that local governments must step in to fill the gap. 

About the Language Access Ordinance:

In 1973, the California State Legislature adopted the Dymally-Alatorre Bilingual Services Act, which required state and local agencies to provide language services to LEP persons, and in 1999, the California State Auditor conducted a study that found that some state entities were not in compliance with the Dymally-Alatorre Act. In response to this finding, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors enacted the Equal Access to Services Ordinance in 2001, which required major departments to provide language access services to LEP persons.

In 2009, the Equal Access to Services Ordinance was renamed the Language Access Ordinance (LAO). It underwent amendments in 2015 and 2024 to strengthen and expand its provisions. In 2023, Supervisor Walton in partnership with the Language Access Network of San Francisco introduced the most recent version of amendments to the existing Language Access Ordinance to address gaps in delivering language access in city services. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the amendments to the City’s commitment to providing vital information and services in multiple languages, reflecting the diverse linguistic landscape of San Francisco.

2024 Amendments to the Language Access Ordinance

• Vietnamese is a newly-certified language as the threshold for certification of a LEP language population is lowered from 10,000 to 6,000 LEP individuals, effective 2026.

• San Francisco departments must translate signage and digital content, ie., websites, into Chinese, Spanish, Tagalog, and emerging languages such as Vietnamese.

• San Francisco departments are required to respond to public translation requests within 48 hours AND share an update on the progress with the requester.

• OCEIA will develop a “Know Your Rights” brochure to be translated into the top 20 languages which will detail language access rights and the process for filing complaints.

In 2025, the funding of these amendments is critical in ensuring that San Francisco residents are not left behind because of language barriers in the age of Trump:

Statement from Supervisor Shamann Walton, District 10

“Every San Franciscan — regardless of the language they speak — deserves to be heard, understood, and included,” said District 10 Supervisor Shamann Walton. “Our immigrant communities are essential to the cultural fabric and economic strength of San Francisco, and we must ensure that everyone can fully participate in city processes. Last year, the Board passed and adopted critical amendments to the Language Access Ordinance through a collaborative effort between our office, Supervisor Chan, the Office of Civic Engagement and Immigrant Affairs, the Immigrant Rights Commission, the Language Access Network, and dedicated community advocates. This year, in light of a significant budget deficit, we are pushing to ensure there is funding to implement these amendments. Funding is the next crucial step to fulfill San Francisco’s promise as a truly inclusive city, and we will continue working with our Mayor and city departments to deliver high-quality language access services for all.”

CAA and the Language Access Network of San Francisco take this opportunity to acknowledge Supervisor Walton’s incredible leadership in ensuring equitable access for all San Francisco residents.

Statement from Supervisor Jackie Fielder, District 9

“Equity for immigrant communities lies in language access, educational outreach, and access to public services. Language Access Network of San Francisco has been key to that work by advocating to strengthen the Language Access Ordinance and ensuring we improve our language access services to all immigrant communities. And in uncertain times for our immigrant communities, it is imperative the City of San Francisco continues to uplift and protect them and these services,” said Supervisor Fielder. 

Statement from members of the Language Access Network of San Francisco

“The Southeast Asian Development Center is proud to join the Language Access Network of San Francisco at this important moment. Recognizing Vietnamese as a certified language is long overdue and especially critical as the community continues to face challenges related to food insecurity, mental health, safety, and economic mobility. This is even more meaningful as we mark 50 years since the Vietnamese community resettled in the Tenderloin and made San Francisco their home after the Vietnam War. Funding the LAO amendments will help ensure equitable access to vital services,” said Ratha Chuon, Director of Program, Southeast Asian Development Center.

“San Francisco has long claimed to be a city for all — a place where immigrants can thrive. But those promises ring hollow if residents who are limited English proficient can’t access critical services, exercise their rights, or be heard in the language they understand best. Language access is not an optional service — it’s a civil right. It’s about safety. It’s about dignity. The City needs to fund the departments to provide language access as a fundamental right to protecting immigrants under Trump,” said Annette Wong, managing director of programs at Chinese for Affirmative Action. 

“Our community members are fearful during this time because deportations and disappearances occur more frequently,” said Silvia Ramos, social services manager of CARECEN. “It is more important now than ever to ensure that our communities have access to the protection services they need in their own language. Because the Language Access Ordinance is in force, we must ensure that frontline city workers offer the public the interpretation services as required under the Language Access Ordinance.”

“The Filipino community is facing a high level of uncertainty and a rapidly-changing landscape, so community members need to be aware of what resources and services are available. Without language access, they will not be able to access these services during critical times,” said Angelica Cabande, executive director of the South of Market Community Action Center (SOMCAN), “Having accurate and up-to-date information is now more important than ever.” 

Statement from Sarah Souza, chair of the Immigrants Rights Commission

“The Immigrant Rights Commission has championed language access since its inception, recognizing that all San Franciscans deserve equitable access to city services and the ability to fully participate in their local government. Since the original Language Access Ordinance in 2001, we have remained deeply committed to uplifting the voices and needs of our diverse monolingual communities, who are an essential part of San Francisco’s fabric. Today, we are pleased to stand with city leaders and the community as we take another important step toward strengthening language access for all.”

About the Language Access Network of San Francisco: 

The Language Access Network of San Francisco (LANSF) is a coalition of community-based organizations, funded by the Office of Civic Engagement & Immigrant Affairs (OCEIA), to provide community education on language access rights, gather data on implementation of the language access ordinance including violations and complaints, and provide community centered input on best practices in serving other-than-English proficient communities.

It includes African Advocacy Network, Arab Resource & Organizing Center, CARECEN SF – Central American Resource Center, Chinese for Affirmative Action, PODER: People Organizing to Demand Environmental and Economic Rights, and South of Market Community Action Center (SOMCAN).