Primary Department: County Administration
Primary Department Head/Elected Official: Jesse Dickerman, Interim County Administrator
Secondary Department: Choose an item.
Secondary Department Head/Elected Official:
Regular or Supplemental RCA: Regular RCA
Type of Request: Policy
Project ID (if applicable):
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Justification for 0% MWBE Participation Goal: N/A - Goal not applicable to request
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Justification for 0% Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable): N/A - Not a grant item
Request Summary (Agenda Caption):
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Request for approval of a Language Access Template for the Harris County Office of County Administration.
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Background and Discussion:
On February 27, 2024, the Commissioners Court approved a two-year award from the Houston Endowment for the formation of a Language Access Team within the Office of County Administration. The grant outlined the Language Access Team to conduct a year-long needs assessment analysis on the language access services withing Office of County Administration programs and services to identify gaps and challenges. For the second year, the Team was tasked to develop recommendations for the Office of County Administration departments to improve their language access provisions, as well as strategies to implement these recommendations.
Developed through analysis of all 16 Office of County Administration departments, eight additional participating departments, countywide language access data, and input from limited English proficient residents, the Language Access Template (the Template) provides a standardized tool for departments to create their respective Language Access Plans. The Template includes a self-assessment to help departments evaluate their current language access procedures, resources, and needs, as well as a structured Language Access Plan into which departments can integrate their own information to complete a comprehensive plan. Additionally, the need for language access is particularly acute as Harris County prepares to host large-scale international events, such as the FIFA World Cup in summer 2026, which are expected to draw linguistically diverse populations. The Language Access Team will work with departments to complete the Template and provide guidance.
Expected Impact:
A department-level Language Access Plan will strengthen Harris County’s commitment to equitable access by ensuring that residents with limited English proficiency can meaningfully engage with programs, services, and vital information. The plan provides clear procedures for identifying language needs, delivering translation and interpretation services, and training staff to respond effectively. By standardizing how departments communicate with LEP residents, the plan improves service delivery, reduces barriers to participation, and promotes consistency across public-facing operations. This framework also supports ongoing Title VI compliance by ensuring departments take proactive, documented steps to provide meaningful access. Additionally, by enabling departments to leverage countywide resources - such as approved vendors, bilingual personnel, and multilingual communication tools - the plan promotes cost-effective implementation and reduces duplicative efforts.
Alternative Options:
Departments that have previously begun language access planning will continue to develop language access practices independently, without a consistent framework or shared standards. The varying departments that have not begun to develop any language access strategies at all will continue to handle language services on a case-by-case basis without guidance. This may limit the County’s ability to ensure quality, equity, and accountability across programs, and may result in inconsistent or inadequate procedures for identifying language needs, providing translation and interpretation, and monitoring services. Without a standardized template, departments also face a risk of falling out of alignment with Title VI requirements, as the template shares standard practices and procedures. This could lead to limited English proficient residents continuing to experience uneven access to essential information and services across departments. Additionally, developing separate approaches is less cost-effective and may lead to duplicative spending, inefficient contracting, and missed opportunities to use countywide tools and resources.
County Strategic Plan Goal: N/A
County Strategic Plan Objective: N/A
Justice/Safety Initiative (Goal 1): N/A
Infrastructure Initiative (Goal 2): N/A
Economy Initiative (Goal 3): N/A
Health Initiative (Goal 4): N/A
Climate/Resilience Initiative (Goal 5): N/A
Housing Initiative (Goal 6): N/A
Additional notes related to the Strategic Plan:
Prior Court Action (if any):
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Date |
Agenda Item # |
Action Taken |
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10/10/2023 |
193 |
Approved submitting an application to Houston Endowment, Inc., for grant funds in the amount of $515,000, with no required match. |
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2/27/2024 |
472 |
Accepted an award from Houston Endowment, Inc., for grant funds to develop a comprehensive countywide LEP plan. |
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4/23/2024 |
266 |
Approved request by the Office of County Administration for approval of two positions, effective May 4, 2024, funded by a grant from Houston Endowment, Inc., as project support for a needs assessment and development of a comprehensive language access plan. |
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8/26/2025 |
6 |
Approved request for approval to distribute Language Access funds to participants of the Language Access Community Focus Groups in an amount not to exceed $1,508.25. |
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12/11/2025 |
221 |
Approved request for a no-cost grant extension for the Houston Endowment Language Access Grant, extending the employment of the Language Access Team until July. |
Location:
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Precinct(s): Countywide
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Anticipated Court Date: 2/12/2026
Anticipated Implementation Date (if different from Court date): Click or tap to enter a date.
Emergency/Disaster Recovery Note: Not an emergency, disaster, or ARPA related item
Contact(s) name, title, department: Jesse Dickerman, Interim County Administrator, Office of County Administration; Tonya Mills, Managing Director, Office of County Administration; Karen Evans, Manager of Justice Innovation, Office of County Administration.
Attachments (if applicable): Language Access Plan Template and Budget Worksheet