I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3238 
To codify Executive Order 13166. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 7, 2025 
Mr. HERNA´NDEZ (for himself, Mr. TORRES of New York, Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ, 
Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ, Mr. CASE, Ms. LEGER FERNANDEZ, and Mr. 
TRAN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Oversight and Government Reform 
A BILL 
To codify Executive Order 13166. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Helping All Bene-
ficiaries with Language Access Act of 2025’’ or as the 
‘‘HABLA Act of 2025’’. 
SEC. 2. FEDERALLY CONDUCTED PROGRAMS AND ACTIVI-
TIES. 
Each Federal agency shall prepare a plan to improve 
access to its federally conducted programs and activities 
by eligible LEP persons. Each plan shall be consistent 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
19:14 May 14, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3238.IH
H3238
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
with the standards set forth in the LEP Guidance, and 
shall include the steps the agency will take to ensure that 
eligible LEP persons can meaningfully access the agency’s 
programs and activities. Agencies shall develop and begin 
to implement these plans within 120 days of the effective 
date of this Act, and shall send copies of their plans to 
the Department of Justice, which shall serve as the central 
repository of the agencies’ plans. Each agency shall pub-
lish its final plans on their respective web pages in a mat-
ter that is accessible to LEP individuals. 
SEC. 3. FEDERALLY ASSISTED PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES. 
Each agency providing Federal financial assistance 
shall draft guidance for purposes of compliance with title 
VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 specifically tailored to 
its recipients that is consistent with the guidance relating 
to such matters issued by the Department of Justice enti-
tled ‘‘Guidance to Federal Financial Assistance Recipients 
Regarding Title VI Prohibition Against National Origin 
Discrimination Affecting Limited English Proficient Per-
sons’’ (67 Fed. Reg. 41455) (hereinafter referred to as 
the ‘‘LEP Guidance’’). This agency-specific guidance shall 
detail how the general standards established in the LEP 
Guidance will be applied to the agency’s recipients. The 
agency-specific guidance shall take into account the types 
of services provided by the recipients, the individuals 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
19:14 May 14, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3238.IH
H3238
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
served by the recipients, and other factors set out in the 
LEP Guidance. Agencies that already have developed such 
guidance that the Department of Justice determines is 
consistent with the LEP Guidance shall examine their ex-
isting guidance, as well as their programs and activities, 
to determine if additional guidance is necessary to comply 
with this order. The Department of Justice shall consult 
with the agencies in creating their guidance and, within 
120 days of the effective date of this Act, each agency 
shall submit its specific guidance to the Department of 
Justice for review and approval. Following approval by the 
Department of Justice, each agency shall publish its guid-
ance document in the Federal Register for public com-
ment. 
SEC. 4. CONSULTATIONS. 
In carrying out this Act, agencies shall ensure that 
stakeholders, including LEP persons and their representa-
tive organizations, recipients, and other appropriate indi-
viduals or entities, have an opportunity to provide input 
for a period of not less than 60 days. Agencies shall evalu-
ate the particular needs of the LEP persons they and their 
recipients serve and the burdens of compliance on the 
agency and its recipients. This input from stakeholders 
shall assist the agencies in developing an approach to en-
suring meaningful access by LEP persons that is practical 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
19:14 May 14, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3238.IH
H3238
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS