Multilingual Services Accounting Legislation Introduced in CongressBill would require agencies to account for services in languages other than EnglishMarch 10, 2009
New legislation was introduced in Congress today that would require government agencies to account for all expenditures on multilingual services. Introduced by Rep. Virginia Foxx, H.R. 1414, the Multilingual Services Accounting Act, would end speculation about the cost of providing services in languages other than English by requiring government agencies to disclose these expenditures in their annual accountability reports. Following introduction with five original co-sponsors, the bill was referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Questions about the cost of government multilingual services have persisted for years, with some sources indicating that expenses are in the millions of dollars, while others claim they are “minimal.” Recently, legislators in several states have moved to pinpoint these outlays, including bill provisions that would require the accounting of multilingual services. In 2008, the Wisconsin House passed legislation which would have required state agencies to detail costs for written and oral translations in languages other than English. “Government multilingualism can be a silent budget buster,” added Mujica. “While we all support translations for emergency circumstances and in areas like tourism, the offering of day-to-day services in languages other than English is an unnecessary expenditure opposed by the majority of Americans. H.R. 1414 will allow government to get a better grip on these funds and re-allocate them so they can benefit the American people.” |
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