ALC Advocacy program engages Congress to protect Federal multilingual services and professional language standards
NEW YORK CITY, NY, UNITED STATES, January 28, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The Association of Language Companies (ALC) welcomed the introduction of the Language Access for All Act of 2026 and affirmed its central role in mobilizing industry support and engaging Members of Congress to strengthen and modernize federal language access policy.
Through its national advocacy program, ALC actively worked with congressional offices, coalition partners, and stakeholders across the language services sector to elevate the economic, operational, and civil rights impact of federal language access requirements.
The legislation, introduced by Representatives Grace Meng (NY-06), Judy Chu (CA-28), Dan Goldman (NY-10), and Juan Vargas (CA-51), codifies and updates long-standing language access protections that ensure individuals with limited English proficiency can access critical federal services.
“ALC appreciates the strong, legislative action from Congresswoman Meng and her colleagues who recognize that language access is essential to the functioning of government and the health of our democracy,” said Josh Pennise, president of the Association of Language Companies. “Our members see every day how multilingual services connect people to health care, disaster assistance, housing, education, and economic opportunity. The Language Access for All Act protects those connections and strengthens the systems that make them possible.”
ALC Advocacy Drives Federal Engagement
Over the past year, ALC’s advocacy program directly engaged congressional staff, submitted policy input, and coordinated with national coalitions to ensure that the perspectives of the language services industry informed legislative development.
ALC focused its advocacy on:
• Preserving federal language access requirements across agencies
• Promoting professional standards for translation and interpretation
• Ensuring responsible integration of AI and language technologies
• Protecting a qualified, U.S.-based language services workforce
“ALC helped shape the conversation around it,” Pennise added. “Our advocacy team and members made the case that language access is not only a civil rights obligation, but also a matter of operational efficiency, public safety, and sound government policy.”
Protecting Access While Modernizing Government
The Language Access for All Act of 2026 requires federal agencies to develop and publish language access plans, establishes technical standards for multilingual communications, and creates accountability mechanisms to track barriers to access. ALC strongly supports provisions that ensure AI-assisted language tools complement — not replace — qualified human translators and interpreters, and that agencies maintain privacy, accuracy, and bias safeguards.
“As technology transforms how government communicates, ALC continues to advocate for solutions that combine innovation with human expertise,” said Jinny Bromberg, President, Bromberg & Associations, a language and technology solutions company based in Farmington Hills, Mich. “This legislation recognizes that language services require professional standards, cultural competence, and accountability in high-stakes environments like health care, legal services, and emergency response.”
Economic and Workforce Impact
ALC emphasized that federal language access policy directly supports a national industry composed of tens of thousands of professionals across the United States, including translators, interpreters, engineers, project managers, and language technology specialists.
ALC Calls on Congress to Act
ALC urges Congress to pass the Language Access for All Act of 2026 and reaffirm the federal government’s commitment to accessible, inclusive, and effective public services.
“Language access strengthens trust between communities and government,” said Dr. William Rivers, principal, WP Rivers & Associates, ALC’s government relations strategy architect. “ALC stands ready to continue working with Congress and federal agencies to ensure this legislation delivers meaningful, lasting impact.”
About ALC:
The Association of Language Companies (ALC) is the national trade association for interpreting, translation, localization, language education, and language service providers serving the U.S. market. The industry supports more than $30B in annual economic impact and a workforce of more than 60,000 linguists, interpreters, and language professionals nationwide. ALC strengthens the industry through advocacy, research, and collaboration, promoting high-quality, accessible language services across critical sectors.
Ana Figueira
Communications and Member Engagement Manager, ALC
communications@alcus.org
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