House Bill 1473
State Government - Equal Access to Public Services for Individuals with Limited English Proficiency and Individuals with Disabilities
Hearing of the House Health & Government Operations Committee
March 11, 2025
1:00PM
SUPPORT
Equal Access Language Services LLC is dedicated to being a catalyst for a global cultural shift concerning language access, language justice, and language rights. We believe that all forms of discrimination should be eliminated and place language accessibility at the forefront of our anti-discrimination efforts and training. Equity and inclusion in a multilingual society are achievable only when language access is effectively implemented in both public and private sectors.
My name is Carol Velandia, a resident of District 8, and I am entering this testimony on behalf of Equal Access Language Services, my company, to express strong support for House Bill 1473. Our Vision is a world with meaningful access to communication and our Mission is to help companies and organizations to end language-based discrimination.
Every personimmigrating to the United States is seeking a life free from persecution,poverty, violence, or other hardships. These individuals, including myself,actively contribute to making America great—bringing our intellect, passion,and labor to enrich this nation daily. Our voices deserve to be heardregardless of the language that we speak.
Effective communication is foundational to any enduring relationship. It is the main diagnostic tool in healthcare, the guarantee to due process, and the assurance of a goodeducation. Ina multilingual society, language access is essential. Ethical public professionals mustcommunicate effectively with the communities they serve, and their ethicalmandate should not be compromised.
Asa legal and medical interpreter, I witness ongoing injustices in language access. For example, José, a patient from Honduras, had his appointment delayed by two months because the hospital failed to request an interpreter thus endangering his health. Claudio was interrogated by police inbroken Spanish, compromising legal integrity and due process. Martha's 11-year-old daughter was taken out of school to interpret for her mom during a home purchase, placing undueresponsibility on a child.The list goes on.
Communication inefficiencies also have significant economic implications. In the healthcare industry alone, research indicates that U.S. hospitals waste over $12 billion annually due to poor communication. This demonstrates that language access and effective communication is not just a moral imperative but an economical one. This wasteful spending affects all taxpayers.
Enacting HB 1473 allows Maryland to reaffirm its commitment to inclusivity, ensuring all residents, regardless of language proficiency or ability, have meaningful and equal access to public services.
House Bill 1473 seeks to enhance equal access to public services in Maryland by:
This legislation is particularly timely in light of recent federalchanges. On March 1, 2025, President Trump signed an executive orderdesignating English as the official language of the United States, whichrevoked Executive Order 13166. This revocation underscores the importance ofstate-level initiatives like HB 1473 to maintain robust language access rights,ensuring that all Maryland residents can continue to access essential publicservices without language barriers.
By enacting HB 1473, Maryland would reaffirm its commitment toinclusivity and equal access, addressing both current needs and potential gapsarising from federal policy changes.
Thank you and I, Carol G.Velandia P. and my company Equal Access Language Services respectfully urge this Committee to issue a favorable report for HB 1473. Should you have any questions about this testimony, please contact Carol Velandia at:410-698-8250 or via email at:carolvelandia@equalaccesslanguageservices.com
