CPSC Can Continue Language Services Under English Order

CPSC will be neither obliged nor prohibited in providing materials in non-English under a March 1 executive order. Although it declares that English now is the official language of the United States, it does not contain immediate, practical mandates beyond rescinding a 2000 executive order under which federal agencies were required to help people with limited English proficiency (LEP) access information.

Moreover, the order (bit.ly/4i4keo2) states:

"[N]othing in this order…requires or directs any change in the services provided by any agency. Agency heads should make decisions as they deem necessary to fulfill their respective agencies' mission and efficiently provide Government services to the American people. Agency heads are not required to amend, remove, or otherwise stop production of documents, products, or other services prepared or offered in languages other than English."

CPSC offers non-English translations to U.S. consumers and industry in nations where products frequently originate. On its International Programs page (bit.ly/43lJFgp), CPSC has links to its webpages in Chinese, Spanish, and Vietnamese. There also is a link to find "key documents" in those languages as well as Indonesian and Korean. The agency's Regulatory Robot can give output in Chinese, Indonesian, Khmer, Korean, Spanish and Vietnamese.

At last fall's vote on the FY2025 operating plan (PSL, 11/11/24), commissioners unanimously passed two amendments on language services – to look at how CPSC could require firms to pay to translate recalls and to consider a pilot program on using artificial intelligence for translations.

Thus, the finalized plan (bit.ly/4bu6joO) now states that staff will seek to create a procedure for firms to pay for recall translations into Spanish with other languages possible depending on their use in marketing. There also is an item on creating an intra-agency team to look at artificial intelligence for translations, again with a Spanish emphasis.

Earlier in 2024, CPSC published a Language Access Plan (PSL, 9/20/24). It stated (bit.ly/4djka0K):

"During the course of enforcement activities, staff utilize human translators to translate written materials such as non-English vital documents and telephone call recordings, and when providing information to the public on matters that may affect consumers with LEP. When conducting interviews and consulting with consumer witnesses, whistleblowers, and employees of regulated entities with LEP, staff utilize bilingual field employees, or, if a bilingual field employee is not available or is not fluent in a specific language, they may use the agency's telephonic translation services."