AB 2341 (2025) — Local government: emergency response services: use of languages other than English.

AMENDED IN SENATE JUNE 23, 2026

AMENDED IN SENATE JUNE 4, 2026

AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 5, 2026

AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 6, 2026

AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 16, 2026

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

ASSEMBLY BILLNo. 2341

URGENCY STATUTE

Introduced by Assembly Member Fong

February 19, 2026

An act to amend Section 7299.7 of the Government Code, relating to local government, and declaring the urgency thereof, to take effect immediately.

Vote: 2/3 Appropriation: no Fiscal committee: no Local program: no

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

Existing law requires, in the event of an emergency within the jurisdiction of a local agency that provides emergency response services and that serves a population within which 5% or more of the people speak English less than “very well,” according to American Community Survey data, and jointly speak a language other than English, that the local agency provide information related to the emergency in English and in all languages spoken jointly by the 5% or more of the population that speaks English less than “very well,” as specified.

This bill would revise these provisions to instead require the local agency to provide information related to an emergency within a local agency’s jurisdiction in English and translated in each language spoken by 5% or more of the population that speaks English less than “very well.” The bill, to determine whether a language meets the criteria for translation, would require a local agency to calculate the total population of those within its jurisdiction that speaks English less than “very well,” and, for each language included in the American Community Survey data, or data from an equally reliable source, determine whether speakers of any language who speak English less than “very well” comprise at least 5% of the total population of that jurisdiction that speaks English less than “very well.” The bill would make organizational and clarifying changes to the above-described provisions, as specified.

This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Section 7299.7 of the Government Code is amended to read:

7299.7.

(a) (1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, a local agency shall translate information related to an emergency within the local agency’s jurisdiction if 5 percent or more of the population within the jurisdiction speak English less than “very well.”

(2) A determination of whether 5 percent or more of the population within a jurisdiction speak English less than “very well” shall be based on data according to the American Community Survey or data from an equally reliable source.

(b) (1) A local agency shall, pursuant to subdivision (a), provide information related to the emergency in English and translated in each language spoken by 5 percent or more of the population that speaks English less than “very well.”

(2) To determine whether a language meets the criteria for translation, a local agency shall determine the total population of those within its jurisdiction that speaks English less than “very well,” and, for each language included in the American Community Survey data, or data from an equally reliable source, determine whether speakers of any language who speak English less than “very well,” comprise at least 5 percent of the total population of that jurisdiction that speaks English less than “very well.”

(3) Each local agency shall reassess the data every five years to ensure that the language or languages in which the local agency provides information are consistent with the requirements of subdivision (a) and paragraphs (1) and (2) of this subdivision.

(1) Ensure that the quality of information translated and provided to individuals that speak English less than “very well” is as comprehensive, actionable, and timely as the information provided to English-speaking persons.

(2) Endeavor to utilize community members with the cultural competencies and language skills necessary to effectively communicate with those that speak English less than “very well” using, whenever feasible, native speakers of the relevant languages who also speak English fluently.

(d) Commencing January 1, 2027, the Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation shall survey a sample of local agencies every three years to determine the extent to which local agencies are complying with the requirements of this section and shall report the findings to the Legislature pursuant to Section 9795.

(e) For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:

(1) “Emergency” means a situation that calls for immediate action to respond to the threat of serious harm or mass casualties, including conditions of natural disaster or conditions posing extreme peril to the safety of persons and property in the territorial limits of the local agency.

(2) “Emergency response services” means police, fire, or emergency medical services.

(3) “Local agency” means a city, county, city and county, or a department of a city or county.

(f) (1) This section does not relieve a local agency of its responsibilities under the California Emergency Services Act (Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 8550) of Division 1 of Title 2).

(2) This section does not prohibit a local agency from adopting more expansive standards than those set forth in this section.

SEC. 2.

This act is an urgency statute necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety within the meaning of Article IV of the California Constitution and shall go into immediate effect. The facts constituting the necessity are:

To ensure that local agencies are able to provide translations during emergencies as required under law, it is necessary that this act take effect immediately.