Executive Order 13166 (EO 13166)

On August 11, 2000 the President of the United States issued EO13166 which described how “[e]ach Federal agency shall prepare a plan to improve access to its federally conducted programs and activities by eligible LEP persons.”  In addition, “[e]ach agency providing Federal financial assistance [to hospitals, universities or a myriad of other state and other entities] shall draft Title VI guidance.”

EO 13166 required two things. First, that Federal agencies had to take reasonable steps to provide meaningful access for LEP people to federally conducted programs and activities (essentially, everything the federal government does).  Second, every Federal agency that provides financial assistance to non-federal entities must publish guidance on how those recipients can provide meaningful access to LEP persons and thus comply with Title VI regulations.

Read a copy of the Executive Order 13166 [Web]  [PDF]

This Executive Order described the role of the Department of Justice (DOJ) and gave the DOJ the authority to provide Federal agencies guidance on their obligation. See the DOJ Guidance Page.

The authority of the DOJ to coordinate the implementation and enforcement of the nondiscrimination provisions is based on Executive Order 12250. Read a copy here.

In 2002, The Executive Office of the President's Office of Management and Budget issued a report based on the requirements of EO 13166 and determined that:

“The benefits of language-assistance services for particular LEP individuals, while not readily quantifiable in dollar units, can be significant. Improved access to a wide variety of services – ranging from the delivery of healthcare and access to food stamps to motor vehicle licensing and law enforcement –can substantially improve the health and quality of life of many LEP individuals and their families." (Click Here for the Full Report)(PDF)

Last Updated: August  11, 2008 ● Empire Justice Center © 2008