AN ACT to require that state‑provided information about state services is available in the five most common non‑english languages spoken at home by residents of north carolina.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.(a)  Article 1 of Chapter 143B of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:

§ 143B‑28.2.  Language accessibility.

Each principal department under this Chapter and Chapter 143A of the General Statutes shall, at the time of publishing any information regarding State services or resources under the department's authority, submit the language contained in the publication to the Department of Administration for translation pursuant to G.S. 143B‑370.2. Once translated and returned to the principal department, the principal department shall publish the translated information in the same format, whether electronic or print, in which the principal department publishes this information in English.

SECTION 1.(b)  Article 9 of Chapter 143B of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:

§ 143B‑370.2.  Language accessibility.

(a)        The Department of Administration, through a competitive procurement process, shall contract with a certified translation service to translate information regarding State services or resources under each principal department's authority, as submitted to the Department pursuant to G.S. 143B‑28.2. The contract shall ensure that language contained in the information submitted is translated into the five most common non‑English languages spoken in the homes of residents of North Carolina, according to the most recently available United States Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

(b)        The Department of Administration shall return translated information to the submitting principal department for publication as soon as practicable. To that end, the Department shall develop a procedure to actively oversee the timely translation of submitted information and a time line for each translation's completion.

(c)        If one of the five most common non‑English languages under subsection (a) of this section is designated by the United States Census Bureau, American Community Survey, as Chinese, the information shall be translated into the Mandarin language. A member of the public may request from the Department of Administration that specific information be translated into the Cantonese language, and the Department shall facilitate the translation and provide the information in Cantonese upon request.

(d)       After consultation with the Joint Legislative Commission on Governmental Operations, the Department may convert contractual translation services to permanent State translator positions if the Director determines that it is more cost‑effective to do so.

SECTION 2.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Administration the sum of five million four hundred eighty‑seven thousand seven hundred sixty‑seven dollars ($5,487,767) in recurring funds for the 2025‑2026 fiscal year to implement the requirements of this act.

SECTION 3.  Section 2 of this act becomes effective July 1, 2025. The remainder of this act is effective when it becomes law, and the provision of translated information applies beginning January 1, 2027.