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S 2622

Relates to repealing congestion pricing (Part A); commissioning an independent audit of the metropolitan transportation authority (Part B); and conducting an environmental impact study (Part C)

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Jessica Scarcella-Spanton

Creates Office of Access and Opportunity to enforce language access across state agencies, requiring Language Access Plans and measurable equity in services, hiring, and contracts.

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Bill Summary · S 2622

Summary — S.2622 (2025) — "An Act relative to language access and inclusion"

Note: The bill text filed as Senate No. 2622 published October 6, 2025, addresses language access and disability access in Massachusetts state government. The bill title provided in the request (relating to congestion pricing, MTA audit, environmental study) does not match the actual text of S.2622. There are also apparent data mismatches in sponsor names and referral history in the materials supplied. This summary is based on the available text of S.2622 (language access/inclusion). For final authoritative language and status, consult the official Massachusetts legislative website.

Purpose / Intent

S.2622 seeks to codify and expand state-level protections and operational requirements to ensure equal access to public-facing state programs, services, and activities by Limited English Proficient (LEP) individuals and persons who are deaf or hard of hearing. It frames these requirements to be consistent with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Executive Order 13166, and applicable federal rules.

Key provisions

  • Creates an Office of Access and Opportunity (OAO) within the Governor’s office:

    • New Section 223 is inserted into Chapter 6 (after section 222).
    • Led by a Deputy Chief, Access and Opportunity appointed by the Governor reporting to the Chief of Staff.
    • Establishes a Steering Committee chaired by the deputy chief, with designated members from key state agencies and offices (e.g., Chief Human Resources Officer, Operational Services, Supplier Diversity Office, Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity, Massachusetts Office on Disability, Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance, MassDOT chief operating officer and relevant diversity/civil rights staff, Secretaries or designees from Labor & Workforce Development, Veterans’ Services, and representatives from the Executive Office of Education).

  • Sets out OAO responsibilities (summarized):

    1. Collaborate across executive branch to increase contracting and employment opportunities for MBEs/WBEs/DBEs, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities.
    2. Develop integrated policies and best-practice actions to remove barriers and promote equity in employment, procurement, and service provision.
    3. Propose implementation and incentive mechanisms, and performance metrics focused on outcomes (e.g., counts and dollar volumes for MBEs/WBEs/DBEs; workforce composition).
    4. Convene stakeholders and advise on policy implementation.
    5. Identify state laws/regulations that impede equity in access.
    6. Serve as liaison to commissions/councils/task forces and issue administrative orders/bulletins as needed; report to the Governor.

  • Establishes a new Chapter 6F — “Language Access and Inclusion” (inserted after Chapter 6E):

    • Provides statutory definitions (examples included in text): “auxiliary aids and services,” “culturally competent,” “equal access,” “language access plan,” “language access services,” “limited English proficient (LEP),” “machine translation,” and “oral interpretation.”
    • Defines a “language access plan” as an agency blueprint outlining policies, responsibilities, deadlines, priorities, and remedies to ensure language access as an element of equal access to state benefits/services.

Who or what is affected

  • All public-facing state agencies in the Commonwealth: required to provide assistance and information to the OAO and to implement language access and inclusion measures.
  • Populations directly affected: LEP persons, deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals, persons with disabilities, minority- and women-owned businesses (MBE/WBE), DBEs, veterans, and historically underrepresented groups in state contracting and employment.
  • Executive branch governance: creation of a central office and cross-agency steering committee that will influence procurement, hiring, program delivery, and policy review.

Procedural status / timeline (as provided)

  • Introduced in the Senate: July 31, 2025.
  • Read twice and referred to Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: July 31, 2025.
  • Reported from Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight and reported favorably to Senate Ways & Means: October 6, 2025.
  • Filed on: September 29, 2025 (filed date shown in text header).
  • Note: multiple committee referrals and status entries in the supplied record appear overlapping or inconsistent; check the legislative website for the current official status.

Potential impacts and considerations

  • Centralizes oversight for language access and equity initiatives, which could standardize access practices across agencies and create measurable outcomes for contracting and hiring equity.
  • Agencies will incur administrative and operational responsibilities to develop and implement Language Access Plans, provide translation/interpretation and auxiliary aids, and comply with new reporting or metrics.
  • Potential costs: staffing the OAO, training for culturally competent services, translation and interpretation services, and system updates — the bill text provided does not include appropriation language.
  • Legal alignment: explicitly ties state obligations to federal nondiscrimination standards (Title VI, EO 13166), which may reinforce legal compliance and help reduce federal exposure.

Limitations / uncertainties

  • The provided bill text is truncated; subsequent sections (operational requirements, enforcement mechanisms, timelines, funding, agency-specific obligations, or penalties) are not available in the supplied excerpt.
  • Sponsor names, related bill references, and the initial bill title in your request do not match the text. Confirm sponsors and legislative history through the official Massachusetts Legislature site for accuracy before relying on this summary for advocacy or legal purposes.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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