Limited English Proficiency (LEP)

One in five City residents speaks a language other than English in their homes. Based on data collected from a variety of sources, including the Saint Paul Public Schools and the U.S. Census Bureau, the City’s primary language groups that are non-English include, but are not limited to Spanish, Hmong, Karen, and Somali. This means that increasingly, City employees are providing services to individuals who may be limited English proficient (LEP) as a result of national origin. The City's LEP Language Access Plan outlines and describes how the City will improve access to its services for LEP individuals.

The City is committed to making its services and information about those services available to everyone, regardless of their preferred language. As residents, workers or visitors who contribute to the quality of life in the City, LEP individuals are entitled to meaningful access to City services. As a recipient of federal financial assistance, the City is required by federal law to plan for and provide meaningful access to City services for LEP individuals.

The City's LEP plan has been prepared in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. § 2000d et seq., and its implementing regulations, which state that no individual shall be subjected to discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin. Executive Order 13166, titled “Improving Access to Services for Individuals with Limited English Proficiency” indicates that differing treatment based upon an individual’s inability to speak, read, write, or understand English is a type of national origin discrimination. It directs Federal agencies to publish guidance for its respective recipients clarifying their obligation to ensure that such discrimination does not take place. This Executive Order applies to all state and local agencies, which receive federal funds, including all City departments receiving federal grant funding.