Governor Hochul Signs Legislation Requiring Language Assistance Programs in Hospitals Statewide

Governor Kathy Hochul today signed legislation to require general hospitals across the state to develop a language assistance program to ensure patients are able to access all health care services. This legislation builds on New York's role as a national leader in breaking down barriers to quality health care and resources.

"Everyone deserves the right to accessible health care, free from language barriers that prevent them from accessing the services they need," Governor Hochul said. "Signing this legislation ensures that all New Yorkers, regardless of their primary language, are treated with dignity and care."

The bill would require every general hospital to develop a language assistance program that adds certain elements, including:

• The designation of a language assistance coordinator
• Policies and procedures that ensure timely identification and ongoing access for patients in need of language assistance services
• Ongoing education and training for hospital staff
• Appropriate signage
• Documentation of language preference in medical records
• Provision of skilled interpreters and other staff skilled in communication with vision and/or hearing-impaired individuals to patients requiring such services

State Senator Gustavo Rivera said, "Ensuring language access at hospitals for every New Yorker is imperative for a state that wants to ensure access to care is universal. Thank you to Governor Hochul for signing this valuable legislation by Senator Liu and Assemblymember Rozic."

State Senator John Liu said, "Every patient who walks through a hospital's doors should have the ability to communicate clearly and confidently with their doctor, especially during emergencies when time is of the essence. Unfortunately, too many young children still need to translate complicated healthcare information for their immigrant parents due to insufficient language support throughout state hospitals. This bill will make sure in-language isn't just an afterthought, but a requirement for all of New York's hospitals so all New Yorkers can have confidence that their healthcare is in good hands."

Assemblymember Amy Paulin said, "Assemblymember Rozic and Senator Liu have been a champion for patients who too often struggle to navigate our health-care system, and this legislation reflects her strong commitment to equity in care. It fills a longstanding gap to help ensure that our hospitals better meet the needs of the communities they serve, and I'm grateful to Governor Hochul for signing it into law."

Assemblywoman Nily Rozic said, "Navigating healthcare shouldn't depend on your English proficiency - it should depend on your needs as a patient. I am deeply grateful to Governor Hochul for recognizing the urgency of this issue and to Senator John Liu for his steadfast partnership in getting this done. Together, we are making our hospitals more reflective of the communities they serve."

Assemblymember Michaelle Solages said, "Every New Yorker has the right to quality medical care, and language should never block someone from getting the help they need. This law brings us closer to a system that is equitable, accessible, and culturally competent. By expanding language resources, we ensure that patients can clearly communicate with their providers without fear of misunderstandings. I thank Governor Hochul, Assemblywoman Rozic, and Senator Liu for advancing this essential legislation."

Assemblymember Karines Reyes, R.N. said, "New York is home to large populations of non-English speakers, the hearing impaired and others, who depend on general hospitals for quality care. Language barriers are a serious hindrance to the delivery of care to these sizable populations, and Governor Hochul's signing of this pivotal legislation makes serious strides in removing those barriers. I look forward to seeing how the medical facilities creatively expand access to health care, through the development of protocols and programs to allow for the adequate accommodation of all patients who require language assistance."

Assemblymember Jessica González-Rojas said, "Today's signing of A387B is a major win for New Yorkers who deserve clear, accessible communication when seeking hospital care. This law requires hospitals to provide vital language-assistance services - including translated forms and access to interpreters - so patients can understand their treatment, billing, and follow-up care. As someone who represents one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse communities in the state, I know how transformative - even life-saving - this bill can be for families like mine. I want to thank Governor Hochul for signing this critical bill and congratulate Assemblymember Nily Rozic and Senator John Liu for their leadership in championing it. With A387 now law, we're making our healthcare system more equitable and responsive to the needs of all our communities."

Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar said, "As a representative of Queens, the most linguistically diverse community in the world, I'm proud to co-sponsor this legislation to guarantee language access for all New Yorkers. In moments of crisis-especially in the emergency room-timely care can mean the difference between life and death. No one should ever be denied care because of a language barrier. With this bill now becoming law, we uphold a simple yet profound truth: every New Yorker-whether they speak a different language or communicate through sign language-has the right to be seen, heard, and fully supported when seeking healthcare."

Assemblymember Grace Lee said, "Language barriers too often prevent immigrant New Yorkers the ability to understand their own medical care. This bill will help ensure that every patient, no matter what language they speak, can advocate for themselves and better navigate the healthcare system. Thank you to Assemblymember Nily Rozic and Senator John Liu for leading on this important legislation and to Governor Hochul for signing it into law."

Assemblymember Steven Raga said, "No one's health should be jeopardized simply because they speak a different language. As home to one of the most diverse neighborhoods in the world, these barriers are felt especially strongly here in Queens. Passing A387 is a necessary step to ensure that all New Yorkers can access the quality healthcare they deserve by guaranteeing the availability of translation services."

CACF's Co-Executive Directors Anita Gundanna and Vanessa Leung said, "Language access is health equity. Right now in New York State, over a third of Asian American New Yorkers are currently limited English proficient (LEP) and these language barriers greatly impact families as they try to navigate the healthcare system. We thank Governor Hochul for signing the hospital language access bill S6288B/A387B into law. This is a critical step forward to ensuring that all patients - regardless of the language they speak - will receive full access to the healthcare services they need in New York State's hospitals. Having access to culturally responsive language assistance coordinators will be transformative for our community members seeking medical care. CACF and our coalition are grateful for the leadership of bill sponsors Assemblywoman Nily Rozic and Senator John Liu for shepherding this bill into law. Our coalition is proud to have advocated for this legislation alongside them and will continue to work to ensure that language access services are strengthened across the state."

Chinese-American Planning Council President & CEO Wayne Ho said, "We thank Governor Hochul for signing S6288B/A387B into law and expanding language access in hospitals across New York. We hear from the community members we serve every day who struggle to access critical services like hospital and health appointments. Our limited English proficient and Asian American communities deserve dignity, care, and the ability to communicate their medical needs and understand their treatment in the language they speak, especially in a timely manner. This law takes meaningful steps to address those gaps in care and ensures more equity in treatment for the most vulnerable New Yorkers. We are deeply grateful to Assemblywoman Rozic and Senator John Liu for their continued leadership in uplifting our immigrant communities."

AAF Associate Director of Programs Daphne Thammasila said, "At the Asian American Federation, we see every day how vital language access is to the health and well-being of Asian New Yorkers. Nearly half of Asian New Yorkers - and over 70% of our seniors - face serious barriers to care because of language access gaps. No one should struggle to get medical help simply because an interpreter isn't available. That's why AAF is advancing innovative solutions, including a first-of-its-kind Asian language interpretation worker cooperative, to expand high-quality services across the city. We thank Assemblywoman Rozic and State Senator Liu for championing this bill, and we applaud Governor Hochul for signing it. All New Yorkers deserve quality healthcare, regardless of the language they speak."

Asian Americans for Equality (AAFE) Executive Director Thomas Yu said, "We want to thank Governor Hochul for signing this important bill into law and Assemblywoman Rozic and Senator Liu for championing legislation that will improve medical care for millions of New Yorkers. Every day at AAFE, we help community members with limited English proficiency navigate essential healthcare services. So we know how challenging it can be for patients to communicate with doctors and other healthcare professionals. This new law will help ensure that everyone has access to the high quality medical care they deserve."

CAIPA President & CEO Dr. George Liu, MD. Ph.D said, "As an organization representing more than 1,400 community physicians and providing top quality healthcare to over 500,000 Asian New Yorkers, CAIPA strongly support comprehensive language access in all hospitals. Ensuring that patients can communicate in their preferred language is essential to safety, equity, and high-quality care. No patient should ever face barriers that prevent them from understanding their health or treatment."

MinKwon Center for Community Action Interim Executive Director Yoon Ji Kim said, "This is a historic win for health equity in New York. For 41 years, Minkwon Center for Community Action has supported Korean, Chinese, and AAPI immigrants to access care and essential resources, but we've always known our efforts couldn't fix a systemic crisis alone. We watch Asian New Yorkers struggle to navigate hospitals every day due to language barriers. Our health survey confirmed this is one of the top-three barriers to healthcare, and 87% of those we enrolled in insurance this year don't speak English as their first language. This is a denial of fundamental human rights with potentially deadly consequences. With A387B/S6288B, the state has finally delivered a real solution, ensuring hospitals provide skilled interpreters and meaningful access. We are deeply grateful to Assemblymember Rozic and Senator Liu for a decade of advocacy, and to Governor Hochul for signing this bill to protect the health of all immigrant New Yorkers."

Women for Afghan Women Executive Director Dr. Susan Aryan Antolin said, "Language can be the difference between care and neglect. At Women for Afghan Women (WAW), we work with families who struggle to access even basic medical information because interpreters in their language are not provided. Their experience is shared by immigrant and refugee New Yorkers across the city. This bill is essential because true language access in hospitals is not optional, it is lifesaving."

American Pakistani Advocacy Group President Ali Rashid said, "We applaud Governor Kathy Hochul for signing A387B/S6288B into law - a landmark step that ensures language is no longer a barrier to quality healthcare in New York. For countless Pakistani, South Asian, and immigrant families, this legislation will mean safer treatment, clearer communication, and the dignity every patient deserves. We are deeply grateful to Assemblywoman Nily Rozic and Senator John Liu for championing this critical bill and for their commitment to equity in our hospital system. This signing sends a powerful message that every New Yorker, regardless of the language they speak, has the right to be heard, understood, and cared for."

The Korean American Family Services Center Executive Director Jeehae Fischer said, "Every day at the Korean American Family Service Center, we see how language barriers deepen fear and isolation for immigrant survivors and their families. We worked with a survivor who arrived at the hospital after being stabbed by her husband; because there was no interpreter available, her young child was forced to translate what happened to her mother and explain her father's violence to medical staff. No child should ever have to carry that burden, and no survivor should have to fight for safety and healing in a language they do not speak. With the signing of this bill into law, New York is taking a critical step toward truly equitable healthcare by ensuring that all New Yorkers, especially survivors of gender-based violence, have access to culturally and linguistically responsive care delivered with dignity, clarity, and compassion. We are deeply grateful to Governor Hochul and to legislative champions Senator John Liu, Assemblymember Nily Rozic for their steadfast leadership in making this protection a reality for immigrant survivors and families across our state."

South Asian Council for Social Services Director of Health Services Rehan Mehmood said, "South Asian Council for Social Services (SACSS) extends its deepest thanks to Honorable Governor Kathy Hochul for signing the hospital language access bill into law, a critical step toward ensuring that every New Yorker can receive care with dignity and understanding. We are also grateful to Senator John Liu and Assemblymember Nily Rozic for their leadership and for working closely with legislators and community-based organizations to make this legislation a reality. Access to language for our communities at hospitals will strengthen our healthcare system."

New York City Councilmember Sandra Ung said, "Today's signing marks a major milestone for immigrants and New Yorkers with limited English proficiency. In a community as linguistically diverse as Flushing, many patients struggle to understand their diagnosis, treatment, or discharge instructions simply because they don't have access to interpretation. I want to thank Governor Hochul for signing this bill, which ensures that every patient can receive accurate information and navigate the healthcare system safely and confidently, no matter what language they speak. Thanks to the work and leadership of Assemblywoman Rozic and State Senator Liu, our healthcare system will now be more equitable and responsive to the needs of all New Yorkers."

New York City Councilmember Linda Lee said, "I applaud Governor Hochul and our partners at the State level for their leadership in making our healthcare system more linguistically accessible. We have a moral responsibility to ensure that services are accessible to the diverse communities of New York City, and this important legislation will help families receive the quality care they deserve."

New York City Councilmember Alexa Avilés said, "NY must continue to champion language access to assist New Yorkers in accessing public service and care. This is an excellent initiative that will improve our public health."

New York City Councilmember Mercedes Narcisse said, "As Chair of the City Council's Committee on Hospitals and as an immigrant who came to this country speaking little to no English, I know all too well how frightening it is to navigate a complex healthcare system without being able to properly communicate. No one should ever feel confused, afraid, or powerless when seeking medical care. Governor Hochul's action today is a great step toward equity in our healthcare system. Requiring hospitals to establish comprehensive language assistance programs will go a long way to improve patient safety, reduce disparities, and ensure every New Yorker is treated with dignity when it matters most."

Contact the Governor's Press Office