Office of the City Clerk - Record #: SO2015-1531

• Record #: SO2015-1531
• Type: Ordinance
• Status: Passed
• Intro date: 3/18/2015
• Current Controlling Legislative Body: Committee on Human Relations
• Final action: 5/6/2015
• Title: Amendment of Municipal Code Title 2 by adding new Chapter 40 entitled "Citywide Language Access to Ensure the Effective Delivery of City Services"
• Sponsors: Emanuel, Rahm, Pawar, Ameya, Colón, Rey, Moore, Joseph, Mell, Deborah, Reboyras, Ariel, Suarez, Regner Ray, Maldonado, Roberto, Cullerton, Timothy M., Osterman, Harry, Reilly, Brendan, Munoz, Ricardo, Tunney, Thomas, Moreno, Proco Joe, Pope, John, Balcer, James, Burnett, Jr., Walter, Cappleman, James, Smith, Michele, Mitts, Emma, Laurino, Margaret, Burke, Edward M., O'Connor, Patrick, O'Connor, Mary, Quinn, Marty, Silverstein, Debra L.
• Topic: MUNICIPAL CODE AMENDMENTS - Title 2 - City Government & Administration - Ch. 40 Citywide Language Access to Ensure Effective Delivery of City Services

Date	Journal Page Number	Action By	Action	Result
5/6/2015	108469	City Council	Passed as Substitute	Pass
4/28/2015		Committee on Human Relations	Substituted in Committee	Pass
3/18/2015	102816	City Council	Referred

SUBSTITUTE ORDINANCE
WHEREAS, the City of Chicago consistently seeks to improve service delivery and efficiency of government services by standardizing language access efforts across the City's public-facing departments; and
WHEREAS, it is essential that all residents, regardless of their proficiency in English, have meaningful access to City programs, services, and activities; and
WHEREAS, over 400,000 City residents do not speak English as their primary language and have a limited ability to read, speak, write or understand English and are therefore considered to have limited-English proficiency; and
WHEREAS, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits agencies that receive federal funds for programs or activities from discriminating against persons on the basis of race, color or national origin; and
WHEREAS, a language access working group composed of community, legal and civic leaders labored diligently to develop recommendations, which became the basis for the City's language access policy, for effectively providing public services and language assistance to people with limited English proficiency; and
WHEREAS, the City seeks to enhance access to City services for residents with limited-English proficiency in order to promote the general health, safety, and economic prosperity of Chicago; now, therefore,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CHICAGO:
SECTION 1. The Municipal Code of Chicago is hereby amended by adding a new Chapter 2-40 as follows:
CHAPTER 2^*0 CITYWIDE LANGUAGE ACCESS TO ENSURE THE EFFECTIVE DELIVERY OF CITY SERVICES
2-40-010 Definitions.
For purposes of this Chapter, the following terms shall have the following definitions:
"Direct public services" means services administered by a City department directly to program beneficiaries and/or participants.
"Essential public documents" means those documents most commonly distributed to the public that contain or elicit important and necessary information regarding the provis...