Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is a federal statute that prohibits recipients of Federal financial assistance from discriminating on the basis of race, color, or national origin in their programs or activities, and it obligates federal funding agencies to enforce statutory compliance. Pursuant to Executive Order 13166: Improving Access to Service for Persons with Limited English Proficiency (LEP), LEP persons are entitled to language assistance under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Federal assistance recipients shall take reasonable steps to ensure meaningful access to benefits, services, information, and other important portions of their programs and activities.
The Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) new guidelines for Caltrans, as a recipient of FTA funding assistance, require sub-recipients of Caltrans Planning Grants to submit a Title VI Plan to FTA every three years. As a Caltrans grant sub-recipient and as the Regional Transportation Planning Agency for Monterey County, the Transportation Agency is required to comply with FTA requirements associated with the use of these funds.
The Transportation Agency’s Title VI Program and Language Assistance Plan were developed to provide guidance in administration and management of Title VI related activities. As part of the Language Assistance Plan these languages were identified as those for which significant populations exist that require the Transportation Agency to provide language assistance: Spanish, Tagalog and Korean.
The Transportation Agency’s Title VI Program and Language Assistance Plan includes the following:
- The definition and significance of Title VI and Limited English Proficiency;
- The Transportation Agency’s commitment to meeting the statutory and reporting requirements of Title VI;
- A public participation plan and regional demographic profile;
- A summary of outreach efforts for Monterey County, including LEP engagement through the Safe Routes to Schools Program, Network Integration Study's development, and during the COVID-19 pandemic;
- The Language Assistance Plan, including an analysis of the potential number of Limited English Proficiency persons served by the Transportation Agency’s programs and projects, the frequency with which staff contact Limited English Proficiency persons, the significance of programs to Limited English Proficiency persons, and the services available to Limited English Proficiency persons;
- The Language Assistance Plan Implementation strategies; and
- Title VI complaint process and forms.
This Title VI Program & Language Assistance Plan is an update that includes the latest 2015-2019 American Community Survey US Census estimates for languages spoken at home. Staff also analyzed California Department of Education data for English Language Learners in Monterey County's school districts to have a better understanding of the different language groups that are not represented in US Census data, such as Triqui and Mixteco communities throughout the Salinas Valley.
Staff coordinated development of the Title VI Program and Language Assistance Plan with AMBAG and Monterey-Salinas Transit. Staff updated the MST Mobility Advisory Committee, TAMC Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee and Technical Advisory Committee during the Plan's development and accepted input for the document.
Staff recommends that the Board adopt the Title VI Program and Language Assistance Plan. Once adopted, TAMC will publish its Title VI Program and Language Assistance Plan, and will provide additional training to staff on Title VI policy and language assistance responsibilities. Staff will continue to offer training and resources to access Language Line Services for on-call interpretation and provide document translation when requested.