The Assembly Elections Committee advanced SB 1360 on July 1, moving the language-access bill to the next stop after testimony from voting-rights advocates, clerks and election officials.
The bill would expand and codify translation requirements for limited-English-proficient voters, according to the committee hearing summary and witness notes from the July 1 hearing. It would also lower the population threshold used to determine where language assistance is required and create a petition process for communities that believe they have been undercounted.
Supporters in the hearing included civil-rights and voting-rights groups, while the California Association of Clerks and Elections Officials said SB 1360 needed amendments and clearer standards even as it backed the bill’s goals. The hearing record also references concerns about the Secretary of State’s role in language determinations and the operational impact on counties.
The committee’s action means SB 1360 continues moving through the Legislature, but the recorded testimony suggests the bill may still change before reaching the governor’s desk.
