The Justice Department opened public comments on Thursday, Nov. 12, on guidance that tells federal agencies to use English as the default for forms, websites, notices and services. Comments are due Jan. 11, 2027. The guidance asks agencies to review their translation and interpretation programs and keep assistance where the law requires it or the agency needs it to do its job.
The Federal Register notice makes the Oct. 22 memo public and gives people a way to tell the department what would happen if a particular service lost its language support. The department says it will consider whether to revise the guidance after reading the comments. It does not plan to respond to them individually.
Which services are under review
The memo covers routine federal communications as well as public-facing services. It lists agency websites, application forms, public notices, outreach materials and official correspondence among the places where English should ordinarily be the sole language. Agencies are asked to examine existing multilingual programs and decide, service by service, which ones meet either exception.
That review was already underway in parts of the government before Thursday's notice. The Justice Department says the departments of Homeland Security, Education and Treasury had started removing some non-English material from their websites. The memo does not identify every affected page or set one date when all agencies must finish reviewing their services. Someone who depends on a translated application or notice will need to check with the agency that runs that specific program.
The policy traces back to Executive Order 14224, which designated English as the official language in 2025 and revoked a 2000 order that directed federal agencies to improve access for people with limited English proficiency. The Justice Department says it issued initial guidance on Sept. 1, 2026, and revised it on Oct. 22. Thursday's action is the opening of the public comment period on that revised guidance.
Where the law still requires language help
The memo says agencies must follow legal duties already in force. It lists federal statutes, binding regulations and court orders among the sources of those duties. A change to executive-branch policy does not repeal an act of Congress.
The Voting Rights Act offers a concrete example of a separate legal requirement. Under Section 203, covered election jurisdictions must provide registration and voting materials in specified minority languages, as well as English. That duty comes from the statute. The Justice Department's memo addresses federal agency operations.
When agencies may keep translations
An agency can also retain language assistance when it decides the assistance is necessary to carry out its work. The memo lists disaster response, public health, safety communications, health care and contact with crime victims among the possible cases. It gives one specific example: Homeland Security told the Justice Department that the Transportation Security Administration would keep its automated multilingual helpline because it serves travelers who may need help in another language.
The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights examined language barriers in government services and health care in a separate 2026 report. The agency-by-agency approach matters for people who use more than one public service. A translation that remains available for a disaster program tells them little about whether a different agency will keep translating its application forms.
How to comment by Jan. 11
Start with the official notice and comment instructions. The notice directs electronic submissions to Regulations.gov under docket OLP188. The deadline is Monday, Jan. 11, 2027. The Federal Register also displays a comment form alongside the notice.
A comment can identify an agency, the service or form at issue, and the practical effect of retaining or removing language help. If the concern involves an application deadline or a safety notice, specify which one and how a reader currently gets the information. DOJ generally posts comments publicly, including identifying details the commenter volunteers. Leave account numbers, case files and other private information out of the submission.
