Federal Services for Constituents Available in Spanish: Selected Sources

Federal Services for Constituents Available in Spanish: Selected Sources

Order Code RL31732
CRS Report for Congress
Received through the CRS Web
Federal Services for Constituents
Available in Spanish: Selected Sources
Updated August 10, 2004
Leneice Wu
Specialist in International Relations
Foreign Affairs, Defense and Trade Division
Sherry Shapiro
Information Resource Specialist
Office of Information Resources Management
Congressional Research Service ˜ The Library of Congress

Federal Services for Constituents Available in
Spanish: Selected Sources
Summary
This report is a directory of sources on various federal constituent services
available in Spanish to assist congressional offices in serving Spanish-speaking
constituents. The topics covered are: access to jobs and workers’ issues, Americans
with Disabilities Act (ADA), childcare, consumer protection, disaster relief, elder
care, emergency management, emergency preparedness, environmental protection,
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), food safety, health, higher education,
homeland security, housing, immigration, immunizations, Medicaid, Medicare, the
Presidency, retirement, Small Business Administration (SBA), Social Security
Administration (SSA), taxes, telephone service, travel and tourism, veterans affairs
(VA), and voting.
Ultimately this report will be available in Spanish, and will be updated as
needed. CRS also maintains a report on federal services available in numerous
foreign languages, including Spanish, on the same topics: CRS Report RL31731,
Federal Services for Constituents Available in Foreign Languages: Selected
Sources.

Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
FirstGov.gov . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Access to Jobs and Workers’ Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Americans with Disabilities Act . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Childcare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Consumer Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Disaster Relief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Elder Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Emergency Preparedness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Environmental Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Federal Bureau of Investigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Food Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Health Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
SARS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Higher Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Homeland Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Housing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Immigration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Immunizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Limited English Proficiency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Medicaid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Medicare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
The Presidency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Retirement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Small Business Administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Social Security Administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Taxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Telephone Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Travel and Tourism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Veterans Affairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Voting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Federal Services for Constituents Available
in Spanish: Selected Sources
Introduction
Many congressional offices are representing constituencies that include non-
English speakers, and frequently receive correspondence from constituents in a
foreign language. The federal government has recognized the need for material in
foreign languages for this population by translating much useful information into a
variety of languages. Currently, the most prevalent language is Spanish. The
following report compiles selected sources of federal information in Spanish, on a
variety of constituent concerns. Information in English on Spanish language sources
is provided, where available. Our goal is that this report will aid English speaking
staff of congressional offices in dealing with concerns of their Spanish-speaking
constituents.
Most of this information is available through the Internet, which is accessible
to patrons of many local libraries.1 Ultimately, this report will be translated into
Spanish. CRS maintains a separate report, CRS Report RL31731, Federal Services
for Constituents Available in Foreign Languages: Selected Sources, on information
that is available in numerous foreign languages, including Spanish.
General Information
The Federal Citizen Information Center has a multi-language gateway, located
at [http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/multilanguage/multilang.htm], that contains lists of
some federal resources available in 25 foreign languages; the list is organized by
language. The resources available in Spanish are especially comprehensive
([http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/spanish/splinks.htm]). The topics covered are:
children, education, employment, environment, federal benefits and services, food
and nutrition, health, housing, money, safety, small business, and consumer
assistance. For now, the titles are available only in English. Ultimately, the Federal
Citizen Information Center plans to provide titles in the relevant language.2
Individuals who are interested in a specific area will find a topical approach in the
remainder of this report, below.
1 Suzy Platt. How to find information in a library and on the Internet. CRS Report 97-76.
6 p.
2 Email from Arlene Gallego, Federal Citizen Information Center, January 28, 2003.

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FirstGov.gov
FirstGov.gov, which is a gateway website, providing access, via a search box
and index to government information and publications. FirstGov.gov provides an
index to Federal agencies and links to state, local and Indian tribal websites. The
information which is accessible via FirstGov.gov ranges from publications of
Federal, state and local agencies; benefits information, and general information about
government functions and services. To access FirstGov.gov, use:
[http://firstgov.gov/index.shtml]. FirstGov.gov has developed a new Spanish-
language website (FirstGov.gov en Espanol) which provides detailed information and
instructions in Spanish and includes links which enable users to access all other
Spanish-language websites provided by Federal, state and local agencies. For
FirstGov.gov in Spanish see [http://firstgov.gov/Espanol/index.shtml].
Access to Jobs and Workers’ Issues
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ([http://www.eeoc.gov])
offers a variety of free publications in several languages, including Spanish. The
topics they cover include filing a charge of job discrimination; employment rights of
immigrants under federal anti-discrimination laws, (on the basis of national origin,
pregnancy, religion, race/color, and age); mediation; small business information;
Americans with Disabilities Act; Family and Medical Leave Act; and sexual
harassment, among others. Many of these publications are available online at
[http://www.eeoc.gov/publications.html] or there is an online form to order paper
copies by mail.
The U.S. Department of Labor, Employment Standards Administration, Wage
and Hour Division, offers several fact sheets in Spanish:

! Federal Child Labor Laws in Farm Jobs
[http://www.dol.gov/esa/regs/compliance/whd/whdfs40spanish.htm]
! Child Labor Provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act for
Nonagricultural Occupations
[http://www.dol.gov/esa/regs/compliance/whd/whdfs43spanish.htm]
! Minimum Wage, Record keeping, and Child Labor Requirements of
U.S. Law Applicable to Foreign Commercial Vehicle Operators and
Helpers
[http://www.dol.gov/esa/regs/compliance/whd/whdfs47spanish.htm]
! Application of U.S. Labor Laws to Immigrant Workers: Effect of
Hoffman Plastic decision on laws enforced by the Wage and Hour
Division
[http://www.dol.gov/esa/regs/compliance/whd/whdfs48spanish.htm]

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The Department of Labor also provides information in Spanish on pension
c o v e r a g e a n d h e a l t h b e n e f i t s f o r u n e m p l o ye d w o r k e r s a t
[http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/pdf/QA.pdf].
Americans with Disabilities Act
The U.S. Department of Justice provides information about the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA) through a toll-free ADA Information Line. This service
permits businesses, state and local governments or others to call and ask questions
about general or specific ADA requirements including questions about the ADA
Standards for Accessible Design.
ADA specialists are available Monday through Friday from 10:00 AM until 6:00
PM (eastern time) except on Thursday when the hours are 1:00 PM until 6:00 PM.
Spanish language service is also available.
For general ADA information, answers to specific technical questions, free
ADA materials, or information about filing a complaint, call: 800-514-0301 (voice)
or 800 514-0383 (TTY). (Source: [http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/infoline.htm].)
Several publications related to ADA are available in different languages, also
through the ADA Information Line (cited above). Lists of these titles can be found
at [http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/publicat.htm]. Examples of brochure titles in
Spanish are: “ADA Questions and Answers”, “A Guide to Disability Rights Laws,”
“ADA Guide for Small Businesses,” “A Guide for People with Disabilities Seeking
Employment,” “Commonly Asked Questions about Service Animals,” and
“Questions and Answers: the ADA and Persons with HIV/AIDS.”
Childcare
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services sponsors a “Child Care
Aware” website in Spanish. It provides information on finding quality child care,
c h i l d s a f e t y , a n d t h e “ D a i l y P a r e n t ” n e w s l e t t e r . S e e
[http://www.childcareaware.org/sp/].
Consumer Protection
The Federal Citizen Information Center provides a catalogue of consumer
publications available in Spanish at [http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/spanish/]. The
federal government also maintains a website that consolidates various aspects of
consumer information: [http://www.consumer.gov/index.htm]. The site is organized
by the following topics: food, products safety, health, home and community, money,
transportation, children, careers and education, technology, and “Etc.”. Lists of links
appear under each heading, with an indication of which information is available in
Spanish. Current examples are on illegally imported cigarette lighter recall, a holiday
toy recall checklist (under “Products Safety”), Halloween safety tips and identifying

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an asthma-friendly childcare setting (under “Children”), and shopping for and
negotiating the best mortgage (under “Money”).
The Federal Trade Commission has extensive information in Spanish on a
number of issues of concern to consumers at [http://www.ftc.gov/ftc
/spanishinfo/consumer.htm]. Hotlinks to information are available as follows:
automobiles, credit, diet, health and fitness, “at home” (mortgages, bedding, home
repair, and holiday shopping), e-commerce and the internet, franchise and business
opportunities, investments, products and services, seniors’ issues, telephone services,
scholarship and employment services, and telemarketing. There is also information
on filing a consumer complaint, identity theft, business information, media resources,
and consumer information.
Information in Spanish, for businesses and consumers, on the National “Do Not
Call” Registry, which deals with issues associated with telemarketers, is available
at [http://www.ftc.gov/ftc/spanishinfo/consumer.html]. The Spanish language FTC
website provides only general information. Specific “Do Not Call” information is
only available in English at this time. The FBI provides a Spanish version of its
publication entitled “A Parent’s Guide to Internet Safety” at
[http://www.fbi.gov/publications/pguide/pguides.htm]. The Federal Reserve Board
provides information in Spanish on home mortgages, vehicle leasing, and complaints
about a bank. See [http://www.federalreserve.gov/consumers.htm].
Disaster Relief
The Federal Emergency Management Agency provides a translation of its
website into Spanish. See [http://www.fema.gov/spanish/index_spa.shtm]. Topics
include minimizing the effects of the next flood, information on amounts of money
made available for disaster assistance, and current information on the status of access
to disaster assistance. The website includes current information for those affected
by Hurricane Isabel who are in “Designated Federal Disaster Areas.”
Elder Care
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration on Aging
has information in Spanish on Alzheimer’s Disease and other concerns.
([http://www.aoa.gov/language/language_espanol.asp]). This page also provides a
link to a website that provides electronic translations:
[http://babel.altavista.com/translate.dyn?url=[http://www.aoa.gov/alz/index.asp]].
Emergency Preparedness
The newly created U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) provides
information for dealing with a wide range of emergency situations, including
disasters; chemical, biological and radiation threats; and potential terrorist attacks.
Information includes definitions of various types of threats, instructions for preparing

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emergency kits for the home, and on how to obtain additional information. Currently
the information is available in English, but the Department intends to provide
information in additional languages in the immediate future. (Source:
[http://www.ready.gov/languages.html ])
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) provides information on its website on
Anthrax and Smallpox vaccination programs. This information is available in
Spanish. (Source: [http://www.cdc.gov/spanish/bt/])
Environmental Protection
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Web site provides a variety
of information in Spanish at [http://www.epa.gov/espanol/]. The topics covered
include the environment in one’s daily life, protecting children, relevant laws and
treaties, technical material for environmental professionals, environmental
emergencies, such as oil spills and the like, and other Spanish-language resources on
the environment.
Federal Bureau of Investigation
We located material in Spanish on the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
website, by typing “espanol” into the box on the search screen
([http://www.fbi.gov/search.htm]). Most of the translations are of selected material
concerning individuals among the FBI’s “ten most wanted.”
Food Safety
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied
Nutrition provides information in ten difference languages, including Spanish.
Topics vary, and include cosmetics, food additives, foodborne illness, imports and
exports; not all topics are available in all languages. See
[http://www.fda.gov/oia/foreigndocs.htm].
As part of [http://www.firstgov.gov], there is a central site on food safety
(Gateway to Government Food Safety Information. Other Languages Documents) at
[http://www.foodsafety.gov/~fsg/fsglang.html]. This site points to information on
many food safety issues, and provides it in nine different languages, including
Spanish.
This site also has hot links to several sites that are available in multiple
languages. It includes information from the Foodborne Illness Education Center,
sponsored by the Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration.
Some of the material is available through interlibrary loan from the National
Agricultural Library, and is available in 33 different languages, including Spanish.
Topics include food safety, food additives, FDA import procedures, pesticides, food

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and cosmetic regulatory responsibilities, for ex ample. See
[http://peaches.nal.usda.gov/foodborne/fbidb/forlang.asp].
There is also a link to the Integrated Food Safety Information Delivery System
(sponsored by the Department of Inspections and Appeals, Iowa), which has several
signs and fact sheets in 14 different languages for use by local food establishments,
on topics such as handwashing, smoking, and dishwashing. See
[http://www.profoodsafety.org/]. Finally, the site provides a link to the New South
Wales Australia Multicultural Health Communications Service, with 5 food safety
publications translated into 14 different languages. Choose “Food Safety” from the
list of topics, and a link to the Spanish version of a publication is available from the
English version of the specific publication. See [http://mhcs.health.nsw.gov.au
/health-public-affairs/mhcs/publications/langindex.html].
Health Issues
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) maintains extensive
health information in Spanish on its Web site. See [http://www.cdc.gov/spanish/]
for the first page of the Spanish material, with links to various topics. They include
allergies and asthma, mental health, and tips on quitting smoking. Each topic then
links to Spanish publications on various aspects of that topic. There is also
information on biological terrorism, covering both anthrax and smallpox:
[http://www.cdc.gov/spanish/bt/default.htm]. An index in Spanish of a broad range
of health issues, with links to further information in Spanish, is available at
[http://www.cdc.gov/spanish/indice.htm]. The phone number for help from the CDC
in Spanish is 1-888-246-2857.
The National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health provide
extensive resources in Spanish on a wide variety of topics at
[http://medlineplus.gov/esp/]. The site provides an alphabetical index of health
topics, with links to relevant information, an illustrated health encyclopedia (with
4,000 articles), as well as interactive tutorials. They also provide a link to an online
glossary of technical and popular medical terms that can be searched by eight
different languages. Through their website, at [http://www.nlm.nih.gov/
medlineplus/spanish/encyclopedia.html], one can access an encyclopedia of medical
terms and information in Spanish.
Through the Combined Health Information Database (CHID online)
([http://www.chid.nih.gov]), which is a bibliographic database produced by health-
related agencies of the Federal Government, a wealth of health promotion and
education materials and program descriptions is provided. This database includes
titles, abstracts, and availability information for health resources which are not
indexed elsewhere. New records are added quarterly and current listings are checked
regularly to help ensure that entries are up to date and still available from their
original sources. Some older records are retained for archival purposes. CHID is
updated four times a year. The updated database is available at the end of these
months: January, April, July, and October. CHID is searchable in more than twenty

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languages, including Spanish, by scrolling to the bottom of the search screen and
using the “refine your search” drop-downs. ([http://chid.nih.gov/detail/detail.html])
Through the federal government gateway on food safety
([http://www.foodsafety.gov/~fsg/fsgl-es.html]), we located a link to a wide range
of health topics, covered in approximately 50 different languages, including Spanish
at [http://mhcs.health.nsw.gov.au/health-public-affairs/mhcs/publications/
langindex.html]. There are some 40 health related topics on the site, from “Abuse”
to “Women’s Health.” There are links, by language, that will connect to the topics
that are available in that language. At this writing, a total of 271 articles is available
in Spanish. This site is maintained by the New South Wales Australia Multicultural
Health Communications Service.
Consumer education materials about prescription, generic, and over-the-counter
drug products is available in Spanish through the Center for Drug Evaluation and
Research of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ([http://www.fda.gov
/cder/consumerinfo/DPAdefault.htm]). Topics covered are buying drugs overseas,
a guide to managing the benefits and risks of medicines, being an active member of
your health care team, and steps to safer health care. At this time, all information on
this web page is in English.

The Department of Labor website ([http://www.dol.gov]) has several documents
in Spanish that are related to health issues (most are part of the Employee Benefits
Security Administration web page):
! Work Changes Require Health Choices
[http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/pdf/WorkSpn.pdf]
! Life Changes Require Health Choices
[http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/pdf/LifeSpn.pdf]
! Top 10 Ways to Make Your Health Benefits Work for You
[http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/pdf/Top10Spn.pdf]
SARS. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) provides information on SARS
(Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) on a health topics webpage. See
[http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/sars/]. This webpage provides information about
diagnosis, treatment, SARS tips for travelers, and includes links to local health
d e p a r t m e n t s . F o r S A R S i n f o r m a t i o n i n S p a n i s h s e e
[http://www.cdc.gov/spanish/enfermedades/sras.htm].
Higher Education
The U.S. Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid (FSA) programs are
the largest source of student aid in America, providing nearly 70% of all student
financial aid. The Federal Student Aid website is available in English
([http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/index.jsp]) and in

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Spanish ([http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/spanish/index.jsp]).
A variety of publications on federal student aid is available on line in Spanish at
[http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/spanish/publications.jsp],
including the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, information on funding an
education, and repaying a student loan.
Homeland Security
For information on this topic, consult the emergency preparedness section of
this guide. Additionally, see [http://www.ready.gov/languages.html].
Housing
The Department of Housing and Urban Development has information in Spanish
on many housing issues, including buying a home ([http://www.hud.gov/buying
/index.es.cfm?lang=es]), rental assistance ([http://www.hud.gov/renting
/ i n d e x .e s . c f m ? l a n g = e s ] ), h o u s i n g options for senior citizens
([http://www.hud.gov/groups/seniors.es.cfm?lang=es]), and for people with
disabilities ([http://www.hud.gov/groups/disabilities.es.cfm?lang=es]). Each of
these links has related links in Spanish on myriad topics such as keeping one’s home
healthy for children, a home-shopping checklist, renters insurance, federal financial
assistance to renters, filing a housing discrimination complaint, and numerous others.
The site also has an English-to-Spanish dictionary of homebuying terms
([http://www.hud.gov/buying/terms_eng-sp.cfm]).
The site includes a listing by state of HUD-approved housing counseling
agencies throughout the country that give advice on buying a home, renting, defaults,
f o r e c l o s u r e s , c r e d i t i s s u e s a n d r e v e r s e m o r t g a g e s . S e e
[http://www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/sfh/hcc/hccprof14.es.cfm?lang=es]. Phone service
is also available in Spanish: 1-800-569-4287.
Immigration
The Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (BCIS) of the Department
of Homeland Security (DHS), provides nationwide assistance by telephone to
customers calling from within the United States about immigration services and
benefits. Service is available in English and Spanish. Both automated information
and live assistance are available, by calling 1-800-375-5283 (press 2 for service in
Spanish); the TTY number is: 1-800-767-1833. The website is almost exclusively
in English, but a limited version of the website and question and answer page can be
found at [http://uscis.gov/graphics/index.htm].
The BCIS website links to forms and other information in English. It then
provides links to free Internet sites that provide translations, for several languages,
although it does not endorse these services nor can it guarantee their accuracy. It

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cautions that the translations are prepared electronically, but that the results of using
these services might serve as a starting point.
See [http://www.immigration.gov/graphics/translate.htm].
Immunizations
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention maintains a Web site on its
National Immunization Program. Information on this topic is available in Spanish at
[http://www.cdc.gov/spanish/inmunizacion.htm]. The site also provides a phone
number where help is available in Spanish: 1-800-232-0233.
Limited English Proficiency
Government-wide efforts to build awareness of the needs of individuals with
limited English proficiency (LEP) has resulted in the [http://www.lep.gov] website.
The efforts of 35 Federal agencies are described on this website, which is maintained
by the Department of Justice (DOJ). This website serves as a clearinghouse for
government programs and efforts to provide services to individuals with limited
proficiency in English. It provides detailed descriptions of the programs underway
in most Federal agencies and provides links to community organizations. The
information provided in this website is primarily in English with a few options to
view certain sub-pages in Spanish. In those instances, the Spanish-language
availability is indicated at the end of the specific passages.
Medicaid
According to the website for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
(CMS), “Medicaid is a jointly-funded, cooperative venture between the Federal and
State governments to assist states in the provision of adequate medical care to
eligible needy persons . . . . Eligibility is limited to individuals who fall into specified
categories. The federal statute identifies over 25 different eligibility categories for
which federal funds are available.” The CMS website ([http://www.cms.hhs.gov
/medicaid/]) details eligibility criteria in English. For most states, there is a hotlink
to that state’s Medicaid website ([http://www.cms.hhs.gov/states]). State information
includes contact phone numbers and addresses for the office within each state which
administers Medicaid. Some of the numbers are toll free and each state indicates the
availability of foreign language service.
Medicare
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administers the Medicare
program. CMS has Spanish phone service available at 1-800-633-4227; press 2 for
Spanish. An overview of the information available on the Medicare Web site can

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be found at [http://www.medicare.gov/]. There is a tab for information in Spanish.
They also have 33 publications available in Spanish. Ordering information is
available at [http://www.medicare.gov/Publications/]. A tab provides access to the
publications in Spanish. All are available in PDF format online at the same URL.
The Medicare publications catalogue has a complete listing of brochures
available on a variety of topics, including eligibility, nursing homes, Medicare plan
choices, and Medicare claims. This catalogue, located at
[http://www.medicare.gov/Publications/Pubs/pdf/pubcatalog.pdf], lists titles in
English, and indicates whether a publication is available in Spanish, (in some cases,
also in large print Spanish, or as an audiotape). There is also a publications
catalogue in Spanish:
[http://www.medicare.gov/Publications/Pubs/pdf/sppubcatalog.pdf].
All Medicare publications are free and most are available on the Web,
[http://www.medicare.gov], by calling 1-800-733-4227, or through a Web mailing
list. Choose “Subscribe to Our Mailing List” from the Medicare Web site to take
advantage of this last option.
The Presidency
The White House website provides information in Spanish on the President and
a variety of public policy issues, such as terrorism, the economy, education, and
Medicare. The gateway is at [http://www.whitehouse.gov/espanol/index.es.html].
See the “Travel and Tourism” section, below, for information on visiting the White
House.
Retirement
For Federal retirees, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) provides
information in Spanish at [http://www.opm.gov/retire/spanish/html/faqs/index.asp].
It includes information on planning for retirement, retirement topics, such as criteria
for eligibility, benefits and procedures, and a guide to the most frequently asked
questions. There is also a list of publications that are available in Spanish:
[http://www.opm.gov/retire/spanish/library/index.asp].
The Department of Labor website ([http://www.dol.gov]) has two documents
in Spanish that are related to retirement:
! Women and Retirement Savings
[http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/publications/womensp.htm]
! Top 10 Ways to Prepare for Retirement
[http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/publications/top10spn.htm]

CRS-11
Small Business Administration
The Small Business Administration (SBA) was created to “aid, counsel, assist
and protect. . . the interests of small business concerns.” Its Web site provides
information in Spanish at [http://www.sba.gov/espanol/]. It includes extensive
information on topics such as the programs and services of the SBA, financing small
business, and assistance in case of a disaster. There is also information on contacting
the national ombudsman ([http://www.sba.gov/espanol/Ombudsman_Nacional/]).
Social Security Administration
General information on Social Security is available in 15 different languages,
including Spanish. See [http://www.ssa.gov/multilanguage/]. There are links from
each language on this page to the lists of titles of related publications that are
available in that language. The titles are in English and the relevant foreign
language. Although the list varies for each language, samples of the titles currently
available, are:
! A Snapshot of Social Security
! Interpreter Services Policy
! Supplemental Security Income Benefits (SSA Pub. 05-10734)
! Supplemental Security Income in California (SSA Pub. 05-1176)
! SSI Rights and Responsibilities (SSA Pub. 05-10826)
! Disability Benefits (SSA Pub. 05-10736)
! Update 2002 (SSA Pub. 05-10856)
! Retirement and Survivor Benefits (SSA Pub. 05-10725)
The Social Security Administration Web site has a gateway to comprehensive
information in Spanish [http://www.ssa.gov/espanol/]. Several topics are covered,
including retirement benefits, Medicare, and disability benefits. There are also
glossaries, both English to Spanish and Spanish to English, of terms that the Social
Security Administration uses, located at [ http://www.ssa.gov
/espanol/glossintro.html].
Sample Social Security Statements are available in Spanish at
[http://www.ssa.gov/mystatement/]. A Social Security Statement is “a concise,
easy-to-read personal record of the earnings on which one has paid Social Security
taxes during your working years and a summary of the estimated benefits you and
your family may receive as a result of those earnings.”
The Social Security Administration also provides free interpreter services, to
conduct Social Security business. See
[http://www.ssa.gov/multilanguage/langlist1.htm] or call 1-800-772-1213, 7 a.m.-
7 p.m., Eastern time, Monday through Friday. Several different foreign languages
are covered by this service, including Spanish. The Web site also provides a poster
with an offer of interpreter services in each of the languages.
([http://www.ssa.gov/multilanguage/20X32POSTER10_9_01.PDF])

CRS-12
Taxes
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has a gateway to its information in Spanish:
[http://www.irs.gov/espanol/index.html]. It includes a link to its publications in
Spanish ([http://www.irs.gov/espanol/content/0,,id=99758,00.html]), how to obtain
information in Spanish by phone ([http://www.irs.gov/espanol/article
/0,,id=99715,00.html]), and an English-to-Spanish glossary of terms used in IRS
publications: [http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p850.pdf].
Telephone Service
In a collection of consumer alerts and fact sheets on its Web site, the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC), Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau
Web site provides information on international long distance calling in several
l a n g u a g e s , i n c l u d i n g S p a n i s h . S e e [ h t t p : / / w w w . f c c . g o v / c g b /
information_directory.html]; scroll down to the subhead “International” to access the
links to the foreign language material. The brochure covers instructions on placing
an international long distance call, information on the best way to save money on
international calls, calling plans, dial-arounds, pre-paid cards, international callback
services, telephone translation services when placing international calls, and money
saving tips for selecting an international long distance service.
To file a complaint to the FCC on telephone-related issues, a form is provided
in Spanish at [http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/spanish/spanish.html]. For the
form, scroll down to the link for the complaint form. According to the Web site, this
form is to be used for “general telephone complaints including billing disputes,
cramming, taxes on phone bill, telephone company advertising practices, telephone
information services, unsolicited telephone marketing calls and faxes, and
accessibility by persons with disabilities to telecommunications equipment and
services.” The FCC asks that the form not be used for filing slamming complaints.
The Spanish information page also has a variety of consumer information and links
to other FCC pages in Spanish ([http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts
/spanish/spanish.html]).
Travel and Tourism
The Transportation Security Administration has prepared a brochure on
prohibited and permitted items for air travel passengers, that is available in Spanish
at [http://www.tsa.dot.gov/interweb/assetlibrary/Chart_Brochure_Spanish.pdf].
The National Park Service gives access to a list of all its parks related to a
specific cultural heritage, although the information about them is in English. See
[http://data2.itc.nps.gov/parksearch/topicsearch.cfm], and scroll to the bottom of the
page, to choose from the different ethnic groups, including Hispanic American.
For visitors to Washington, D.C., the Smithsonian Institution provides guides
in several languages, including Spanish ([http://www.si.edu/guides/spanish.htm]).

CRS-13
Guides to the National Gallery of Art are available in Spanish, and other languages.
See [http://www.nga.gov/collection/ggpdfen.htm]. Information on visiting the White
House can be found in Spanish at [http://www.whitehouse.gov
/history/tours/index.es.html].
Veterans Affairs

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides information in Spanish on
a variety of topics, including compensation and pension benefits, education benefits,
and other benefits, such as assistance to homeless veterans or former prisoners of
war. See [http://www.vba.va.gov/bln/21/Milsvc/benfacts.htm].
Voting
Various publications on voting in the United States are available in Spanish
from the Federal Election Commission Web site, such as information on federal
campaign financing, a citizen’s guide to support for federal candidates, registration,
accounting and reports of expenses for candidates, the role of foreign persons in U.S.
elections, public financing of presidential elections, and volunteer activities related
to elections. See [http://www.fec.gov/pages/espanol.htm].