DPR Makes Language Services Permanent for County Agricultural Commissioners
What You Need to Know: DPR will permanently fund interpretation and translation services for County Agricultural Commissioner offices, expanding access to pesticide use enforcement and information for farmworkers and communities across California.
SACRAMENTO—The California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) today announced it will permanently fund language services for County Agricultural Commissioners (CACs). The program offers CAC offices across all 58 California counties no-cost access to a 24/7 interpretation call line and document translation services covering more than 100 languages.
This resource builds on the success of the department’s 2024–2026 pilot program to provide a resource for counties to address language barriers experienced by farmworkers and community members when reporting pesticide incidents or accessing pesticide enforcement information. The announcement accompanies the release of DPR’s Pilot Language Access Hub Summary Report, which documents outreach efforts, usage data and lessons learned from the pilot program.
“It is critical that all Californians, regardless of the language they speak, can access information on pesticide safety and workers’ rights, and report incidents to their County Agricultural Commissioner,” said Karen Morrison, DPR Director. “Expanding language access resources for counties is central to our strategic goal of fostering engagement, collaboration, and transparency with the communities we serve and increasing capacity for enforcement of pesticide use laws and regulations.”
DPR launched the Language Access Hub pilot in February 2024 to determine whether a centralized language program would meaningfully support CAC offices serving communities with limited English proficiency. As detailed in the summary report, the pilot confirmed both the need for these services and the value of sustaining language access support for counties long-term.
During the two-year pilot program:
- 27 counties requested interpretation or translation services
- 15 languages were requested, including Spanish, Punjabi, Hmong, Mixteco, Korean, and Vietnamese
- 64 documents were translated, including pesticide safety posters, meeting materials, permit conditions, violation notices, and civil penalty hearing information
- 13.5 hours of interpretation were provided
To reach communities most likely to need these services, DPR conducted direct outreach to CAC staff and the public, distributed flyers and brochures, ran social media campaigns, and broadcast radio public service announcements in multiple languages. DPR also hosted a dedicated webinar for CAC staff and established a community outreach partnership with Líderes Campesinas, a California organization that advocates for farmworker women.
“We had a great partnership with DPR to raise awareness about these language services through our 18 chapters and 1 youth group in conjunction with our Pesticide Awareness Month and other outreach efforts,” said Suguet López, Executive Director of Líderes Campesinas. “Ensuring that all workers can communicate with local officials is vital for accessing public services and protecting their rights.”
“California’s farmworker communities speak dozens of languages, including oral‑tradition Indigenous languages that standard translation services rarely reach,” said Celia Pazos, DPR Deputy Director of Environmental Justice and Equity. “Expanding language access is a key part of our equity‑centered approach to broaden education and knowledge‑sharing opportunities.”
Building on feedback from CAC staff, farmworker advocates, and community members, the permanent program will expand services to include:
- Interpretation services, scheduled in advance, for languages with distinct regional dialects
- Voiceover services for oral-only languages, including Latin American indigenous languages such as Mixteco
- Prioritized subcontracting with Latin American indigenous language providers to strengthen interpreter quality and availability
How to Access Services
Californians can request services in their preferred language by contacting their local CAC office. To find your county’s contact information, visit CACASA or call toll-free 1-877-378-5463 (1-87PestLine).
For questions about DPR’s Language Access Hub, email LanguageAccess@cdpr.ca.gov. To learn more about DPR’s commitment to environmental justice and equity, visit the Environmental Justice page.