James Wins Multilingual Emergency Alert Expansion Battle

New York – In a groundbreaking victory for accessibility and public safety, New York Attorney General Letitia James has celebrated the expansion of Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs) to include American Sign Language and 13 additional languages.

James’ tireless advocacy led to this landmark decision by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), ensuring millions across the country will no longer be left in the dark during emergencies due to language barriers.

Wireless Emergency Alerts, which have historically been disseminated only in English and more recently with Spanish support, are now set to reach an estimated 1.3 million New Yorkers who speak neither of these languages.

The FCC’s Multilingual Alerts Order requires cell phone carriers to update their systems by June 12, 2028, to support multilingual alerts in Arabic, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), French, German, Haitian Creole, Hindi, Italian, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, Vietnamese, and American Sign Language.

‘This is a profound victory for the millions of New Yorkers and families across the country who will no longer be left without guidance during emergencies and natural disasters,’ James stated. ‘No one’s ability to protect themselves and their loved ones should depend on the language they speak.’

The expansion comes after years of advocacy from James, including a multistate demand letter to the FCC in November 2025 led by her office.