; findings (a) Definitions In this title, the definitions in section 3400 of the Public Health Service Act, as added by section 204, shall apply. (b) Findings Congress finds the following: (1) Effective communication is essential to meaningful access to quality physical and mental health care. (2) Research indicates that the lack of appropriate language services creates language barriers that result in increased risk of misdiagnosis, ineffective treatment plans, and poor health outcomes for individuals with limited-English proficiency and individuals with communication disabilities such as hearing, vision, or print impairments. (3) The number of limited-English-speaking residents in the United States who speak English less than very well and, therefore, cannot effectively communicate with health and social service providers continues to increase significantly. (4) The responsibility to fund language services in the provision of health care and health-care-related services to individuals with limited-English proficiency and individuals with communication disabilities such as hearing, vision, or print impairments is a societal one that cannot fairly be placed solely upon the health care, public health, or social services community. (5) Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 ( 42 U.S.C. 2000d et seq.) prohibits discrimination based on the grounds of race, color, or national origin by any entity receiving Federal financial assistance. In order to avoid discrimination on the grounds of national origin, all programs or activities administered by the Federal Government must take adequate steps to ensure that their policies and procedures do not deny or have the effect of denying individuals with limited-English proficiency with equal access to benefits and services for which such persons qualify. (6) Both the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 ( 42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.) and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 ( 29 U.S.C. 701 et seq.) prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability and require the provision of