House committee OKs bill by Titus for airport signs

WASHINGTON — A bill that would require signs at the nation’s airports, including McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, to be written in multiple languages sailed through a House committee Wednesday on a unanimous vote.

The House Homeland Security Committee approved the bill by Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev., and a slew of other items during a markup of pending legislation before the panel.

There were no objections to the Titus bill.

“It’s really just a basic courtesy,” she told the committee. “I know we all appreciate seeing signs in English when we travel abroad.”

The full House is expected to pass the legislation, which would then go to the Senate.

In introducing the bill, Titus said, “You shouldn’t have to worry about missing a flight just because you don’t speak English.”

Titus, a Homeland Security Committee member, cited U.S. Census Bureau statistics that show roughly 65 million individuals in the United States over the age of five speak English with difficulty.

She said an estimated 34 percent of Clark County residents speak a language other than English at home.

Las Vegas is an international tourist destination. Last year, 50 million passengers traveled through McCarran, according to Clark County figures.

As an international city, Las Vegas and its airport should be comfortable to “all residents and visitors alike,” Titus said.

“Making signs at airports easier to understand for non-English speakers and those with vision impairments is common sense,” she said.

Contact Gary Martin at gmartin@reviewjournal.com or 202-662-7390. Follow @garymartindc on Twitter.