What This Bill Does
This bill declares English as the official language of the United States. It requires federal government officials to conduct official functions in English and establishes a uniform English language test for people seeking to become U.S. citizens. The bill also sets rules for how courts should interpret unclear parts of U.S. laws.
Who It Affects
Federal government representatives and employees, people applying for citizenship, federal agencies, courts interpreting federal laws, Congress members, and the Secretary of Homeland Security.
Key Provisions
• English is declared the official language of the United States (Sec. 3)
• Federal government officials must conduct all official functions in English (Sec. 3)
• All people seeking citizenship should be able to read and understand generally the English language text of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and U.S. laws (Sec. 3)
• All naturalization ceremonies must be conducted in English (Sec. 3)
• The Secretary of Homeland Security must create uniform rules for testing English language ability of citizenship candidates within 180 days after the law passes (Sec. 5)
What Changes
If this becomes law, federal government officials would be required to conduct official business in English only. Courts would interpret unclear parts of federal laws in ways that protect people's rights and reserve powers to the states. The law would not apply to teaching languages, special education requirements, national security matters, public health and safety documents, census activities, victim and defendant protections, or foreign language terms used as technical phrases.
Important Definitions
"Official functions" means actions that bind the government, are required by law, or are subject to review by the press or public. "Official" applies to all laws, public proceedings, regulations, publications, orders, actions, programs, and policies at the federal level.
Effective Date
Not specified in bill text
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 997
To declare English as the official language of the United States, to establish
a uniform English language rule for naturalization, and to avoid mis-
constructions of the English language texts of the laws of the United
States, pursuant to Congress’ powers to provide for the general welfare
of the United States and to establish a uniform rule of naturalization
under article I, section 8, of the Constitution.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 14, 2023
Mr. GOOD of Virginia introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Com-
mittee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by
the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall with-
in the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
A BILL
To declare English as the official language of the United
States, to establish a uniform English language rule for
naturalization, and to avoid misconstructions of the
English language texts of the laws of the United States,
pursuant to Congress’ powers to provide for the general
welfare of the United States and to establish a uniform
rule of naturalization under article I, section 8, of the
Constitution.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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•HR 997 IH
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘English Language
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Unity Act of 2023’’.
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SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
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The Congress finds and declares the following:
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(1) The United States is composed of individ-
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uals from diverse ethnic, cultural, and linguistic
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backgrounds, and continues to benefit from this rich
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diversity.
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(2) Throughout the history of the United
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States, the common thread binding individuals of
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differing backgrounds has been the English lan-
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guage.
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(3) Among the powers reserved to the States
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respectively is the power to establish the English
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language as the official language of the respective
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States, and otherwise to promote the English lan-
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guage within the respective States, subject to the
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prohibitions enumerated in the Constitution of the
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United States and in laws of the respective States.
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SEC. 3. ENGLISH AS OFFICIAL LANGUAGE OF THE UNITED
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STATES.
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(a) IN GENERAL.—Title 4, United States Code, is
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amended by adding at the end the following new chapter:
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•HR 997 IH
‘‘CHAPTER 6—OFFICIAL LANGUAGE
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‘‘§ 161. Official language of the United States
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‘‘The official language of the United States is
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English.
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‘‘§ 162. Preserving and enhancing the role of the offi-
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cial language
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‘‘Representatives of the Federal Government shall
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have an affirmative obligation to preserve and enhance the
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role of English as the official language of the Federal Gov-
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ernment. Such obligation shall include encouraging great-
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er opportunities for individuals to learn the English lan-
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guage.
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‘‘§ 163. Official functions of Government to be con-
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ducted in English
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‘‘(a) OFFICIAL FUNCTIONS.—The official functions
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of the Government of the United States shall be conducted
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in English.
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‘‘(b) SCOPE.—For the purposes of this section, the
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term ‘United States’ means the several States and the
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District of Columbia, and the term ‘official’ refers to any
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function that (i) binds the Government, (ii) is required
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by law, or (iii) is otherwise subject to scrutiny by either
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the press or the public.
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‘‘(c) PRACTICAL EFFECT.—This section shall apply
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to all laws, public proceedings, regulations, publications,
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•HR 997 IH
orders, actions, programs, and policies, but does not apply
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to—
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‘‘(1) teaching of languages;
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‘‘(2) requirements under the Individuals with
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Disabilities Education Act;
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‘‘(3) actions, documents, or policies necessary
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for national security, international relations, trade,
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tourism, or commerce;
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‘‘(4) actions or documents that protect the pub-
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lic health and safety;
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‘‘(5) actions or documents that facilitate the ac-
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tivities of the Bureau of the Census in compiling any
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census of population;
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‘‘(6) actions that protect the rights of victims of
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crimes or criminal defendants; or
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‘‘(7) using terms of art or phrases from lan-
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guages other than English.
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‘‘§ 164. Uniform English language rule for naturaliza-
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tion
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‘‘(a) UNIFORM LANGUAGE TESTING STANDARD.—All
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citizens should be able to read and understand generally
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the English language text of the Declaration of Independ-
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ence, the Constitution, and the laws of the United States
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made in pursuance of the Constitution.
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•HR 997 IH
‘‘(b) CEREMONIES.—All naturalization ceremonies
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shall be conducted in English.
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‘‘§ 165. Rules of construction
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‘‘Nothing in this chapter shall be construed—
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‘‘(1) to prohibit a Member of Congress or any
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officer or agent of the Federal Government, while
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performing official functions, from communicating
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unofficially through any medium with another per-
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son in a language other than English (as long as of-
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ficial functions are performed in English);
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‘‘(2) to limit the preservation or use of Native
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Alaskan or Native American languages (as defined
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in the Native American Languages Act);
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‘‘(3) to disparage any language or to discourage
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any person from learning or using a language; or
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‘‘(4) to be inconsistent with the Constitution of
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the United States.
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‘‘§ 166. Standing
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‘‘A person injured by a violation of this chapter may
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in a civil action (including an action under chapter 151
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of title 28) obtain appropriate relief.’’.
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(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of chapters
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at the beginning of title 4, United States Code, is amended
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by inserting after the item relating to chapter 5 the fol-
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lowing new item:
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‘‘CHAPTER 6. OFFICIAL LANGUAGE’’.
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•HR 997 IH
SEC. 4. GENERAL RULES OF CONSTRUCTION FOR ENGLISH
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LANGUAGE TEXTS OF THE LAWS OF THE
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UNITED STATES.
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(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 1 of title 1, United
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States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
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lowing new section:
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‘‘§ 9. General rules of construction for laws of the
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United States
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‘‘(a) English language requirements and workplace
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policies, whether in the public or private sector, shall be
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presumptively consistent with the laws of the United
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States.
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‘‘(b) Any ambiguity in the English language text of
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the laws of the United States shall be resolved, in accord-
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ance with the last two articles of the Bill of Rights, not
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to deny or disparage rights retained by the people, and
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to reserve powers to the States respectively, or to the peo-
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ple.’’.
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(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections
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at the beginning of chapter 1 of title 1 is amended by
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inserting after the item relating to section 8 the following
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new item:
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‘‘9. General rules of construction for laws of the United States.’’.
SEC. 5. IMPLEMENTING REGULATIONS.
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The Secretary of Homeland Security shall, within
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180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, issue
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•HR 997 IH
for public notice and comment a proposed rule for uniform
1
testing of English language ability of candidates for natu-
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ralization, based upon the principles that—
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(1) all citizens should be able to read and un-
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derstand generally the English language text of the
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Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and
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the laws of the United States which are made in
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pursuance thereof; and
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(2) any exceptions to this standard should be
9
limited to extraordinary circumstances, such as asy-
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lum.
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SEC. 6. EFFECTIVE DATE.
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The amendments made by sections 3 and 4 shall take
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effect on the date that is 180 days after the date of the
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enactment of this Act.
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Æ
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