What This Bill Does
This bill declares English as the official language of the United States. It requires federal government functions to be conducted in English and establishes English language requirements for people seeking to become U.S. citizens. The bill also sets rules for interpreting U.S. laws written in English.
Who It Affects
People applying to become U.S. citizens, federal government employees and agencies, Congress members, state governments, and any person who believes a violation of this law has harmed them.
Key Provisions
* English is declared the official language of the United States (Sec. 3)
* Federal government representatives must preserve and enhance English as the official language and encourage greater opportunities for people to learn English (Sec. 3)
* All official government functions must be conducted in English, including all laws, public proceedings, regulations, publications, orders, actions, programs and policies (Sec. 3)
* All naturalization ceremonies must be conducted in English (Sec. 3)
* People seeking to become citizens 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)
* The Secretary of Homeland Security must issue rules within 180 days of the law taking effect for testing English language ability of people applying for naturalization (Sec. 5)
What Changes
If this becomes law, the federal government must conduct all official functions in English. The government cannot provide official services or documents in other languages, with specific exceptions for teaching languages, disability education requirements, national security, international relations, trade, tourism, commerce, public health and safety, census activities, protecting crime victims and defendants, and using foreign terms or phrases. Naturalization ceremonies must be in English, and rules will be created to test applicants' English abilities based on reading the Declaration of Independence, Constitution and U.S. laws.
Important Definitions
"Official" means any government function that binds the government, is required by law, or is subject to press or public scrutiny (Sec. 3). "United States" means the several states and the District of Columbia (Sec. 3).
Effective Date
The changes take effect 180 days after the law is enacted (Sec. 6).
II
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
S. 1109
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 SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
MARCH 30, 2023
Mr. VANCE (for himself and Mr. CRAMER) introduced the following bill; which
was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs
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-
1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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•S 1109 IS
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘English Language
2
Unity Act of 2023’’.
3
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
4
Congress finds and declares the following:
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(1) The United States is comprised of individ-
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uals from diverse ethnic, cultural, and linguistic
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backgrounds.
8
(2) Throughout the history of the United
9
States, a common thread binding citizens of dif-
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fering backgrounds has been the English language.
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(3) Among the powers reserved to the States
12
respectively is the power to establish the English
13
language as the official language of the respective
14
States, and otherwise to promote the English lan-
15
guage within the respective States, subject to the
16
prohibitions enumerated in the Constitution of the
17
United States and in laws of the respective States.
18
SEC. 3. ENGLISH AS OFFICIAL LANGUAGE OF THE UNITED
19
STATES.
20
(a) IN GENERAL.—Title 4, United States Code, is
21
amended by adding at the end the following:
22
‘‘CHAPTER 6—OFFICIAL LANGUAGE
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‘‘§ 161. Official language of the United States
24
‘‘The official language of the United States is
25
English.
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•S 1109 IS
‘‘§ 162. Preserving and enhancing the role of the offi-
1
cial language
2
‘‘Representatives of the Federal Government shall
3
have an affirmative obligation to preserve and enhance the
4
role of English as the official language of the Federal Gov-
5
ernment. Such obligation shall include encouraging great-
6
er opportunities for individuals to learn the English lan-
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guage.
8
‘‘§ 163. Official functions of Government to be con-
9
ducted in English
10
‘‘(a) SCOPE.—For the purposes of this section—
11
‘‘(1) the term ‘official’ refers to any function
12
that—
13
‘‘(A) binds the Government;
14
‘‘(B) is required by law; or
15
‘‘(C) is otherwise subject to scrutiny by ei-
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ther the press or the public; and
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‘‘(2) the term ‘United States’ means the several
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States and the District of Columbia.
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‘‘(b) OFFICIAL FUNCTIONS.—The official functions
20
of the Government of the United States shall be conducted
21
in English.
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‘‘(c) PRACTICAL EFFECT.—This section—
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‘‘(1) shall apply to all laws, public proceedings,
24
regulations, publications, orders, actions, programs,
25
and policies; and
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•S 1109 IS
‘‘(2) shall not apply to—
1
‘‘(A) teaching of languages;
2
‘‘(B) requirements under the Individuals
3
with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C.
4
1400 et seq.);
5
‘‘(C) actions, documents, or policies nec-
6
essary for national security, international rela-
7
tions, trade, tourism, or commerce;
8
‘‘(D) actions or documents that protect the
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public health and safety;
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‘‘(E) actions or documents that facilitate
11
the activities of the Bureau of the Census in
12
compiling any census of population;
13
‘‘(F) actions that protect the rights of vic-
14
tims of crimes or criminal defendants; or
15
‘‘(G) using terms of art or phrases from
16
languages other than English.
17
‘‘§ 164. Uniform English language rule for naturaliza-
18
tion
19
‘‘(a) UNIFORM LANGUAGE TESTING STANDARD.—All
20
citizens of the United States should be able to read and
21
understand generally the English language text of the
22
Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the
23
United States, and the laws of the United States made
24
in pursuance of the Constitution of the United States.
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•S 1109 IS
‘‘(b) CEREMONIES.—All naturalization ceremonies
1
shall be conducted in English.
2
‘‘§ 165. Rules of construction
3
‘‘Nothing in this chapter shall be construed—
4
‘‘(1) to prohibit a Member of Congress or any
5
officer or agent of the Federal Government, while
6
performing official functions under section 163, from
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communicating unofficially through any medium
8
with another person in a language other than
9
English (as long as official functions are performed
10
in English);
11
‘‘(2) to limit the preservation or use of Native
12
Alaskan or Native American languages (as defined
13
in the Native American Languages Act (25 U.S.C.
14
2901 et seq.));
15
‘‘(3) to disparage any language or to discourage
16
any person from learning or using a language; or
17
‘‘(4) to be inconsistent with the Constitution of
18
the United States.
19
‘‘§ 166. Standing
20
‘‘A person injured by a violation of this chapter may
21
in a civil action (including an action under chapter 151
22
of title 28) obtain appropriate relief.’’.
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(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of chapters
24
at the beginning of title 4, United States Code, is amended
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•S 1109 IS
by inserting after the item relating to chapter 5 the fol-
1
lowing:
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‘‘CHAPTER 6. OFFICIAL LANGUAGE’’.
SEC. 4. GENERAL RULES OF CONSTRUCTION FOR ENGLISH
3
LANGUAGE TEXTS OF THE LAWS OF THE
4
UNITED STATES.
5
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 1 of title 1, United
6
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
7
lowing:
8
‘‘§ 9. General rules of construction for laws of the
9
United States
10
‘‘(a) English language requirements and workplace
11
policies, whether in the public or private sector, shall be
12
presumptively consistent with the laws of the United
13
States.
14
‘‘(b) Any ambiguity in the English language text of
15
the laws of the United States shall be resolved, in accord-
16
ance with the last two articles of the Bill of Rights, not
17
to deny or disparage rights retained by the people, and
18
to reserve powers to the States respectively, or to the peo-
19
ple.’’.
20
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections
21
at the beginning of chapter 1 of title 1, United States
22
Code, is amended by inserting after the item relating to
23
section 8 the following:
24
‘‘9. General rules of construction for laws of the United States.’’.
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•S 1109 IS
SEC. 5. IMPLEMENTING REGULATIONS.
1
Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment
2
of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall issue
3
for public notice and comment a proposed rule for uniform
4
testing English language ability of candidates for natu-
5
ralization, which shall be based upon the principles that—
6
(1) all citizens of the United States should be
7
able to read and understand generally the English
8
language text of the Declaration of Independence,
9
the Constitution of the United States, and the laws
10
of the United States which are made in pursuance
11
thereof; and
12
(2) any exceptions to the standard described in
13
paragraph (1) should be limited to extraordinary cir-
14
cumstances.
15
SEC. 6. EFFECTIVE DATE.
16
The amendments made by sections 3 and 4 shall take
17
effect on the date that is 180 days after the date of enact-
18
ment of this Act.
19
Æ
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