[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5759 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5759

    To amend title 4, United States Code, to declare English as the 
national language of the Government of the United States, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 10, 2008

Mr. Broun of Georgia (for himself, Mr. Bilbray, Mr. Westmoreland, Mrs. 
    Drake, Mr. Bartlett of Maryland, Mrs. Blackburn, Mr. Akin, Mrs. 
   Musgrave, Mr. Pitts, Mr. Goode, Mr. David Davis of Tennessee, Mr. 
    Walberg, Mr. Aderholt, Mr. Marchant, Mr. Gohmert, Mr. Franks of 
 Arizona, Mr. Price of Georgia, Mr. Gingrey, Mr. Deal of Georgia, Mr. 
Linder, Mr. Kingston, Mr. Wamp, Mr. Tancredo, Mr. Coble, Ms. Foxx, Mr. 
Poe, and Mrs. Myrick) introduced the following bill; which was referred 
                to the Committee on Education and Labor

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To amend title 4, United States Code, to declare English as the 
national language of the Government of the United States, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``English as the Official Language Act 
of 2008''.

SEC. 2. AMENDMENT TO TITLE 4.

    Title 4, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
following:

                ``CHAPTER 6--LANGUAGE OF THE GOVERNMENT

``161. Declaration of national language.
``162. Preserving and enhancing the role of the national language.
``163. Use of language other than English.

``SEC. 161. DECLARATION OF NATIONAL LANGUAGE.

    ``English shall be the national language of the Government of the 
United States.

``SEC. 162. PRESERVING AND ENHANCING THE ROLE OF THE NATIONAL LANGUAGE.

    ``(a) In General.--The Government of the United States shall 
preserve and enhance the role of English as the national language of 
the United States of America.
    ``(b) Exception.--Unless specifically provided by statute, no 
person has a right, entitlement, or claim to have the Government of the 
United States or any of its officials or representatives act, 
communicate, perform or provide services, or provide materials in any 
language other than English. If an exception is made with respect to 
the use of a language other than English, the exception does not create 
a legal entitlement to additional services in that language or any 
language other than English.
    ``(c) Forms.--If any form is issued by the Federal Government in a 
language other than English (or such form is completed in a language 
other than English), the English language version of the form is the 
sole authority for all legal purposes.

``SEC. 163. USE OF LANGUAGE OTHER THAN ENGLISH.

    ``Nothing in this chapter shall prohibit the use of a language 
other than English.''.

SEC. 3. CONFORMING AMENDMENT.

    The table of chapters for title 4, United States Code, is amended 
by adding at the end the following new item:

``6. Language of the Government.............................     161''.
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