[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1335 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1335

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


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 8, 2007

 Mr. Inhofe (for himself and Mr. Enzi) introduced the following bill; 
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security 
                        and Governmental Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To amend title 4, United States Code, to declare English as the 
official 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 ``S.I. Hayakawa Official English 
Language Act of 2007''.

SEC. 2. ENGLISH AS OFFICIAL LANGUAGE.

    (a) In General.--Title 4, United States Code, is amended by adding 
at the end the following new chapter:

                ``CHAPTER 6--LANGUAGE OF THE GOVERNMENT

``Sec.
``161. Declaration of official language.
``162. Official Government activities in English.
``163. Preserving and enhancing the role of the official language.
``164. Exceptions.
``Sec. 161. Declaration of official language
    ``English shall be the official language of the Government of the 
United States.
``Sec. 162. Official Government activities in English
    ``The Government of the United States shall conduct its official 
activities in English, including preparing publications, income tax 
forms, and informational materials in English.
``Sec. 163. Preserving and enhancing the role of the official language
    ``(a) In General.--The Government of the United States shall 
preserve and enhance the role of English as the official language of 
the United States.
    ``(b) Government Materials in English.--
            ``(1) In general.--Unless expressly provided for in an 
        applicable provision of law, 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.
            ``(2) Effect of exceptions.--If an official or 
        representative of the Government of the United States acts, 
        communicates, performs or provides services, or provides 
        materials in a language other than English, that exception does 
        not create a legal entitlement to additional acts, 
        communications, services, or materials in that language or any 
        language other than English.
    ``(c) English Version as Authority.--If the Government of the 
United States issues a form in a language other than English (or such 
forms are completed in a language other than English), the English 
language version of the form is the sole authority for all legal 
purposes.
``Sec. 164. Exceptions
    ``(a) In General.--This chapter may not apply to the use of a 
language other than English--
            ``(1) for religious purposes;
            ``(2) for training in foreign languages for international 
        communication; or
            ``(3) to programs in schools designed to encourage students 
        to learn foreign languages.
    ``(b) Interpreters.--This chapter may not be considered to prevent 
the Government of the United States from providing interpreters for 
persons over 62 years of age.''.
    (b) 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''.

SEC. 3. REPEAL OF BILINGUAL VOTING REQUIREMENTS.

    (a) In General.--
            (1) Bilingual election requirements.--Section 203 of the 
        Voting Rights Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 1973aa-1a) is repealed.
            (2) Voting rights.--Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act of 
        1965 (42 U.S.C. 1973b) is amended by striking subsection (f).
    (b) Conforming Amendments.--
            (1) References to section 203.--The Voting Rights Act of 
        1965 (42 U.S.C. 1973 et seq.) is amended--
                    (A) in section 204, by striking ``or 203,''; and
                    (B) in section 205, by striking ``, 202, or 203'' 
                and inserting ``or 202''.
            (2) References to section 4.--The Voting Rights Act of 1965 
        (42 U.S.C. 1973 et seq.) is amended--
                    (A) in sections 2(a), 4(d), 5, and 13, by striking 
                ``, or in contravention of the guarantees set forth in 
                section 4(f)(2)'';
                    (B) in subsections (a), (b), and (c) of section 3, 
                by striking ``, or in contravention of the voting 
                guarantees set forth in section 4(f)(2)''; and
                    (C) in section 4(a)--
                            (i) in paragraphs (1)(A) and (3), by 
                        striking ``or (in the case of a State or 
                        subdivision seeking a declaratory judgment 
                        under the second sentence of this subsection) 
                        in contravention of the guarantees of 
                        subsection (f)(2)'';
                            (ii) in paragraph (1)(B), by striking ``or 
                        (in the case of a State or subdivision seeking 
                        a declaratory judgment under the second 
                        sentence of this subsection) that denials or 
                        abridgments of the right to vote in 
                        contravention of the guarantees of subsection 
                        (f)(2) have occurred anywhere in the territory 
                        of such State or subdivision''; and
                            (iii) in paragraph (5), by striking ``or 
                        (in the case of a State or subdivision which 
                        sought a declaratory judgment under the second 
                        sentence of this subsection) that denials or 
                        abridgments of the right to vote in 
                        contravention of the guarantees of subsection 
                        (f)(2) have occurred anywhere in the territory 
                        of such State or subdivision''.

SEC. 4. ENGLISH LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT FOR CEREMONIES FOR ADMISSION OF 
              NEW CITIZENS.

    Section 337(d) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 
1448(d)) is amended by adding at the end the following new sentence: 
``All public ceremonies in which the oath of allegiance is administered 
pursuant to this section shall be conducted solely in the English 
language.''.

SEC. 5. NONPREEMPTION.

    This Act and the amendments made by this Act may not be construed 
to preempt any law of any State.
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