[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1229 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1229

    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 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 26, 2009

Mr. King of New York (for himself, Mr. Paul, Mrs. Blackburn, Mr. Coble, 
  Mr. Boozman, Mr. Gallegly, Mr. Lucas, Mr. Culberson, Mr. Wilson of 
South Carolina, Mr. Bartlett, Mr. Wittman, Mrs. Myrick, Mr. Bilirakis, 
Mr. King of Iowa, Mr. Broun of Georgia, Mr. Akin, Mr. Price of Georgia, 
    Mr. Buchanan, Mr. Taylor, and Ms. Ginny Brown-Waite of Florida) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
Education and Labor, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, 
for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case 
for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of 
                        the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 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 ``National Language Act of 2009''.

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 
business in English, including publications, income tax forms, and 
informational materials.
``Sec. 163. Preserving and enhancing the role of the official language
    ``The Government of the United States shall preserve and enhance 
the role of English as the official language of the United States of 
America. Unless specifically stated in applicable 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. If exceptions are made, that does not create a legal 
entitlement to additional services in that language or any language 
other than English. If any forms are issued by the Federal government 
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
    ``This chapter does 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.
This chapter does not 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 the first sentence of 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.), as amended by the Fannie Lou Hamer, 
        Rosa Parks, and Coretta Scott King Voting Rights Act 
        Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006 (Public Law 109-
        246), is amended--
                    (A) in sections 2(a), 3(a), 3(b), 3(c), 4(d), 5, 6, 
                8(a)(2)(A), and 13(a)(1), by striking ``, or in 
                contravention of the guarantees set forth in section 
                4(f)(2)'';
                    (B) in paragraphs (1)(A) and (3) of section 4(a), 
                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)''; and
                    (C) in paragraphs (1)(B) and (5) of section 4(a), 
                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) shall not preempt 
any law of any State.
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