[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 992 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 992

    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 SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 6, 2009

Mr. Inhofe (for himself, Mr. Alexander, Mr. Isakson, Mr. Chambliss, Mr. 
Burr, Mr. Shelby, Mr. Vitter, Mr. Bunning, Mr. Coburn, Mr. Wicker, Mr. 
 DeMint, Mr. Enzi, Mr. Thune, Mr. Corker, and Mr. Cochran) 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 
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 ``National Language Act of 2009''.

SEC. 2. AMENDMENT TO TITLE 4.

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

                ``CHAPTER 6--LANGUAGE OF THE GOVERNMENT

``Sec.
``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.''.
    (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''.
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