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English laws pending in Congress Representative Steve King of Iowa and 130 other congressmen are sponsoring H.R. 997, the English Language Unity Act. Sen. James Inhofe’s (R-OK) S.992, National Language Act of 2009, calls on the federal government to preserve and enhance the role of English as the national language. It clarifies that there is no entitlement to receive federal documents and services in languages other than English, unless required by statutory law. Sen. James Inhofe’s (R-OK) S.991, English Language Unity Act of 2009, requires all official functions of the United States to be conducted in English, requires the establishment of a uniform language requirement for naturalization, and sets the framework for uniform testing of English language ability for candidates for naturalization. This is identical to legislation introduced in the House of Representatives as H.R. 997, by Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa). Representative Dean Heller's H.R. 764 requires ballots used in Federal elections be generally printed only in English and to amend the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to modify the requirement that certain jurisdictions provide ballots and other voting materials in languages other than English, and for other purposes. Rep. Peter King (R-NY) has introduced a bill, H.R. 1228, to repeal Presidential Executive Order 13166, which forces government offices and federal contractors to provide services in multiple languages. Rep. Virginia Foxx's H.R. 1414, the Multilingual Services Accounting Act, would end speculation on the cost of multilingual government services. It also requires more transparency in the Government's accounting practices and more accountability with the use of taxpayer money. Rep. Paul Broun's H.R. 1621 (Pledge Language is English Declaration and Government Endorsement Act, or "PLEDGE Act" of 2009) bars federal funding for schools that permit or require the Pledge of Allegiance and our National Anthem to be recited or sung in languages other than English. Rep. Tom Price’s (R-GA) Common Sense English Act, H.R. 1588, protects the rights of employers to have English on-the-job rules. The bill clarifies that language and national origin are not equivalent which would preclude the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) from bringing lawsuits against employers with English in the workplace policies.
English laws pending in the states Connecticut: H.B. 5968 is a bill requiring English to be the official language of the state. Delaware: S.B. 123 states English shall be the official language of the state of Delaware. Georgia: S.B. 67 is a bill requiring everyone applying for a Georgia driver’s license to take their test in English (tourists and temporary residents are exempt). It passed the Georgia State Senate with a vote of 37-14 and the House of Representatives with a vote of 104-58, but it did not succeed in reconciliation. The House added a section to the bill that the Senate did not agree to in time. At the close of the legislative session around midnight on April 3rd, the Senate voted 22-22, failing to reach the 29 votes needed to pass. The legislation is STILL ALIVE. Michigan: H.B. 4500 designates English as the official language of the state. Minnesota: H.F. 585, S.F. 544, and S.F. 577 are all pending in Minnesota’s legislature to make English the official language of the state of Minnesota. Missouri: H.B. 1231 requires drivers license examinations to be administered exclusively in English so that the applicant can demonstrate his or her ability to read the English language sufficiently to understand highway traffic signs and safety warnings without the use of a language interpreter. Nevada: A.B. 70 would make English the official language of government. New Jersey: A.B. 468, S.B. 1090 would make English the official language of New Jersey. New York: A05350 would make would make English the official language of New York, reducing government multilingualism and returning state agencies to their rightful role of promoting English by doing business in English. Oklahoma: The Oklahoma House passed the revised version of H.J.R 1042 by a vote of 89-8. Oklahomans will vote on the constitutional amendment in 2010. Pennsylvania: H.B. 64, H.B. 694 would make English the official language of the Commonwealth. South Carolina: S. 0003 provides that all state agencies and political subdivisions of the state offer all services, publications, printed, audio and video materials, and test in an English-only format unless otherwise required by Federal Law or Regulation, and to provide exceptions. Texas: H.B. 81, H.B. 370, H.J.R. 27 (constitutional amendment), H.J.R. 32 (constitutional amendment), H.B. 1033, and H.B. 253 (language requirements for regulated activities) Washington State: H.B. 1645 designates English as the official language of the state. West Virginia: H.B. 2106, H.B. 3014 would make English the official language of West Virginia. Wisconsin: A.B. 46 makes English the official language of Wisconsin. State legislation we oppose California: S.B. 242 is a bill that amends California’s civil rights laws to make language a protected civil right like national origin, sex, and race. In April, S.B. 242 passed the state senate with a vote of 21-15. In August, it passed the Assembly with a vote of 48-27. UPDATE: Governor Schwarzenegger vetoed SB 242!
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