Action
Urge Congress to
   defend English
Model official English statute
Donate
Current Legislation
State Profile

Issues
Official English
Bilingual Education
English on the Job
Citizenship and
   Immigration
Bilingual Ballots
Puerto Rican
    Statehood
Ending E.O. 13166,
   the "Multilingual    Mandate"


Contact us:
1601 N. Kent St.
Suite 1100
Arlington, VA
22209
ph: (703) 816-8821

For faster status updates, go to this bill's page at Connecticut's state web site.

Legal status of English in Connecticut

Connecticut currently has no official English law. A referendum to pass a constitutional amendment and legislation have both been passed. In 2002, Connecticut's legislature ended the state's bilingual education program, in favor of English-based education.

5.0% of residents of Connecticut speak a foreign language. The foreign languages most commonly spoken as the primary language in the home are (adults):
Spanish,199,870
Italian, 47, 962
French, 38,724
Polish, 33,764
Chinese, 13,150
and German, 13, 058.

Proposed Connecticut Official English law

Status of H J Res 16:
Pending committee action in the Joint Committee on Government Administration and Elections.
Introduced March 20, 2007 by Sen. John E. Piscopo.

Text of H.B. No 6628
AN ACT MAKING ENGLISH THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE OF THE STATE.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
That the general statutes be amended to:
(1) Make English the official language of the state;
(2) provide that neither the state nor any political subdivision of the state shall require by statute, ordinance, regulation, order, program or policy the use in the state of any language other than English;
(3) provide that state government officials and employees be bound by such provisions during the performance of government business;
(4) provide that no government document be valid, effective or enforceable unless it is printed in English;
(5) provide that the state and all political subdivisions of the state take all reasonable steps to preserve, protect and enhance the role of the English language as the official language of the state;
(6) provide that, notwithstanding any provision of the general statutes, the state and political subdivisions of the state may act in a language other than English to:
     (A) Assist students who are not proficient in the English language by providing educational instruction in languages other than English to assure as rapid as possible a transition to English,
     (B) provide foreign language instruction as part of a required or voluntary education curriculum,
     (C) allow for Latin on the state seal and on government documents,
     (D) allow legislators to communicate with constituents in languages other than English,
     (E) comply with federal law,
     (F) protect public health and safety,
     (G) protect the rights of criminal defendants or victims of crime, and
     (H) allow for the printing of proper names.

Status of H.B. No 6628
AN ACT MAKING ENGLISH THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE OF THE STATE.
Pending committee action in the Joint Committee on Government Administration and Elections.

Sponsored by
Rep. Penny Bacchiochi, 52nd Dist.;
Rep. Richard O. Belden, 113th Dist.;
Rep. Vincent J. Candelora, 86th Dist.;
Sen. Louis C. DeLuca, 32nd Dist.;
Rep. Ruth C. Fahrbach, 61st Dist.;
Rep. Richard F. Ferrari, 62nd Dist.;
Rep. Mary G. Fritz, 90th Dist.;
Rep. Leonard C. Greene, 105th Dist.;
Rep. William A. Hamzy, 78th Dist.;
Rep. John A. Harkins, 120th Dist.;
Rep. Arthur O'Niell, 69th Dist;
Rep. Claudia M. Powers, 151st Dist.;
Rep. John E. Piscopo, 76th Dist.;

(H J Res 16)
RESOLUTION PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO THE STATE CONSTITUTION TO MAKE ENGLISH THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE OF THE STATE.

Statement of Purpose:
To make English the official state language.

Resolved by this Assembly:
That the Constitution of the state be amended to make English the official language of the state.

Status of H J Res 16:
Pending committee action in the Joint Committee on Government Administration and Elections.