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106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 1005

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

MARCH 4, 1999

Mr. KING of New York (for himself, Mr. PAUL, Mr. ROYCE, Mr. HILLEARY,

Mrs. KELLY, Mr. TAYLOR of North Carolina, Mr. WELDON of Florida,

Mr. LAHOOD, and Mrs. ROUKEMA) introduced the following bill; which

was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, 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.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Language

5 Act of 1999’’.
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1 SEC. 2. ENGLISH AS OFFICIAL LANGUAGE.

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—Title 4, United States Code, is

3 amended by adding at the end the following new chapter:

4 ‘‘CHAPTER 6—LANGUAGE OF THE GOVERNMENT

‘‘Sec.

‘‘161. Declaration of official language.

‘‘162. Official Government activities in English.

‘‘163. Exceptions.

5 ‘‘§ 161. Declaration of official language

6 ‘‘English shall be the official language of the Govern7 ment of the United States.

8 ‘‘§ 162. Official Government activities in English

9 ‘‘The Government of the United States shall conduct

10 its official business in English, including publications, in11 come tax forms, and informational materials.

12 ‘‘§ 163. Exceptions

13 ‘‘This chapter does not apply to the use of a language

14 other than English—

15 ‘‘(1) for religious purposes;

16 ‘‘(2) for training in foreign languages for inter17 national communication;

18 ‘‘(3) to programs in schools designed to encour19 age students to learn foreign languages; or

20 ‘‘(4) by persons over 62 years of age.

21 ‘‘This chapter does not prevent the Government of

22 the United States from providing interpreters for persons

23 over 62 years of age.’’.
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1 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The table of chap2 ters for title 4, United States Code, is amended by adding

3 at the end the following new item:

‘‘6. Language of the Government ................................................. 161’’.

4 SEC. 3. TERMINATION OF BILINGUAL EDUCATION PRO5 GRAMS.

6 (a) REPEAL OF BILINGUAL EDUCATION ACT.—The

7 Bilingual Education Act (20 U.S.C. 3281 et seq.) is re8 pealed.

9 (b) TERMINATION OF OFFICE OF BILINGUAL EDU10 CATION AND MINORITY LANGUAGES AFFAIRS.—The Of11 fice of Bilingual Education and Minority Languages Af12 fairs in the Department of Education, established by part

13 D of the Bilingual Education Act (20 U.S.C. 3331 et

14 seq.), is terminated.

15 (c) RECAPTURE OF UNEXPENDED FUNDS.—Any

16 funds that have been provided as grants under the Bilin17 gual Education Act (20 U.S.C. 3281 et seq.), and that

18 have not been expended before the date of the enactment

19 of this Act, shall be recaptured by the Secretary of Edu20 cation and deposited in the general fund of the Treasury.

21 (d) TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS.—

22 (1) COMPLETION OF PROGRAMS DURING CUR23 RENT SCHOOL YEAR.—Subsections (a) and (c) shall

24 not apply to any program under part A of the Bilin-
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1 gual Education Act (20 U.S.C. 3291 et seq.) until

2 completion of the most recent school year of the pro3 gram that commences after the date of the enact4 ment of this Act.

5 (2) ASSISTANCE FOR TRANSITION TO SPECIAL

6 ALTERNATIVE INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAMS.—During

7 the 1-year period beginning on the date of the enact8 ment of this Act, the Secretary of Education may

9 assist local educational agencies in the transition of

10 children enrolled in programs assisted under the Bi11 lingual Education Act (20 U.S.C. 3281 et seq.) to

12 Special Alternative Instructional Programs that do

13 not make use of the native language of the student.

14 SEC. 4. REPEAL OF BILINGUAL VOTING REQUIREMENTS.

15 (a) IN GENERAL.—

16 (1) BILINGUAL ELECTION REQUIREMENTS.—

17 Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (42

18 U.S.C. 1973aa–1a) is repealed.

19 (2) VOTING RIGHTS.—Section 4 of the Voting

20 Rights Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 1973b) is amended

21 by striking subsection (f).

22 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—

23 (1) REFERENCES TO SECTION 203.—The Voting

24 Rights Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 1973 et seq.) is

25 amended—
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1 (A) in section 204, by striking ‘‘or 203,’’;

2 and

3 (B) in the first sentence of section 205, by

4 striking ‘‘, 202, or 203’’ and inserting ‘‘or

5 202’’.

6 (2) REFERENCES TO SECTION 4.—The Voting

7 Rights Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 1973 et seq.) is

8 amended—

9 (A) in sections 2(a), 3(a), 3(b), 3(c), 4(d),

10 5, 6, and 13, by striking ‘‘, or in contravention

11 of the guarantees set forth in section 4(f)(2)’’;

12 (B) in paragraphs (1)(A) and (3) of sec13 tion 4(a), by striking ‘‘or (in the case of a State

14 or subdivision seeking a declaratory judgment

15 under the second sentence of this subsection) in

16 contravention of the guarantees of subsection

17 (f)(2)’’; and

18 (C) in paragraphs (1)(B) and (5) of sec19 tion 4(a), by striking ‘‘or (in the case of a State

20 or subdivision which sought a declaratory judg21 ment under the second sentence of this sub22 section) that denials or abridgments of the right

23 to vote in contravention of the guarantees of

24 subsection (f)(2) have occurred anywhere in the

25 territory of such State or subdivision’’.
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1 SEC. 5. ENGLISH LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT FOR CERE2 MONIES FOR ADMISSION OF NEW CITIZENS.

3 Section 337(d) of the Immigration and Nationality

4 Act (8 U.S.C. 1448(d)) is amended by adding at the end

5 the following new sentence: ‘‘All public ceremonies in

6 which the oath of allegiance is administered pursuant to

7 this section shall be conducted solely in the English lan8 guage.’’.

9 SEC. 6. NONPREEMPTION.

10 This Act (and the amendments made by this Act)

11 shall not preempt any law of any State.

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