II 

109TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 3828 

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 SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

AUGUST 3, 2006 

Mr. INHOFE 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 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 2006’’. 

6 SEC. 2. ENGLISH AS OFFICIAL LANGUAGE. 

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

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


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•S 3828 IS

1 ‘‘CHAPTER 6—LANGUAGE OF THE 

2 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. 

3 ‘‘§ 161. Declaration of official language 

4 ‘‘English shall be the official language of the Govern5 ment of the United States. 

6 ‘‘§ 162. Official Government activities in English 

7 ‘‘The Government of the United States shall conduct 

8 its official business in English, including publications, in9 come tax forms, and informational materials. 

10 ‘‘§ 163. Preserving and enhancing the role of the offi11 cial language 

12 ‘‘The Government of the United States shall preserve 

13 and enhance the role of English as the official language 

14 of the United States of America. Unless specifically stated 

15 in applicable law, no person has a right, entitlement, or 

16 claim to have the Government of the United States or any 

17 of its officials or representatives act, communicate, per18 form or provide services, or provide materials in any lan19 guage other than English. If exceptions are made, that 

20 does not create a legal entitlement to additional services 

21 in that language or any language other than English. If 

22 any forms are issued by the Federal Government in a lan23 guage other than English (or such forms are completed 


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1 in a language other than English), the English language 

2 version of the form is the sole authority for all legal pur3 poses. 

4 ‘‘§ 164. Exceptions 

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

6 other than English— 

7 ‘‘(1) for religious purposes; 

8 ‘‘(2) for training in foreign languages for inter9 national communication; or 

10 ‘‘(3) to programs in schools designed to encour11 age students to learn foreign languages. 

12 This chapter does not prevent the Government of the 

13 United States from providing interpreters for persons over 

14 62 years of age.’’. 

15 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The table of chap16 ters for title 4, United States Code, is amended by adding 

17 at the end the following new item: 

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

18 SEC. 3. REPEAL OF BILINGUAL VOTING REQUIREMENTS. 

19 (a) IN GENERAL.— 

20 (1) BILINGUAL ELECTION REQUIREMENTS.— 

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

22 U.S.C. 1973aa–1a) is repealed. 

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

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

25 by striking subsection (f). 


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1 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 

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

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

4 amended— 

5 (A) in section 204, by striking ‘‘or 203,’’; 

6 and 

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

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

9 202’’. 

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

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

12 amended— 

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

14 5, 6, and 13, by striking ‘‘, or in contravention 

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

16 (B) in paragraphs (1)(A) and (3) of sec17 tion 4(a), by striking ‘‘or (in the case of a State 

18 or subdivision seeking a declaratory judgment 

19 under the second sentence of this subsection) in 

20 contravention of the guarantees of subsection 

21 (f)(2)’’; and 

22 (C) in paragraphs (1)(B) and (5) of sec23 tion 4(a), by striking ‘‘or (in the case of a State 

24 or subdivision which sought a declaratory judg25 ment under the second sentence of this subVerDate Aug 31 2005 23:11 Aug 07, 2006 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3828.IS S3828

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1 section) that denials or abridgments of the right 

2 to vote in contravention of the guarantees of 

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

4 territory of such State or subdivision’’. 

5 SEC. 4. ENGLISH LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT FOR CERE6 MONIES FOR ADMISSION OF NEW CITIZENS. 

7 Section 337(d) of the Immigration and Nationality 

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

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

10 which the oath of allegiance is administered pursuant to 

11 this section shall be conducted solely in the English lan12 guage.’’. 

13 SEC. 5. NONPREEMPTION. 

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

15 shall not preempt any law of any State. 

Æ 


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