I 

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 931

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 

FEBRUARY 26, 2003

Mr. KING of New York (for himself, Mr. PAUL, Mr. GOODE, Mr. CRANE, Mr. 

DUNCAN, Mr. FORBES, Mr. AKIN, Mr. EVERETT, Mr. COBLE, Mr. BURR, 

Mr. BAKER, Mr. NEY, Mr. KING of Iowa, and Mr. DOOLITTLE) 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 2003’’. 
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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. Preserving and enhancing the role of the official language. 

‘‘164. 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. Preserving and enhancing the role of the offi13 cial language 

14 ‘‘The Government of the United States shall preserve 

15 and enhance the role of English as the official language 

16 of the United States of America. Unless specifically stated 

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

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

19 of its officials or representatives act, communicate, per20 form or provide services, or provide materials in any lan21 guage other than English. If exceptions are made, that 

22 does not create a legal entitlement to additional services 

23 in that language or any language other than English. 
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1 ‘‘§ 164. Exceptions 

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

3 other than English—

4 ‘‘(1) for religious purposes; 

5 ‘‘(2) for training in foreign languages for inter6 national communication; 

7 ‘‘(3) to programs in schools designed to encour8 age students to learn foreign languages; or 

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

10 ‘‘This chapter does not prevent the Government of 

11 the United States from providing interpreters for persons 

12 over 62 years of age.’’. 

13 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The table of chap14 ters for title 4, United States Code, is amended by adding 

15 at the end the following new item:

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

16 SEC. 3. TERMINATION OF BILINGUAL EDUCATION PRO17 GRAMS. 

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

19 Bilingual Education Act (20 U.S.C. 3281 et seq.) is re20 pealed. 

21 (b) TERMINATION OF OFFICE OF BILINGUAL EDU22 CATION AND MINORITY LANGUAGES AFFAIRS.—The Of23 fice of Bilingual Education and Minority Languages Af24 fairs in the Department of Education, established by part 
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1 D of the Bilingual Education Act (20 U.S.C. 3331 et 

2 seq.), is terminated. 

3 (c) RECAPTURE OF UNEXPENDED FUNDS.—Any 

4 funds that have been provided as grants under the Bilin5 gual Education Act (20 U.S.C. 3281 et seq.), and that 

6 have not been expended before the date of the enactment 

7 of this Act, shall be recaptured by the Secretary of Edu8 cation and deposited in the general fund of the Treasury. 

9 (d) TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS.—

10 (1) COMPLETION OF PROGRAMS DURING CUR11 RENT SCHOOL YEAR.—Subsections (a) and (c) shall 

12 not apply to any program under part A of the Bilin13 gual Education Act (20 U.S.C. 3291 et seq.) until 

14 completion of the most recent school year of the pro15 gram that commences after the date of the enact16 ment of this Act. 

17 (2) ASSISTANCE FOR TRANSITION TO SPECIAL

18 ALTERNATIVE INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAMS.—During 

19 the 1-year period beginning on the date of the enact20 ment of this Act, the Secretary of Education may 

21 assist local educational agencies in the transition of 

22 children enrolled in programs assisted under the Bi23 lingual Education Act (20 U.S.C. 3281 et seq.) to 

24 Special Alternative Instructional Programs that do 

25 not make use of the native language of the student. 
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1 SEC. 4. REPEAL OF BILINGUAL VOTING REQUIREMENTS. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—

3 (1) BILINGUAL ELECTION REQUIREMENTS.— 

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

5 U.S.C. 1973aa–1a) is repealed. 

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

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

8 by striking subsection (f). 

9 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—

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

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

12 amended—

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

14 and

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

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

17 202’’. 

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

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

20 amended—

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

22 5, 6, and 13, by striking ‘‘, or in contravention 

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

24 (B) in paragraphs (1)(A) and (3) of sec25 tion 4(a), by striking ‘‘or (in the case of a State 

26 or subdivision seeking a declaratory judgment 
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1 under the second sentence of this subsection) in 

2 contravention of the guarantees of subsection 

3 (f)(2)’’; and 

4 (C) in paragraphs (1)(B) and (5) of sec5 tion 4(a), by striking ‘‘or (in the case of a State 

6 or subdivision which sought a declaratory judg7 ment under the second sentence of this sub8 section) that denials or abridgments of the right 

9 to vote in contravention of the guarantees of 

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

11 territory of such State or subdivision’’. 

12 SEC. 5. ENGLISH LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT FOR CERE13 MONIES FOR ADMISSION OF NEW CITIZENS. 

14 Section 337(d) of the Immigration and Nationality 

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

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

17 which the oath of allegiance is administered pursuant to 

18 this section shall be conducted solely in the English lan19 guage.’’. 

20 SEC. 6. NONPREEMPTION. 

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

22 shall not preempt any law of any State.

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