I 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4408 
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 
NOVEMBER 18, 2005 
Mr. KING of New York (for himself, Mr. PAUL, Mr. LATOURETTE, Mr. WIL-
SON of South Carolina, Mr. DUNCAN, Mr. KING of Iowa, Mr. TAYLOR 
of Mississippi, Mr. BARRETT of South Carolina, Mrs. EMERSON, Mr. 
LAHOOD, and Ms. GINNY BROWN-WAITE of Florida) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the 
Workforce, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a pe-
riod to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for con-
sideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the com-
mittee 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. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Language 
Act of 2005’’.
SEC. 2. ENGLISH AS OFFICIAL LANGUAGE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Title 4, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following new chapter: 
‘‘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. 
‘‘§ 161. Declaration of official language 
‘‘English shall be the official language of the Govern-
ment of the United States. 
‘‘§ 162. Official government activities in English 
‘‘The Government of the United States shall conduct 
its official business in English, including publications, in-
come tax forms, and informational materials. 
‘‘§ 163. Preserving and enhancing the role of the offi-
cial language 
‘‘The Government of the United States shall preserve 
and enhance the role of English as the official language 
of the United States of America. Unless specifically stated 
in applicable law, no person has a right, entitlement, or 
claim to have the Government of the United States or any 
of its officials or representatives act, communicate, per-
form or provide services, or provide materials in any lan-
guage other than English. If exceptions are made, that 
does not create a legal entitlement to additional services
in that language or any language other than English. If 
any forms are issued by the Federal government in a lan-
guage other than English (or such forms are completed 
in a language other than English), the English language 
version of the form is the sole authority for all legal pur-
poses. 
‘‘§ 164. Exceptions 
‘‘This chapter does not apply to the use of a language 
other than English— 
‘‘(1) for religious purposes; 
‘‘(2) for training in foreign languages for inter-
national communication; or 
‘‘(3) to programs in schools designed to encour-
age students to learn foreign languages. 
This chapter does not prevent the Government of the 
United States from providing interpreters for persons over 
62 years of age.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The table of chap-
ters for title 4, United States Code, is amended by adding 
at the end the following new item: 
‘‘6. Language of the Government .................................................
161’’. 
SEC. 3. REPEAL OF BILINGUAL VOTING REQUIREMENTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.— 
(1) BILINGUAL
ELECTION
REQUIREMENTS.— 
Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (42 
U.S.C. 1973aa–1a) is repealed.
(2) VOTING RIGHTS.—Section 4 of the Voting 
Rights Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 1973b) is amended 
by striking subsection (f). 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 
(1) REFERENCES TO SECTION 203.—The Voting 
Rights Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 1973 et seq.) is 
amended— 
(A) in section 204, by striking ‘‘or 203,’’; 
and 
(B) in the first sentence of section 205, by 
striking ‘‘, 202, or 203’’ and inserting ‘‘or 
202’’. 
(2) REFERENCES TO SECTION 4.—The Voting 
Rights Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 1973 et seq.) is 
amended— 
(A) in sections 2(a), 3(a), 3(b), 3(c), 4(d), 
5, 6, and 13, by striking ‘‘, or in contravention 
of the guarantees set forth in section 4(f)(2)’’; 
(B) in paragraphs (1)(A) and (3) of sec-
tion 4(a), by striking ‘‘or (in the case of a State 
or subdivision seeking a declaratory judgment 
under the second sentence of this subsection) in 
contravention of the guarantees of subsection 
(f)(2)’’; and
(C) in paragraphs (1)(B) and (5) of sec-
tion 4(a), by striking ‘‘or (in the case of a State 
or subdivision which sought a declaratory judg-
ment under the second sentence of this sub-
section) that denials or abridgments of the right 
to vote in contravention of the guarantees of 
subsection (f)(2) have occurred anywhere in the 
territory of such State or subdivision’’. 
SEC. 4. ENGLISH LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT FOR CERE-
MONIES FOR ADMISSION OF NEW CITIZENS. 
Section 337(d) of the Immigration and Nationality 
Act (8 U.S.C. 1448(d)) is amended by adding at the end 
the following new sentence: ‘‘All public ceremonies in 
which the oath of allegiance is administered pursuant to 
this section shall be conducted solely in the English lan-
guage.’’. 
SEC. 5. NONPREEMPTION. 
This Act (and the amendments made by this Act) 
shall not preempt any law of any State. 
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