‘‘§ 163. Duties of citizenship
‘‘All United States citizens should be encouraged to
read, write, and speak English to the extent of their phys-
ical and mental abilities.
‘‘§ 164. Reform of naturalization requirements
‘‘(a) It has been the long-standing national belief that
full citizenship in the United States requires fluency in
English. English is the language of opportunity for all im-
migrants to take their rightful place in American society.
‘‘(b) The Immigration and Naturalization Service
shall—
‘‘(1) enforce the established English language
proficiency standard for all applicants for United
States citizenship, and
‘‘(2) conduct all naturalization ceremonies en-
tirely in English.
‘‘§ 165. Exceptions
‘‘This chapter does not apply to the use of a language
other than English for—
‘‘(1) religious purposes,
‘‘(2) training in foreign languages for inter-
national communication,
‘‘(3) use of non-English terms of art in govern-
ment documents,
‘‘(4) law enforcement, or
‘‘(5) scientific terminology.
‘‘§ 166. Preemption
‘‘This chapter preempts any Federal law, regulation,
policy guidance, agency ruling or determination, or any
other Federal action or policy which is inconsistent with
this chapter.
‘‘§ 167. Construction
‘‘This Act is not intended to affect programs in
schools designed to encourage students to learn foreign
languages.
‘‘§ 168. Enforcement
‘‘(a) CAUSE OF ACTION.—Whoever is injured by a
violation of this chapter may, in a civil action, obtain ap-
propriate relief.
‘‘(b) ATTORNEY’S FEES.—In any action under this
chapter, the court may allow a prevailing party, other than
the United States, a reasonable attorney’s fee as part of
costs.
‘‘§ 169. Prohibition
‘‘No agency or department of the United States shall
require the government of any State or subdivision there-
of, or any person or organization, to communicate or pro-
vide materials in any language other than English.’’.
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of chapters
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 EDUCATION ACT.
(a) REPEAL OF BILINGUAL EDUCATION ACT.—The
Bilingual Education Act (20 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.) is re-
pealed.
(b) TERMINATION OF OFFICE OF BILINGUAL EDU-
CATION AND MINORITY LANGUAGES AFFAIRS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Office of Bilingual Edu-
cation and Minority Languages Affairs in the De-
partment of Education is terminated.
(2) REPEAL
OF
CONFORMING
PROVISIONS.—
Sections 209, 216, and 413(b)(1)(A) of the Depart-
ment of Education Organization Act are repealed.
(c) UNOBLIGATED FUNDS.—At the end of the transi-
tion period described in subsection (d)(2), the Secretary
shall deposit in the general fund of the Treasury any funds
that have not been awarded or obligated for grants under
the Bilingual Education Act (20 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.).
(d) TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS.—
(1) COMPLETION OF PROGRAMS DURING CUR-
RENT SCHOOL YEAR.—Subsection (a) shall not apply
to any program under the Bilingual Education Act
(20 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.) until completion of the
most recent school year of the program that com-
mences after the date of the enactment of this Act.
(2) ASSISTANCE FOR TRANSITION TO SPECIAL
ALTERNATIVE INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAMS.—During
the 1-year period beginning on the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, the Secretary of Education may
assist local educational agencies in the transition of
children enrolled in programs assisted under the Bi-
lingual Education Act (20 U.S.C 7401 et seq.) to
special alternative instructional programs (as such
programs are described in section 7501 of the Ele-
mentary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 7601) that do not make use of the native
language of the student.
SEC. 4. CONSTRUCTION.
Nothing in this Act shall be construed as requiring
that a State or local educational agency develop, imple-
ment, provide, or maintain a program of bilingual edu-
cation.
SEC. 5. RELEASE FROM DECREE.
Any consent decree entered into with a State, locality,
or local educational agency, and either the Department of
Health, Education, and Welfare, or the Department of
Education that requires such State, locality, or local edu-
cational agency to develop, implement, provide, or main-
tain any form of bilingual education is void.
SEC. 6. EFFECTIVE DATE.
Except as provided in subsections (c) and (d) of sec-
tion 3, this Act shall take effect on the date of the enact-
ment of this Act.
SEC. 7. 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 7.—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’’.
Æ