H.R. 1164 (112th): National Language Act of 2011

Introduced:
Mar 17, 2011 (112th Congress, 2011–2013)
Sponsor:
Rep. Peter “Pete” King [R-NY3]
Status:
Died (Referred to Committee)

The bill’s title was written by the bill’s sponsor. H.R. stands for House of Representatives bill.

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Status

This bill was introduced on March 17, 2011, in a previous session of Congress, but was not enacted.

Progress
Introduced Mar 17, 2011
Referred to Committee Mar 17, 2011
Cosponsors
32 cosponsors (32R) (show)
Committees

House Education and the Workforce

House Judiciary

The committee chair determines whether a bill will move past the committee stage.

Full Title

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.

Summary

No summaries available.

Text

Read Bill Text »

Last updated Mar 17, 2011.
5 pages

Primary Source

View on THOMAS (The Library of Congress)

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Citation

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GovTrack’s Bill Summary

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Library of Congress Summary

The summary below was written by the Congressional Research Service, which is a nonpartisan division of the Library of Congress.

3/17/2011--Introduced.
National Language Act of 2011 - Makes English the official language of the U.S. government.
Requires the government to:
(1) conduct its official business in English, including publications, income tax forms, and informational materials; and
(2) preserve and enhance the role of English as the official language of the United States. Provides that no person has a right, entitlement, or claim to have the government act, communicate, perform, or provide services or materials in any other language, unless specifically stated in applicable law.
Provides that this Act is inapplicable to the use of a language other than English for religious purposes, for training in foreign languages for international communication, or in school programs designed to encourage students to learn foreign languages.
Allows the U.S. government to provide interpreters for persons over age 62.
Repeals provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 regarding bilingual election requirements and regarding congressional findings of voting discrimination against language minorities, prohibition of English-only elections, and other remedial measures.
Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to require that all public ceremonies in which the oath of allegiance is administered pursuant to such Act be conducted solely in English. Prohibits this Act from preempting any state law.

House Republican Conference Summary

The summary below was written by the House Republican Conference, which is the caucus of Republicans in the House of Representatives.

No summary available.

House Democratic Caucus Summary

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The bill contains the following citations to other parts of U.S. law:

United States Code

The United States Code is the compilation of permanent laws enacted by Congress. Temporary and other non-permanent laws do not appear in the United States Code. (About half of the United States Code is the law itself, called positive law. The other half is merely a compilation of the laws but has no legal significance.)