,,ii  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #dfd  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the
 ,,united ,,states  ,march #e1 #bjac    
,mr4 ,inhofe 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,coburn1
 and ,mr4 ,chambliss7 introduced the    
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on ,homeland
 ,security and ,governmental ,affairs   
,a ,,bill  ,to declare ,english as the  
official language of the ,united        
,states1 to establish a uniform ,english
 language rule for naturalization1 and  
to avoid misconstructions of the        
,english language texts of the laws of  
the ,united ,states1 pursuant to        
,congress' powers to provide for the    
general welfare of the ,united ,states  
and to establish a uniform rule of      
naturalization under article ,i1 section
 #h1 of the ,constitution4  #a4 ,short  
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,english ,language ,unity ,act of #bjac4
  #b4 ,findings ,congress finds and     
declares the following3  7#a7 ,the      
,united ,states is comprised of         

individuals from diverse ethnic1        
cultural1 and linguistic backgrounds1   
and continues to benefit from this rich 
diversity4  7#b7 ,throughout the history
 of the ,united ,states1 the common     
thread binding individuals of differing 
backgrounds has been the ,english       
language4  7#c7 ,among the powers       
reserved to the ,states respectively is 
the power to establish the ,english     
language as the official language of the
 respective ,states1 and otherwise to   
promote the ,english language within the
 respective ,states1 subject to the     
prohibitions enumerated in the          
,constitution of the ,united ,states and
 in laws of the respective ,states4  #c4
 ,english as official language of the   
,united ,states  7a7 ,in general ,title 
#d1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended by
 adding at the end the following new    
chapter3  #f ,official language  #afa4  
,official language of the ,united       
,states ,the official language of the   
,united ,states is ,english4  #afb4     

,preserving and enhancing the role of   
the official language ,representatives  
of the ,federal ,government shall have  
an affirmative obligation to preserve   
and enhance the role of ,english as the 
official language of the ,federal       
,government4 ,such obligation shall     
include encouraging greater             
opportunities for individuals to learn  
the ,english language4  #afc4 ,official 
functions of ,government to be conducted
 in ,english  7a7 ,official functions   
,the official functions of the          
,government of the ,united ,states shall
 be conducted in ,english4  7b7 ,scope  
,for the purposes of this section--     
7#a7 the term ,united ,states means the 
several ,states and the ,district of    
,columbia2 and  7#b7 the term official  
refers to any function that--  7,a7     
binds the ,government2  7,b7 is required
 by law2 or  7,c7 is otherwise subject  
to scrutiny by either the press or the  
public4  7c7 ,practical effect ,this    
section shall apply to all laws1 public 

proceedings1 regulations1 publications1 
orders1 actions1 programs1 and policies1
 but does not apply to--  7#a7 teaching 
of languages2  7#b7 requirements under  
the ,individuals with ,disabilities     
,education ,act2  7#c7 actions1         
documents1 or policies necessary for    
national security1 international        
relations1 trade1 tourism1 or commerce2 
7#d7 actions or documents that protect  
the public health and safety2  7#e7     
actions or documents that facilitate the
 activities of the ,bureau of the       
,census in compiling any census of      
population2  7#f7 actions that protect  
the rights of victims of crimes or      
criminal defendants2 or  7#g7 using     
terms of art or phrases from languages  
other than ,english4  #afd4 ,uniform    
,english language rule for              
naturalization  7a7 ,uniform language   
testing standard ,all citizens should be
 able to read and understand generally  
the ,english language text of the       
,declaration of ,independence1 the      

,constitution1 and the laws of the      
,united ,states made in pursuance of the
 ,constitution4  7b7 ,ceremonies ,all   
naturalization ceremonies shall be      
conducted in ,english4  #afe4 ,rules of 
construction ,nothing in this chapter   
shall be construed--  7#a7 to prohibit a
 ,member of ,congress or any officer or 
agent of the ,federal ,government1 while
 performing official functions1 from    
communicating unofficially through any  
medium with another person in a language
 other than ,english 7as long as        
official functions are performed in     
,english72  7#b7 to limit the           
preservation or use of ,native ,alaskan 
or ,native ,american languages 7as      
defined in the ,native ,american        
,languages ,act72  7#c7 to disparage any
 language or to discourage any person   
from learning or using a language2 or   
7#d7 to be inconsistent with the        
,constitution of the ,united ,states4   
#aff4 ,standing ,a person injured by a  
violation of this chapter may in a civil

 action 7including an action under      
chapter #aea of title #bh7 obtain       
appropriate relief4  4  7b7 ,clerical   
amendment ,the table of chapters at the 
beginning of title #d1 ,united ,states  
,code1 is amended by inserting after the
 item relating to chapter #e the        
following new item3  ,chapter #f4       
official language  4  #d4 ,general rules
 of construction for ,english language  
texts of the ,laws of the ,united       
,states  7a7 ,in general ,chapter #a of 
title #a1 ,united ,states ,code1 is     
amended by adding at the end the        
following new section3  #h4 ,general    
rules of construction for laws of the   
,united ,states  7a7 ,english language  
requirements and workplace policies1    
whether in the public or private sector1
 shall be presumptively consistent with 
the ,laws of the ,united ,states4  7b7  
,any ambiguity in the ,english language 
text of the ,laws of the ,united ,states
 shall be resolved1 in accordance with  
the last two articles of the ,bill of   

,rights1 not to deny or disparage rights
 retained by the people1 and to reserve 
powers to the ,states respectively1 or  
to the people4  4  7b7 ,clerical        
amendment ,the table of sections at the 
beginning of chapter #a of title #a1 is 
amended by inserting after the item     
relating to section #g the following new
 item3  #h4 ,general ,rules of          
,construction for ,laws of the ,united  
,states4  4  #e4 ,implementing          
regulations ,the ,secretary of ,homeland
 ,security shall1 within #ahj days after
 the date of enactment of this ,act1    
issue for public notice and comment a   
proposed rule for uniform testing       
,english language ability of candidates 
for naturalization1 based upon the      
principles that--  7#a7 all citizens    
should be able to read and understand   
generally the ,english language text of 
the ,declaration of ,independence1 the  
,constitution1 and the laws of the      
,united ,states which are made in       
pursuance thereof2 and  7#b7 any        

exceptions to this standard should be   
limited to extraordinary circumstances1 
such as asylum4  #f4 ,effective date    
,the amendments made by sections #c and 
#d shall take effect on the date that is
 #ahj days after the date of the        
enactment of this ,act4