S. 678 · 115th Congress
English Language Unity Act of 2017
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Never voted on. It didn't reach a floor vote before the 115th Congress ended, so it expired. A bill has to be introduced again to be considered in a new Congress.
R
InhofeSponsor6 cosponsors · 6 R
3 signed on when it was introduced; the rest joined later. Cosponsors who withdrew aren't shown.
This bill establishes English as the official language of the United States.
What it does: CRS summary · Introduced in Senate · Mar 21, 2017
English Language Unity Act of 2017
This bill establishes English as the official language of the United States.
Naturalization ceremonies and official functions of the U.S. government, subject to exceptions, must be conducted in English.
The bill declares that all citizens should be able to read and understand generally the English language text of U.S. laws.
A person injured by a violation of this Act may obtain relief, including a declaratory judgment, in a civil action.
English language requirements and workplace policies, whether in the public or private sector, shall be presumptively consistent with U.S. laws. Any ambiguity in U.S. laws shall be resolved in accordance with the rights retained by the people and the powers reserved to states under the Bill of Rights.
The Department of Homeland Security shall issue a proposed rule for uniform testing of the English language ability of candidates for naturalization based upon the principles that: (1) all citizens should be able to read and understand generally the English language text of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the laws of the United States; and (2) any exceptions to this standard should be limited to extraordinary circumstances, such as asylum.
Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov
About this bill and sources
Official title: English Language Unity Act of 2017
Latest action (Mar 21, 2017): Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics · Origin: Senate · Introduced: Mar 21, 2017
Official page on Congress.gov · Bill text (GovInfo) · Status record (XML)
No recorded floor vote found.