THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL

INTRODUCED BY PERRY, AUMENT, BAKER, BARRAR, BENNINGHOFF, BOYD, CLYMER, COX, CREIGHTON, CUTLER, EVERETT, FLECK, GABLER, GEIST, GILLEN, GODSHALL, GROVE, HESS, HICKERNELL, HUTCHINSON, KAUFFMAN, KNOWLES, KORTZ, MARSHALL, METCALFE, MILLER, MOUL, MULLERY, O'NEILL, PICKETT, ROCK, SCHRODER, SWANGER, TALLMAN, TOEPEL AND VULAKOVICH, MARCH 2, 2011

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, MARCH 2, 2011  

AN ACT

Providing for the English language as the official language of

the Commonwealth.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1.  Short title.

This act shall be known and may be cited as the Official

Language Act.

Section 2.  Legislative findings.

The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:

(1)  The people of the United States have brought to this

nation the cultural heritage of many nations.

(2)  The people of the United States, despite their many

differences, have lived together harmoniously and

productively as citizens of one nation.

(3)  The traditional and common language of the United

States and of this Commonwealth is English.

(4)  A knowledge of the common language is essential to

full exercise of constitutional freedoms, informed and

knowledgeable empowerment as voters, citizen checks against

government abuses and individual prosperity and independence.

(5)  The English language has been our strongest bond to

one another as fellow citizens and has contributed

substantially to national unity and societal cohesiveness.

(6)  English has been this nation's language by custom

only and warrants special legal protection.

(7)  Government has a fiduciary responsibility to the

citizenry to ensure that it operates as efficiently as

possible, and the growth of multiple language bureaucracies

and printing represents an abrogation of this fiduciary

responsibility.

(8)  The Commonwealth and its municipalities and the

Federal Government also have a responsibility to ensure that

citizens have opportunities to learn English.

Section 3.  Purpose.

(a)  Unifying role.--It is the purpose of this act to

preserve, protect and strengthen the unifying role of English as

the official language of this Commonwealth.

(b)  Rights preserved.--This act shall not be construed in

any way to infringe on the rights of citizens, who have every

right to choose their own primary language, in the use of

language for private conduct, nor shall this act be used to

dictate language policies for the operation and administration

of organizations or businesses in the unregulated private

sector.

Section 4.  Definitions.

The following words and phrases when used in this act shall

have the meanings given to them in this section unless the

context clearly indicates otherwise:

"Official acts of government."  Any of the following:

(1)  Actions of the Commonwealth and of its political

subdivisions that carry the full weight and authority of law.

(2)  Official documents recorded and maintained by the

Commonwealth and its political subdivisions for the public

domain, including tax records, professional licenses, deeds,

real estate records, publicly probated wills and other

documents of the court systems and public proceedings of the

governing bodies of the Commonwealth and its political

subdivisions.

Section 5.  Designation of language of official acts.

English is hereby recognized as the official language of the

Commonwealth and shall also be designated as the language of

official acts of government.

Section 6.  Policies.

The Commonwealth and its political subdivisions shall make no

policies expressing a preference for any language other than

English or diminishing or ignoring the unifying role of English

as designated in this act, subject to the limitations in section

8.

Section 7.  Enforcement.

Elected and appointed officers of the Commonwealth and its

political subdivisions shall take all reasonable steps to ensure

that the role of English as the official language is preserved

and enhanced.

Section 8.  Limitations.

The provisions of this act shall not apply to the following:

(1)  When Federal law imposes contrary provisions.

(2)  When the public safety, health or justice requires

the use of other languages.

(3)  Instruction in foreign language courses.

(4)  Instruction designed to aid students with limited

English proficiency in their transition and integration into

the education system.

(5)  The promotion of international commerce or tourism.

Section 9.  Appropriations.

The General Assembly and the governing bodies of political

subdivisions shall make no appropriations to promote the use of

or demonstrate a preference for any language other than the

official language, subject to the limitations in section 8.

Section 20.  Effective date.

This act shall take effect in 90 days.