PRINTER'S NO. 2132
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
1506
Session of
2015
INTRODUCED BY WARNER, METCALFE, ENGLISH, REESE, ZIMMERMAN,
HEFFLEY, METZGAR, SANKEY, KAUFFMAN, MARSICO, SONNEY, ROAE,
COX, TALLMAN, IRVIN, M. K. KELLER, D. COSTA, SAYLOR, KLUNK,
KRIEGER AND HELM, AUGUST 21, 2015
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, AUGUST 21, 2015
AN ACT
Providing for the English language as the official language of
the Commonwealth; and imposing a certain restriction on use
of appropriated funds.
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.
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(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
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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.
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(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.
(6) When using terms of art or phrases from languages
other than English.
(7) The preservation or use of Native Alaskan or Native
American languages as defined in the Native American
Languages Act of 1990 (Public Law 101-477).
(8) Unofficial communications, through any medium,
between a person and a member of the General Assembly or any
officer or agent of the Commonwealth and its political
subdivisions, as long as official acts of government are
performed in English.
Section 9. Restrictions on use of appropriated funds.
No appropriation of the General Assembly may be expended 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 10. Effective date.
This act shall take effect in 90 days.
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