HR 997 · 108th Congress 2003–2005, ended

English Language Unity Act of 2003

Introduced Feb 27, 2003 Originated House Sponsor Steve King R-IA

Fact sheet

Latest action · May 5, 2003 Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution.

Progress

Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.

  1. IntroducedFeb 27, 2003
  2. Passed HouseNot reached
  3. Passed SenateNot reached
  4. To the PresidentNot reached
  5. Became lawNot reached

Summary

English Language Unity Act of 2003 - Amends specified Federal law to declare English to be the official language of the United States.

Gives representatives of the Federal Government an affirmative obligation to preserve and enhance the role of English as the official language of the Federal Government, including encouraging greater opportunities for individuals to learn the English language.

Requires the official functions of the United States (meaning, in this case, the States and the District of Columbia) to be conducted in English. Sets forth exceptions to and rules of construction for such requirements.

Requires a uniform English language rule for U.S. naturalization, and all naturalization ceremonies to be conducted in English.

Amends specified Federal law to declare, as a general rule of construction, that English language requirements and workplace policies, whether in the public or private sector, shall be presumptively consistent with the Laws of the United States.

Requires the Department of Justice to issue for public notice and comment a proposed rule for uniform testing of 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.

Cosponsors 108

Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Mar 6, 2003 to Oct 8, 2004.

SeatCosponsorSigned on
R-FLCliff StearnsMar 6, 2003
R-INDan BurtonMar 6, 2003
D-MSGene TaylorMar 6, 2003
R-FLGinny Brown-WaiteMar 6, 2003
R-SCJoe WilsonMar 6, 2003
R-INJohn N. HostettlerMar 6, 2003
R-PAJoseph R. PittsMar 6, 2003
R-NCRobin HayesMar 6, 2003
R-MDRoscoe G. BartlettMar 6, 2003
D-VAVirgil H. Goode Jr.Mar 6, 2003
D-ILWilliam O. LipinskiMar 6, 2003
R-CTChristopher ShaysMar 12, 2003
R-OKErnest J. Istook Jr.Mar 12, 2003
R-VAJo Ann DavisMar 12, 2003
R-MNJohn KlineMar 12, 2003
Show all 108 cosponsors

Actions 5

Everything that happened, newest first.

  1. May 5, 2003Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution.
  2. Mar 24, 2003Referred to the Subcommittee on Education Reform.
  3. Mar 13, 2003Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E464-466)
  4. Feb 27, 2003Introduced in House
  5. Feb 27, 2003Referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Subjects

Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Government Operations and Politics.

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Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov.