HR 769 · 110th Congress 2007–2009, ended

National Language Act of 2007

Introduced Jan 31, 2007 Originated House Sponsor Peter T. King R-NY

Fact sheet Spreadsheet

Latest action · May 18, 2007 Referred to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education.

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. IntroducedJan 31, 2007
  2. Passed HouseNot reached
  3. Passed SenateNot reached
  4. To the PresidentNot reached
  5. Became lawNot reached

Summary

National Language Act of 2007 - Makes English the official language of the U.S. government. Requires the government to: (1) conduct its official business in English, including publications, income tax forms, and informational materials; and (2) preserve and enhance the role of English as the official language of the United States of America. Provides that no person has a right, entitlement, or claim to have the government act, communicate, perform, or provide services or materials in any other language, unless specifically stated in applicable law.

Provides that this Act shall not apply to the use of a language other than English for religious purposes, for training in foreign languages for international communication, or in school programs designed to encourage students to learn foreign languages. States that this does not prevent the U.S. government from providing interpreters for persons over age 62.

Repeals provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 regarding bilingual election requirements and regarding congressional findings of voting discrimination against language minorities, prohibition of English-only elections, and other remedial measures.

Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to require that all public ceremonies in which the oath of allegiance is administered pursuant to such Act be conducted solely in English.

Specifies that this Act shall not preempt any state law.

Cosponsors 67

Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Jan 31, 2007 to Sep 8, 2008; 34 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.

SeatCosponsorSigned on
R-WYBarbara CubinOriginalJan 31, 2007
R-GACharles W. NorwoodOriginalJan 31, 2007
R-CADana RohrabacherOriginalJan 31, 2007
R-CAEdward R. RoyceOriginalJan 31, 2007
R-CAElton GalleglyOriginalJan 31, 2007
R-OKFrank D. LucasOriginalJan 31, 2007
D-MSGene TaylorOriginalJan 31, 2007
R-FLGinny Brown-WaiteOriginalJan 31, 2007
R-FLGus M. BilirakisOriginalJan 31, 2007
R-NCHoward CobleOriginalJan 31, 2007
R-CAHoward P. "Buck" McKeonOriginalJan 31, 2007
R-FLJeff MillerOriginalJan 31, 2007
R-VAJo Ann DavisOriginalJan 31, 2007
R-MIJoe KnollenbergOriginalJan 31, 2007
R-SCJoe WilsonOriginalJan 31, 2007
R-TXJohn Abney CulbersonOriginalJan 31, 2007
R-CAJohn CampbellOriginalJan 31, 2007
R-TNJohn J. Duncan, Jr.OriginalJan 31, 2007
R-INMark E. SouderOriginalJan 31, 2007
R-TNMarsha BlackburnOriginalJan 31, 2007
R-TXPete SessionsOriginalJan 31, 2007
R-GAPhil GingreyOriginalJan 31, 2007
R-LARichard H. BakerOriginalJan 31, 2007
R-NCRobin HayesOriginalJan 31, 2007
R-LARodney AlexanderOriginalJan 31, 2007
R-TXRon PaulOriginalJan 31, 2007
R-ALSpencer BachusOriginalJan 31, 2007
R-IASteve KingOriginalJan 31, 2007
R-OHSteven C. LaTouretteOriginalJan 31, 2007
R-NCSue Wilkins MyrickOriginalJan 31, 2007
R-MIThaddeus G. McCotterOriginalJan 31, 2007
R-GATom PriceOriginalJan 31, 2007
R-VAVirgil H. Goode Jr.OriginalJan 31, 2007
R-TNZach WampOriginalJan 31, 2007
R-MICandice S. MillerFeb 6, 2007
R-VAJ. Randy ForbesFeb 6, 2007
R-ALJo BonnerFeb 6, 2007
R-MIPeter HoekstraFeb 6, 2007
R-OHRalph RegulaFeb 6, 2007
R-CAKen CalvertFeb 15, 2007
R-GALynn A. WestmorelandFeb 15, 2007
R-MSRoger F. WickerFeb 28, 2007
R-MNJohn KlineMar 6, 2007
R-OHJean SchmidtMar 8, 2007
R-FLVern BuchananMar 13, 2007
R-CAGary G. MillerMar 14, 2007
R-COThomas G. TancredoMar 14, 2007
R-TXKenny MarchantMar 20, 2007
R-KYGeoff DavisMar 22, 2007
R-TXSam JohnsonMar 22, 2007
R-SCJ. Gresham BarrettMar 28, 2007
R-ALMike RogersMar 29, 2007
R-COMarilyn N. MusgraveApr 17, 2007
R-ARJohn BoozmanMay 1, 2007
R-LABobby JindalOct 10, 2007
R-MNJim RamstadJan 28, 2008
R-MOW. Todd AkinFeb 14, 2008
R-CAWally HergerMar 31, 2008
R-GAPaul C. BrounApr 9, 2008
R-VARobert J. WittmanApr 9, 2008
R-GAJohn LinderApr 10, 2008
R-MOJo Ann EmersonApr 30, 2008
R-PAJim GerlachMay 7, 2008
R-NVDean HellerMay 15, 2008
R-TXMichael C. BurgessJun 10, 2008
R-OHRobert E. LattaJul 10, 2008
R-ALRobert B. AderholtSep 8, 2008

Committees 2

Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.

ChamberCommitteeWhat it did
HouseEducation and Workforce Committee
Referred Jan 31, 2007
Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Subcommittee
Referred May 18, 2007
HouseJudiciary Committee
Referred Jan 31, 2007
Constitution and Limited Government Subcommittee
Referred Mar 1, 2007

Actions 4

Everything that happened, newest first.

  1. May 18, 2007Referred to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education.
  2. Mar 1, 2007Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties.
  3. Jan 31, 2007Introduced in House
  4. Jan 31, 2007Referred to the Committee on Education and Labor, 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.

Research

What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.

Printed hearings 1

Hearings whose printed record names this bill, newest first: hearings on it, and wider hearings where it came up.

NumberHearingCommitteeHeld
S. Hrg. 110-70HEARING ON THE FILIPINO VETERANS EQUITY ACT OF 200790 pagesVeterans' Affairs CommitteeApr 11, 2007

Related bills 1

Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.

BillTitleRelationshipLatest action
S 1335S.I. Hayakawa Official English Language Act of 2007Related billMay 8, 2007

Titles 2

Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.

Official Title as Introduced
To amend title 4, United States Code, to declare English as the official language of the Government of the United States, and for other purposes.
Short Titles as Introduced
National Language Act of 2007

Subjects

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

Text 1

Each version as it was printed, newest first.

  1. Jan 31, 2007Introduced in House

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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; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.