English Language Unity Act of 2013
Latest action · Apr 8, 2013 Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice.
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.
- IntroducedMar 6, 2013
- Passed HouseNot reached
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
English Language Unity Act of 2013 - Makes English the official language of the United States.
Requires, subject to exceptions and rules of construction, that: (1) official functions of the U.S. government be conducted in English, and (2) all naturalization ceremonies be conducted in English.
Establishes a uniform English language rule for naturalization.
Makes English language requirements and workplace policies, whether in the public or private sector, presumptively consistent with the laws of the United States.
Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) 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 94
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Mar 6, 2013 to Nov 12, 2014, with 35 there on the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| R-MS | Alan Nunnelee | Original | Mar 6, 2013 |
| R-PA | Bill Shuster | Original | Mar 6, 2013 |
| R-MO | Blaine Luetkemeyer | Original | Mar 6, 2013 |
| R-OH | Bob Gibbs | Original | Mar 6, 2013 |
| R-LA | Charles W. Boustany, Jr. | Original | Mar 6, 2013 |
| R-CA | Dana Rohrabacher | Original | Mar 6, 2013 |
| R-VA | Frank R. Wolf | Original | Mar 6, 2013 |
| R-KY | Harold Rogers | Original | Mar 6, 2013 |
| R-NC | Howard Coble | Original | Mar 6, 2013 |
| R-GA | Jack Kingston | Original | Mar 6, 2013 |
| R-FL | Jeff Miller | Original | Mar 6, 2013 |
| R-OH | Jim Jordan | Original | Mar 6, 2013 |
| R-TN | John J. Duncan, Jr. | Original | Mar 6, 2013 |
| R-PA | Lou Barletta | Original | Mar 6, 2013 |
| R-TX | Louie Gohmert | Original | Mar 6, 2013 |
Actions 3
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Apr 8, 2013Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice.
- Mar 6, 2013Introduced in House
- Mar 6, 2013Referred 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.
Related bills 1
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| S 464 | English Language Unity Act of 2013 | Related bill | Mar 5, 2013 |
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Government Operations and Politics.
- Academic performance and assessments
- Administrative law and regulatory procedures
- Citizenship and naturalization
- Civil actions and liability
- Constitution and constitutional amendments
- Department of Homeland Security
- Foreign language and bilingual programs
- Government information and archives
- Government Operations and Politics
- State and local government operations
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Mar 6, 2013Introduced in House
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.