Bill Text: TX HB301 | 2011-2012 | 82nd Legislature | Comm Sub
Bill Title: Relating to the establishment of English as the official language of Texas and the requirement that official acts of government be performed in English.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-05-06 - Committee report sent to Calendars [HB301 Detail]
Download: Texas-2011-HB301-Comm_Sub.html
| 82R366 YDB-F | ||
| By: Berman, Jackson | H.B. No. 301 | |
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| relating to the establishment of English as the official language | ||
| of Texas and the requirement that official acts of government be | ||
| performed in English. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. The legislature finds and declares: | ||
| (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 state is English; | ||
| (4) a knowledge of the common language is essential to | ||
| the full exercise of constitutional freedoms, the informed and | ||
| knowledgeable empowerment of voters, citizen checks against | ||
| government abuses, individual prosperity, and independence; | ||
| (5) the English language has been the strongest bond | ||
| among citizens of this nation 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; and | ||
| (8) this state, its political subdivisions, and the | ||
| federal government have a responsibility to ensure that citizens | ||
| have opportunities to learn English. | ||
| SECTION 2. Title 10, Government Code, is amended by adding | ||
| Subtitle H to read as follows: | ||
| SUBTITLE H. OFFICIAL LANGUAGE FOR ACTS OF GOVERNMENT | ||
| CHAPTER 2351. ENGLISH AS OFFICIAL LANGUAGE OF GOVERNMENT AND FOR | ||
| ACTS OF GOVERNMENT | ||
| Sec. 2351.001. DEFINITION. In this chapter, "official act | ||
| of government" means: | ||
| (1) an action of this state or a political subdivision | ||
| of this state that carries the full weight and authority of law; | ||
| (2) an official document recorded or first maintained | ||
| on or after September 1, 2011, by this state or a political | ||
| subdivision of this state for the public domain, including a tax | ||
| record, professional license, deed, real estate record, or publicly | ||
| probated will or other document of a court system; or | ||
| (3) a public proceeding of a governing body of this | ||
| state or a political subdivision of this state held on or after | ||
| September 1, 2011. | ||
| Sec. 2351.002. PURPOSE. It is the purpose of this chapter | ||
| to preserve, protect, and strengthen the unifying role of English | ||
| as the official language of this state. | ||
| Sec. 2351.003. ENGLISH AS OFFICIAL LANGUAGE. (a) English | ||
| is the official language of this state and is the language of | ||
| official acts of government. | ||
| (b) This state or a political subdivision of this state may | ||
| not make any policy expressing a preference for any language other | ||
| than English or diminishing or ignoring the unifying role of | ||
| English as designated by this chapter, except as provided by | ||
| Section 2351.004. | ||
| (c) An elected or appointed officer of this state or a | ||
| political subdivision of this state shall take all reasonable steps | ||
| to ensure that the role of English as the official language of this | ||
| state is preserved and enhanced. | ||
| Sec. 2351.004. APPLICABILITY OF CHAPTER. This chapter does | ||
| not: | ||
| (1) supersede contrary provisions imposed under | ||
| federal law; | ||
| (2) prohibit the use of another language for the | ||
| public safety, health, or justice; | ||
| (3) prohibit instruction in foreign language courses; | ||
| (4) prohibit instruction designed to aid students with | ||
| limited English proficiency in their transition and integration | ||
| into the education system; | ||
| (5) prohibit the promotion of international commerce | ||
| or tourism; or | ||
| (6) prohibit a court or an administrative agency from | ||
| admitting into evidence or relying on a record that is from another | ||
| jurisdiction and originally written in another language, if the | ||
| court or agency determines the record is necessary for a proceeding | ||
| or hearing. | ||
| Sec. 2351.005. PROHIBITED APPROPRIATION. The legislature | ||
| or a governing body of a political subdivision of this state may not | ||
| appropriate any money to promote the use of or demonstrate a | ||
| preference for any language other than the official language, | ||
| except as provided by Section 2351.004. | ||
| Sec. 2351.006. CONSTRUCTION OF CHAPTER. This chapter may | ||
| not be: | ||
| (1) 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; or | ||
| (2) used to dictate language policies for the | ||
| operation and administration of organizations or businesses in the | ||
| private sector. | ||
| SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2011. | ||
