Sponsors (2)
The bill trades clearer, uniform English-language rules and strengthened authority for governments and a single naturalization standard against substantial risks of reduced access for non‑English speakers, increased compliance costs, and legal challenges.
Federal, state, and local governments — and employers — gain clearer statutory authority to adopt English as an official language or impose English-language requirements, reducing ambiguity about whether such policies are permissible.
Immigration applicants and prospective citizens benefit from a uniform, clearer English standard for naturalization (with a notice-and-comment rulemaking requirement), which reduces variation across jurisdictions and clarifies what English skills are expected.
Courts and agencies receive an explicit construction rule that favors protecting retained state powers and limiting federal overreach when English statutory texts are ambiguous.
Immigrants, limited-English speakers, people with disabilities, and non-English-speaking residents are likely to face reduced access to federal, state, and local services, and may find naturalization and routine interactions with government harder if multilingual supports are curtailed.
State and local governments, federal agencies, employers, and small businesses could incur substantial compliance and implementation costs (revising forms, signage, tests, and communications) and taxpayers may face administrative expenses to design and defend new standards.
The statute could trigger civil-rights and constitutional challenges and create legal uncertainty (including about how ambiguous statutes are interpreted), producing litigation risk and costs for governments, employers, and affected individuals.
Based on analysis of 6 sections of legislative text.
Declares English the official U.S. language, adds construction rules favoring English-text interpretations, and directs DHS to propose a uniform English naturalization standard within 180 days.
Introduced February 12, 2025 by Bernardo Moreno · Last progress February 12, 2025
Declares English the official language of the United States, adds new statutory rules saying English-language requirements and workplace language policies are presumptively consistent with U.S. law, and requires the Department of Homeland Security to propose a uniform English testing standard for naturalization within 180 days. The bill makes the new official-language and construction-rule provisions effective 180 days after enactment and directs DHS to publish a proposed rule for public comment within 180 days.