PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 1.18 COMMON LANGUAGE OF STATE.
1 2 The common language of the state shall be the English
1 3 language and all official proceedings, records, and
1 4 publications shall be in the English language. This English
1 5 language requirement shall not apply to communications in
1 6 braille, to communications utilizing American sign language,
1 7 or to any other form or method of communication intended for
1 8 persons who are deaf, hard-of-hearing, blind, or visually
1 9 impaired. To foster the inclusion of individuals whose
1 10 primary language is a language other than the English
1 11 language, the state shall make every effort to provide
1 12 instruction in the English language to such adults and
1 13 children throughout the state. The requirements of this
1 14 section establishing English as the common language of the
1 15 state shall not apply to any of the following:
1 16 1. To public employees in the oral or verbal, as opposed
1 17 to written, performance of government business.
1 18 2. To instruction in foreign language classes.
1 19 3. To instruction designed to aid students with limited
1 20 English proficiency.
1 21 4. When deemed to interfere with the needs of the judicial
1 22 system.
1 23 5. When public health, safety, and emergency services
1 24 require the use of other languages.
1 25 6. To the promotion of international commerce and tourism.
1 26 7. To any oral or written communications, examinations, or
1 27 publications produced or utilized by a driver's license
1 28 station.
1 29 8. To personal communications relating to a particular
1 30 student and sent home from a school with that student. All
1 31 such communications may be in a language other than English if
1 32 a non-English language is the dominant language in a student's
1 33 home.
1 34 9. To any publication of any division of the department of
1 35 human rights. Written material produced by the divisions of
2 1 the department of human rights relating to any matter within
2 2 the scope of their authority may be published in any language
2 3 the divisions find necessary to utilize in order to
2 4 effectively communicate with the intended recipients of the
2 5 material.
2 6 EXPLANATION
2 7
2 8 This bill establishes English as the common language of the
2 9 state, to be utilized in official proceedings, records, and
2 10 publications. The bill additionally provides that the state
2 11 shall make every effort to provide instruction in the English
2 12 language to facilitate the inclusion of individuals with a
2 13 primary language other than the English language.
2 14 LSB 1352YH 78
2 15 rn/cf/24