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| Be it enacted by the People
of the State of Maine as follows: |
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Sec. 1. 1 MRSA §221
is enacted to read: |
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1. Official language. English
is the official language of the |
| State.__It is designated
as the language of all public documents |
| and records and of all
public proceedings and executive sessions. |
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2.__Definitions.__As used
in this section, unless the context |
| otherwise indicates, the
following terms have the following |
| meanings. |
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| A.__"Executive sessions"
means a meeting at which only |
| members of the elected or appointed
public body and their |
| legal counsel, authorized staff
and invited witnesses may be |
| present. |
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| B.__"Official language"
means the prescribed language of all |
| public documents, records and proceedings. |
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| C.__"Official public documents
and records" means all |
| documents officially compiled, published
or recorded by the |
| State. |
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| D.__"Public proceedings"
has the same meaning as in section |
| 402, subsection 2 and includes the
information recorded at |
| such proceedings. |
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3.__Ballots.__Public documents
and records specifically |
| include all ballots used
in statewide or local elections. |
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4.__Exemptions. The
provisions of this section do not apply: |
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| A.__To all public proceedings between
the State of Maine and |
| Canada when, in the opinion of the
state department head or |
| representative involved in such
proceedings, it is necessary |
| to conduct those proceedings wholly
or partially in French |
| and to use official public documents
and records that are |
| written wholly or partially in French
during the |
| proceedings; |
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| B. To instruction in foreign language
courses or other |
| requirements of the University of
Maine System and the |
| State's public schools; |
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| C. To instruction designed to aid
students with limited |
| English integrating into the general
education system; |
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| D. To the promotion of international
commerce, tourism and |
| sporting events; |
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| E. When the provisions interfere
with the needs of the |
| justice system; |
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| F.__When the public health, public
safety or emergency |
| services require the use of other
languages, including, but |
| not limited to, highway signs and
other public signs; and |
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| G. When expert testimony or witnesses
require a language |
| other than English, except that,
for purposes of |
| deliberation, decision making or
record keeping, the |
| official version of such testimony
or commentary must be the |
| official English translation. |
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This bill establishes English as the
official state language. |
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