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Titles Actions Overview All Actions Cosponsors Committees Related Bills Subjects Latest Summary All Summaries

Titles (2)

Short Titles

Short Titles - House of Representatives

Short Titles as Introduced

English Language Unity Act of 2009

Official Titles

Official Titles - House of Representatives

Official Title as Introduced

To declare English as the official language of the United States, to establish a uniform English language rule for naturalization, and to avoid misconstructions of the English language texts of the laws of the United States, pursuant to Congress' powers to provide for the general welfare of the United States and to establish a uniform rule of naturalization under article I, section 8, of the Constitution.


Actions Overview (1)

Date Actions Overview
02/11/2009Introduced in House

All Actions (6)

Date All Actions
07/23/2009Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties.
Action By: Committee on the Judiciary
03/23/2009Referred to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education.
Action By: Committee on Education and Labor
02/11/2009Referred to House Judiciary
Action By: House of Representatives
02/11/2009Referred to House Education and Labor
Action By: House of Representatives
02/11/2009Referred to the Committee on Education and Labor, 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.
Action By: House of Representatives
02/11/2009Introduced in House
Action By: House of Representatives

Cosponsors (138)

* = Original cosponsor
CosponsorDate Cosponsored
Rep. Bachmann, Michele [R-MN-6]* 02/11/2009
Rep. Blackburn, Marsha [R-TN-7]* 02/11/2009
Rep. Luetkemeyer, Blaine [R-MO-9]* 02/11/2009
Rep. Burgess, Michael C. [R-TX-26]* 02/11/2009
Rep. Burton, Dan [R-IN-5]* 02/11/2009
Rep. Coble, Howard [R-NC-6]* 02/11/2009
Rep. Culberson, John Abney [R-TX-7]* 02/11/2009
Rep. Rohrabacher, Dana [R-CA-46]* 02/11/2009
Rep. Dreier, David [R-CA-26]* 02/11/2009
Rep. Duncan, John J., Jr. [R-TN-2]* 02/11/2009
Rep. Franks, Trent [R-AZ-2]* 02/11/2009
Rep. Brown, Henry E., Jr. [R-SC-1]* 02/11/2009
Rep. Herger, Wally [R-CA-2]* 02/11/2009
Rep. Inglis, Bob [R-SC-4]* 02/11/2009
Rep. Jones, Walter B., Jr. [R-NC-3]* 02/11/2009
Rep. McCaul, Michael T. [R-TX-10]* 02/11/2009
Rep. McHenry, Patrick T. [R-NC-10]* 02/11/2009
Rep. Paul, Ron [R-TX-14]* 02/11/2009
Rep. Roe, David P. [R-TN-1]* 02/11/2009
Rep. Rogers, Mike D. [R-AL-3]* 02/11/2009
Rep. Tiberi, Patrick J. [R-OH-12]* 02/11/2009
Rep. Broun, Paul C. [R-GA-10]* 02/11/2009
Rep. Graves, Sam [R-MO-6]* 02/11/2009
Rep. Bilirakis, Gus M. [R-FL-9]* 02/11/2009
Rep. Myrick, Sue Wilkins [R-NC-9]* 02/11/2009
Rep. Simpson, Michael K. [R-ID-2]* 02/11/2009
Rep. McHugh, John M. [R-NY-23]* 02/11/2009
Rep. Platts, Todd Russell [R-PA-19]* 02/11/2009
Rep. Hoekstra, Peter [R-MI-2]* 02/11/2009
Rep. Sullivan, John [R-OK-1]* 02/11/2009
Rep. Bilbray, Brian P. [R-CA-50]* 02/11/2009
Rep. Rogers, Harold [R-KY-5]* 02/11/2009
Rep. Rogers, Mike J. [R-MI-8]* 02/11/2009
Rep. Wolf, Frank R. [R-VA-10]* 02/11/2009
Rep. Fleming, John [R-LA-4]* 02/11/2009
Rep. Smith, Adrian [R-NE-3]* 02/11/2009
Rep. Shuster, Bill [R-PA-9]* 02/11/2009
Rep. Foxx, Virginia [R-NC-5]* 02/11/2009
Rep. Poe, Ted [R-TX-2]* 02/11/2009
Rep. Lucas, Frank D. [R-OK-3]* 02/11/2009
Rep. Bartlett, Roscoe G. [R-MD-6]* 02/11/2009
Rep. Whitfield, Ed [R-KY-1]* 02/11/2009
Rep. Miller, Gary G. [R-CA-42]* 02/11/2009
Rep. Kline, John [R-MN-2]* 02/11/2009
Rep. Marchant, Kenny [R-TX-24]* 02/11/2009
Rep. Lummis, Cynthia M. [R-WY-At Large]* 02/11/2009
Rep. Wittman, Robert J. [R-VA-1]* 02/11/2009
Rep. Stearns, Cliff [R-FL-6]* 02/11/2009
Rep. LaTourette, Steven C. [R-OH-14]* 02/11/2009
Rep. Akin, W. Todd [R-MO-2]* 02/11/2009
Rep. Hunter, Duncan D. [R-CA-52]* 02/11/2009
Rep. Johnson, Sam [R-TX-3]* 02/11/2009
Rep. Fallin, Mary [R-OK-5]* 02/11/2009
Rep. Wamp, Zach [R-TN-3]* 02/11/2009
Rep. Pitts, Joseph R. [R-PA-16]* 02/11/2009
Rep. Schmidt, Jean [R-OH-2]* 02/11/2009
Rep. Westmoreland, Lynn A. [R-GA-3]* 02/11/2009
Rep. McClintock, Tom [R-CA-4]* 02/11/2009
Rep. Petri, Thomas E. [R-WI-6] 02/23/2009
Rep. Barton, Joe [R-TX-6] 02/23/2009
Rep. Rehberg, Denny [R-MT-At Large] 02/23/2009
Rep. Forbes, J. Randy [R-VA-4] 02/23/2009
Rep. Neugebauer, Randy [R-TX-19] 02/23/2009
Rep. Gallegly, Elton [R-CA-24] 02/23/2009
Rep. Jordan, Jim [R-OH-4] 02/23/2009
Rep. Hall, Ralph M. [R-TX-4] 02/23/2009
Rep. Boozman, John [R-AR-3] 02/23/2009
Rep. McCotter, Thaddeus G. [R-MI-11] 02/23/2009
Rep. Brown-Waite, Ginny [R-FL-5] 02/23/2009
Rep. Bachus, Spencer [R-AL-6] 02/23/2009
Rep. Linder, John [R-GA-7] 02/23/2009
Rep. Altmire, Jason [D-PA-4] 02/23/2009
Rep. Boustany, Charles W., Jr. [R-LA-7] 02/23/2009
Rep. Alexander, Rodney [R-LA-5] 02/23/2009
Rep. Schock, Aaron [R-IL-18] 02/23/2009
Rep. Davis, Geoff [R-KY-4] 02/23/2009
Rep. Taylor, Gene [D-MS-4] 02/23/2009
Rep. Price, Tom [R-GA-6] 02/23/2009
Rep. Cantor, Eric [R-VA-7] 02/23/2009
Rep. Wilson, Joe [R-SC-2] 02/23/2009
Rep. McMorris Rodgers, Cathy [R-WA-5] 02/23/2009
Rep. Moran, Jerry [R-KS-1] 02/23/2009
Rep. Souder, Mark E. [R-IN-3] 02/23/2009
Rep. Chaffetz, Jason [R-UT-3] 02/24/2009
Rep. Posey, Bill [R-FL-15] 02/24/2009
Rep. Manzullo, Donald A. [R-IL-16] 02/24/2009
Rep. Heller, Dean [R-NV-2] 02/24/2009
Rep. Gingrey, Phil [R-GA-11] 02/24/2009
Rep. Buchanan, Vern [R-FL-13] 02/24/2009
Rep. Biggert, Judy [R-IL-13] 02/25/2009
Rep. Lee, Christopher J. [R-NY-26] 02/25/2009
Rep. King, Peter T. [R-NY-3] 02/25/2009
Rep. Scalise, Steve [R-LA-1] 03/02/2009
Rep. Putnam, Adam H. [R-FL-12] 03/02/2009
Rep. Goodlatte, Bob [R-VA-6] 03/02/2009
Rep. Fortenberry, Jeff [R-NE-1] 03/02/2009
Rep. Capito, Shelley Moore [R-WV-2] 03/02/2009
Rep. Carney, Christopher P. [D-PA-10] 03/03/2009
Rep. Latta, Robert E. [R-OH-5] 03/03/2009
Rep. McIntyre, Mike [D-NC-7] 03/05/2009
Rep. Tiahrt, Todd [R-KS-4] 03/09/2009
Rep. Olson, Pete [R-TX-22] 03/10/2009
Rep. McCarthy, Kevin [R-CA-22] 03/12/2009
Rep. Jenkins, Lynn [R-KS-2] 03/12/2009
Rep. Calvert, Ken [R-CA-44] 03/16/2009
Rep. Harper, Gregg [R-MS-3] 03/17/2009
Rep. Campbell, John [R-CA-48] 03/25/2009
Rep. Thompson, Glenn [R-PA-5] 03/25/2009
Rep. Shadegg, John B. [R-AZ-3] 03/26/2009
Rep. Royce, Edward R. [R-CA-40] 04/21/2009
Rep. Childers, Travis [D-MS-1] 04/27/2009
Rep. Rooney, Thomas J. [R-FL-16] 04/28/2009
Rep. Garrett, Scott [R-NJ-5] 05/07/2009
Rep. Barrett, J. Gresham [R-SC-3] 05/19/2009
Rep. Blunt, Roy [R-MO-7] 06/03/2009
Rep. Davis, Lincoln [D-TN-4] 06/08/2009
Rep. Aderholt, Robert B. [R-AL-4] 06/09/2009
Rep. Turner, Michael R. [R-OH-3] 06/15/2009
Rep. Upton, Fred [R-MI-6] 06/16/2009
Rep. Sessions, Pete [R-TX-32] 07/21/2009
Rep. Bonner, Jo [R-AL-1] 09/08/2009
Rep. Mica, John L. [R-FL-7] 09/08/2009
Rep. Emerson, Jo Ann [R-MO-8] 09/08/2009
Rep. Pence, Mike [R-IN-6] 09/08/2009
Rep. Issa, Darrell E. [R-CA-49] 09/14/2009
Rep. Deal, Nathan [R-GA-9] 09/14/2009
Rep. Camp, Dave [R-MI-4] 09/16/2009
Rep. Latham, Tom [R-IA-4] 09/23/2009
Rep. Murphy, Tim [R-PA-18] 12/09/2009
Rep. Bishop, Rob [R-UT-1] 12/09/2009
Rep. Miller, Jeff [R-FL-1] 01/12/2010
Rep. Peterson, Collin C. [D-MN-7] 01/15/2010
Rep. McKeon, Howard P. "Buck" [R-CA-25] 01/19/2010
Rep. Gohmert, Louie [R-TX-1] 01/26/2010
Rep. Walden, Greg [R-OR-2] 04/29/2010
Rep. Lamborn, Doug [R-CO-5] 04/29/2010
Rep. Griffith, Parker [R-AL-5] 05/04/2010
Rep. Coffman, Mike [R-CO-6] 12/07/2010

Committees (2)

Committees, subcommittees and links to reports associated with this bill are listed here, as well as the nature and date of committee activity and Congressional report number.

Committee / Subcommittee Date Activity Reports
House Education and Labor02/11/2009 Referred to
House Education and Labor Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education03/23/2009 Referred to
House Judiciary02/11/2009 Referred to
House Judiciary Subcommittee on Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties07/23/2009 Referred to

A related bill may be a companion measure, an identical bill, a procedurally-related measure, or one with text similarities. Bill relationships are identified by the House, the Senate, or CRS, and refer only to same-congress measures.


Latest Summary (1)

There is one summary for H.R.997. View summaries

Shown Here:
Introduced in House (02/11/2009)

English Language Unity Act of 2009 - Makes English the official language of the United States.

Requires, subject to exceptions and rules of construction, that: (1) official functions of the United States 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 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.