| 1 | 1 | | 86R10903 YDB-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Hall S.B. No. 1616 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to designating English as the official language of this |
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| 8 | 8 | | state. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. The legislature finds and declares: |
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| 11 | 11 | | (1) English is the language of commerce around the |
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| 12 | 12 | | world; |
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| 13 | 13 | | (2) many corporations select English as the official |
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| 14 | 14 | | corporate language or emphasize the use of English for corporate |
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| 15 | 15 | | purposes; and |
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| 16 | 16 | | (3) knowledge of English assists individuals who are |
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| 17 | 17 | | assimilating into the United States. |
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| 18 | 18 | | SECTION 2. The heading to Chapter 3101, Government Code, is |
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| 19 | 19 | | amended to read as follows: |
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| 20 | 20 | | CHAPTER 3101. STATE SYMBOLS AND LANGUAGE |
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| 21 | 21 | | SECTION 3. Chapter 3101, Government Code, is amended by |
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| 22 | 22 | | designating Sections 3101.001 through 3101.013 as Subchapter A and |
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| 23 | 23 | | adding a subchapter heading to read as follows: |
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| 24 | 24 | | SUBCHAPTER A. STATE SYMBOLS |
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| 25 | 25 | | SECTION 4. Chapter 3101, Government Code, is amended by |
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| 26 | 26 | | adding Subchapter B to read as follows: |
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| 27 | 27 | | SUBCHAPTER B. OFFICIAL LANGUAGE |
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| 28 | 28 | | Sec. 3101.051. OFFICIAL LANGUAGE. The English language is |
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| 29 | 29 | | designated as the official language of this state. |
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| 30 | 30 | | Sec. 3101.052. TRANSLATION OR EXPLANATION OF OFFICIAL STATE |
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| 31 | 31 | | DOCUMENTS, MATERIALS, AND WEBSITE CONTENT. Notwithstanding any |
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| 32 | 32 | | other law, an unofficial and nonbinding translation or explanation |
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| 33 | 33 | | of an official state document, written material, or website content |
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| 34 | 34 | | may be provided or published separately in a language other than the |
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| 35 | 35 | | official language of this state only if the translation or |
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| 36 | 36 | | explanation: |
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| 37 | 37 | | (1) is made and distributed without cost to this |
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| 38 | 38 | | state; |
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| 39 | 39 | | (2) is appropriately labeled as unofficial and |
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| 40 | 40 | | nonbinding; and |
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| 41 | 41 | | (3) states the actions required to obtain or view the |
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| 42 | 42 | | official state document, written material, or website content. |
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| 43 | 43 | | SECTION 5. Section 2054.116, Government Code, is repealed. |
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| 44 | 44 | | SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |
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