APPENDIX ADDITIONAL Material for THE RECORD Congressional Research Service Washington, D.C. 20540 STATE STATUTORY RECOGNITION OF ENGLISH AS THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE Mark E. Gurevitz March 1, 1984 STATE STATUTORY RECOGNITION OF ENGLISH AS THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE ARIZONA Arizona Revised Statutes, Through 1984 Cumulative Pocket Part Enabling Act June 20, 1910, Section 19 That provisions shall be made for the establishment and maintenance Constitution of Arizona Article XX Ordinance Provisions shall be made by law for the establishment and maintenance of a system of public schools which shall be open to all children of the state and be free from sectarian control, and said schools shall always be conducted in English. Conducting of Schools in English Language; Bilingual Instruction. All schools shall be conducted in English, except special clases as provided in subsection B. In the first eight grades of any common school district or unified ARKANSAS Arkansas Statutes 1947 Annotated, Through Advance Annotation Service 1982-1983 § 22-108. Process and Proceeding to be in English Language. All writs, process, proceedings and records in any court shall be in the English language. The basic language of instruction in the common school branches in all the schools of the state, public and private, shall be the English language only. CALIFORNIA West's Annotated California Codes, Through Cumulative Pocket Part 1983 Code of Civil Procedure § 185 Proceedings in English Language Every written proceeding in a court of justice in this state shall be in the English language, and judicial proceedings shall be conducted, preserved, and published in no other. Code of Civil Procedure § 198 Competency A person is competent to act as juror if he or she is: 3. Possessed of sufficient knowledge of the English language. Education Code § 30 Language of Instruction English shall be the basic language of instruction in all schools. The governing board of any school district, or community college district, and any private school may determine when and under what circumstances instructions may be given bilingually. It is the policy of the state to insure that mastery of English by all pupils in the schools; provided that bilingual instruction may be offered in those situations when such instruction is educationally advantageous to the pupils. Bilingual instruction is authorized to the extent that it does not interfere with the systematic, sequential, and regular instruction of all pupils in the English language. Penal Code § 893 Competecy (a) A person is competent to act as a grand juror only if he possess each of the following qualifications: (3) He is possessed of sufficient knowledge of the English language. COLORADO Colorado Revised Statutes 1973, Through Advanced Annotation Service 1982 § 22-1-103. Policy of State to Instruct in English. Instruction in the common branches of study in the public schools of this state shall be conducted principally through the medium of the English language; except that it shall be the policy of the state also to encourage the school districts of the state to develop bilingual skills and to assist pupils whose experience is largely in a language other than English to make an effective transition to English with the least possible interference in other learning activities. CONNECTICUT Connecticut General Statutes Annotated, Through Cumulative Annual Pocket Part 1983-1984 $ 10-17. English Language to be Medium of Instruction. The medium of instruction and administration in all public and private elementary schools shall be the English language, except that instruction as provided in sections 10-17a and 10-17f may be given in any language other than English to any pupil who, by reason of foreign birth, ancestry or otherwise, experiences difficulty in reading and understanding English. § 10-17a. Establishment of Bilingual and Bicultural Program. Any local or regional board of education may establish at any level of instruction a bilingual and bicultural program of study involving a culture in which a language other than English is predominately spoken, provided the purpose of such program shall be to enable children to become proficient in English. A private school may, with the approval of the state board of education, establish such a program of bilingual education. IDAHO Idaho Code, Through 1983 Cumulative Pocket Supplement § 2-209. Court Determination of Qualification of Prospective Juror. (2) A prospective juror is disqualified to serve on a jury if he: § 33-1601. Instruction in English Language. Instruction in all subjects in the public schools, except that required for the teaching of foreign languages, shall be conducted in the English language. Provided, however, that for students where the language spoken in their home is not English, instruction may be given in a language other than English as necessary to allow for the transition of the students to the English language. ILLINOIS Smith-Hurd Illinois Annotated Statutes, Through 1983-1984 Cumulative Annual The official language of the State of Illinois is English. Chapter 122 § 27-2. Instruction in English Language. Instruction in the elementary branches of education in all schools shall be in the English language except in vocational schools where the pupils have already received the required instruction in English during the current school year. Chapter 122 § 34-18.2. Bilingual Programs. The Board of Education may provide programs in a language other than the English for those children whose first language is other than English. IOWA Iowa Code Annotated, Through 1983-1984 Cumulative Annual Pocket Part § 280.4. Medium of Instruction. The medium of instruction in all secular subjects taught both in public and nonpublic schools shall be in the English language, except when use of a foreign language is deemed appropriate in the teaching of any subject or when the student is non-English-speaking. When the student is non-English speaking, both public and nonpublic schools shall provide special instruction, which shall include but need not be limited to either instruction in the English language or a transitional bilingual program, until the student demonstrates a functional ability to speak, write, read and understand the English language. As used in this section, "non-English-speaking student" means a student whose native language is not English and whose inability or limited ability to speak, write or read English significantly impedes educational progress. § 607.1 Competency. All qualified electors of the state of good moral character, sound judgment, and in full possession of the senses of hearing and seeing, and who can speak, write, and read the English language, are competent jurors in their respective counties. KENTUCKY Kentucky Revised Statutes 1983 Replacement § 446.060. Writings- (2) Every writing contemplated by the laws of this state shall be in the English language. LOUISIANA West's Louisiana Statutes Annotated, Through 1983 Cumulative Annual Pocket Part Title 11 Article 401. General Qualification of Jurors. In order to qualify to serve as a juror, a person must: (3) Be able to read, write, and speak the English language. MAINE Maine Revised Statutes Annotated, Through 1982-1983 Cumulative Pocket Part 20 § 102. Duties (Commissioner of Education) 7. Studies to be Taught The basic language of instruction in all schools, public and private, shall be the English language. |