Delaware House of Representatives Approves Official English Measure

The Delaware House of Representatives became the third state legislative body to approve official English legislation in 2006, passing HR 79 by voice vote yesterday afternoon. The legislation, introduced by Rep. William “Bobby” Outten, would make English the official language of Delaware. In addition to declaring that state agencies are not required to provide materials in languages other than English (except where covered by federal law), the measure also calls upon agencies to promote English learning for non-English proficient persons.

“I applaud the Delaware legislators for their effort to unite the state under our common language of opportunity, English,” said Mauro E. Mujica, Chairman of U.S. English, Inc., “In recent years, Delaware has become an increasingly popular location for immigrants to call home. The passage of HR 79 provides good government policy for leading new Americans on the road to success.”

The passage of HR 79 marks the third time in 13 years that the Delaware House of Representatives has passed a measure to make English the official language of the state. In 1994, the Delaware House and Senate overwhelmingly passed legislation, only to have to measure vetoed by then-Governor Tom Carper. Last month, Carper, now a U.S. Senator, voted in support of an amendment that would make English the national language of the United States. The House also approved official English legislation in 1997, but the measure was not acted upon by the Senate.

To date, 27 states have enacted legislation to make English the official language. Ten additional states have seen official English measures introduced in the current session. These states include Arizona and Michigan, where measures have passed the House and are now pending in the Senate.

“From the White House to the statehouse, Americans have finally turned their focus back to the uniting bond of English,” noted Mujica. “The return to the basics of assimilation and language learning is a positive development for all Americans, and I look forward to other legislatures joining this pro-America, pro-immigrant trend.”

U.S. English, Inc. is the nation's oldest and largest non-partisan citizens' action group dedicated to preserving the unifying role of the English language in the United States. Founded in 1983 by the late Sen. S.I. Hayakawa of California, U.S. English, Inc. (www.usenglish.org) now has more than 1.8 million members.