SENATE, No. 276

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 1996 SESSION

By Senator CARDINALE

An Act designating the English language as the official and primary language of the State, county and municipal governments and supplementing chapter 9 of Title 52 of the Revised Statutes.

    Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

    1. The English language is designated as the official and primary language of:

    a. the State, county and municipal governments;

    b. State, county and municipal government officers and employees acting in the course and scope of their employment; and

    c. all State, county and municipal government documents and records.

    2. No State law, rule or regulation, local government ordinance or resolution or State, county or municipal government policy shall require:

    a. a specific language other than the English language to be used by government officers and employees acting in the course and scope of their employment or for government documents and records; or

    b. that a specific language other than the English language be taught in a public school as a student's primary language.

    3. a. Nothing in this act is intended to violate the federal or State constitutional right to freedom of speech guarantees of State, county or municipal officers or employees acting in the course and scope of their employment.

    b. Nothing in this act shall prohibit a State, county or municipal officer or employee from using a language other than the English language while acting in the course and scope of employment, including use in a government document or record, if the officer or employee so chooses, or prohibit the teaching of languages other than English in a public school for general educational purposes or as secondary languages.

    4. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

    This bill designates the English language as the official and primary language of State, county and municipal governments.

    The bill provides that English shall be used by State, county and municipal government officers and employees acting in the course and scope of their employment and in all State, county and municipal government documents and records.

    This bill is modeled on legislation enacted in Montana on April 1, 1995.

Designates English as official and primary language of State, county and municipal governments.