2008 General Provisions of Virginia Code
- C HB55: English as the official language of the Commonwealth. States that, except as provided by federal law, English is the official language of the Commonwealth, and no state agency or local government shall provide or otherwise assist in providing any documents, information, literature, or other written materials in any language other than English. The bill provides exceptions to this general rule for any documents, information, literature, or other written materials in a language other than English used in connection with foreign language instruction, administration of justice in the courts of the Commonwealth, law-enforcement purposes, or the provision of health care services.
It was continued to the 2009 Regular Session of the General Assembly.
This bill was patroned by Delegate L. Scott Lingamfelter, (R - 31st District), www.va31st.com. Delegate Lingamfelter represents Prince William and Fauquier Counties, and has served four terms in the Virginia General Assembly. A retired Army colonel, he is a member of the House Finance Committee.
Virginia’s original English Language statute was adopted in 1981 and reads:
Code of Virginia, 1950 through 1994 Supplement
Section 22.1-212.1 – English as Official Language (1981)
- English shall be designated as the Official Language of the Commonwealth of Virginia. School boards shall have no obligation to teach the standard curriculum, except courses in foreign languages, in a language other than English. School boards shall endeavor to provide instruction in the English language which shall be designed to promote the education of students for whom English is a second language.
This code was updated in 1996 with these changes:
Code of Virginia, Chapter 829 (1996)
Chapter 7. Official Language of the Commonwealth
§7.1-42. English designated the official language of the Commonwealth.
- English shall be designated as the official language of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Except as provided by law, no state agency or local government shall be required to provide and no state agency or local government shall be prohibited from providing any documents, information, literature or other written materials in any language other than English.
§22.1-212.1. Obligations of school boards.
- Pursuant to §7.1-42, school boards shall have no obligation to teach the standard curriculum, except courses in foreign languages, in a language other than English. School boards shall endeavor to provide instruction in the English language which shall be designed to promote the education of students for whom English is a second language.
Unfortunately, a 2008 Constitutional Amendment (C HJ124) to make English the state’s official language failed.
The amendment was patroned by Delegate Johnny S. Joannou, (D - 79th District) a member of the Virginia House of Delegates since 1998. Joannou represents the Cities of Chesapeake (part), Norfolk (part), Portsmouth (part), and Suffolk (part).
C HJ124: Constitutional amendment (1st resolution); English as the official language of the Commonwealth. Provides that English is the official language of Virginia, that the provision is self-executing, and that the General Assembly may pass laws to implement the provision.
C HJ124 Legislation History
Status:
- 01/08/08 House: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/09/08 087627572
- 01/08/08 House: Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections
- 01/18/08 House: Continued to 2009 in Privileges and Elections by voice vote
Please contact Delegate Ed Scott and ask him to co-patron HB 55 and C HJ124.
Delegate Ed ScottLet Senator Edd Houck (D-17th District) know that these bills are important and ask him to sponsor or co-sponsor matching legislation in the Senate. Contact Senator Houck at (540) 786-2782, via email at senatorhouck@comcast.net, or via fax at (540) 891-8805.
206 S. Main Street, Suite 203
Culpeper, VA 22701
(540) 825-6400
540-825-6649 fax
email: DelEScott@house.state.va.us
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