From the ECS State Policy Database Instructional Approaches--Official English

This database is made possible by your state's fiscal support of the Education Commission of the States (ECS). Most entries are legislative, although rules/regulations and executive orders that make substantive changes are included. Every effort is made to collect the latest available version of policies; in some instances, recent changes might not be reflected. For expediency purposes minimal attention has been paid to style (capitalization, punctuation) and format. Please cite use of the database as: Education Commission of the States (ECS) State Policy Database, retrieved [date]. State Status/Date Level Summary KS Signed into law 05/2007 P-12 Community College Official English H.B. 2140 Designates English as the official language of the state. Provides any official public document or record and any official public meeting must be in English. Authorizes an agency or subdivision to publish a document in a language other than English as long as ... More... ID Signed into law 03/2007 P-12 Official State Language S.B. 1172 Amends existing law to declare English to be the official state language. Provides that English is the sole language of government, subject to exceptions. Provides that specified actions must be in English, subject to exceptions. Requires all state funds appr... More... HI Vetoed 06/2002 P-12 Hawaii Commission on Language Access S.B. 2568 Establishes a commission on language access. Requires the commission to develop and implement systems by which limited English speaking persons can access services, activities, and programs within each department. http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessioncurrent/b... More... IA Signed into law 03/2002 P-12 Iowa English Language Reaffirmation Act of 2001 S.B. 165 Enacts the Iowa English Language Reaffirmation Act of 2001; declares that English is the official language of the state ; requires all state and local official government business to be conducted in English with certain exceptions.... More... UT Unofficially approved by voters 11/2000 P-12 V. 1 English Only INITIATIVE A Declares English as Utah's official and sole language for state and local government documents and action; exempts those documents and actions required by the United States and Utah constitutions, federal law and regulations, law enforcement, publ... More...