COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
FOR
Senate Bill No. 425
(By Senators Edgell, McKenzie and Kessler)
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[Originating in the Committee on the Judiciary;
reported February 13, 2004.]
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A BILL to amend the code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by
adding thereto a new section, designated §2-1-3, relating to
making English the official language of West Virginia.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended
by adding thereto a new section, designated §2-1-3, to read as
follows:
ARTICLE 1. COMMON LAW.
§2-1-3. English designated as official state language.
English is hereby designated as the official language of the
state of West Virginia. Except as provided by law, no state
agency or political subdivision shall be required to provide, and
no state agency or political subdivision shall be prohibited from
providing, any documents, information, literature or other
written materials in any language other than English.
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(NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to establish English as
the official language of West Virginia while clarifying that
absent a change in law, no state agency or political subdivision
can be required to use a language other than English or be
prohibited therefrom.
This section is new; therefore, strike-throughs and
underscoring have been omitted.)