00HOUSE BILL NO. 512                                                                                                      
01 "An Act establishing English as the common language and related to the use of                                           
02 English in public records and at public meetings of state agencies."                                                    
03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                                
04    * Section 1.  FINDINGS.  The legislature finds that                                                                  
05   (1)  this state has been enriched by its diversity, and the government should                                         
06 always take steps to promote the dignity of all the heritages that form our society;                                    
07   (2)  many languages are used in this state, and language has the power to unite                                       
08 people of differing backgrounds and heritages;                                                                          
09   (3)  English as the nation's single shared language is the one language that                                          
10 crosses all ethnic, racial, cultural, and religious lines and allows diverse Americans to share                         
11 their various backgrounds; and                                                                                          
12   (4)  the use of a common language as the language of public record in no way                                          
13 infringes upon the rights of people to exercise the use of a primary language of their choice                           
14 for private conduct.                                                                                                    

01    * Sec. 2.  AS 01.10 is amended by adding new sections to read:                                                       
02 ARTICLE 5.  COMMON LANGUAGE.                                                                                            
03  Sec. 01.10.200.  COMMON LANGUAGE ESTABLISHED.  The common                                                             
04 language of the state is English.  Meetings of a state agency that are open to the public                               
05 shall be conducted in English.  Except during a public meeting, this section does not                                   
06 prohibit an officer or employee of a state agency from using a language other than                                      
07 English in the scope of employment.  Records of a state agency, including records                                       
08 accepted by a state agency for recording or filing, must be in English.                                                 
09  Sec. 01.10.210.  EXEMPTIONS.  (a)  AS 01.10.200 does not apply                                                        
10   (1)  to instruction in a language other than English;                                                                
11   (2)  to instruction designed to aid a student with limited English                                                   
12 proficiency;                                                                                                            
13   (3)  to bilingual education or activities if the education or activities are                                         
14 authorized under federal law;                                                                                           
15   (4)  to the international promotion of commerce, tourism, and sporting                                               
16 events;                                                                                                                 
17   (5)  when the public safety or health or an emergency requires the use                                               
18 of a language other than English;                                                                                       
19   (6)  to an individual providing testimony or making a statement to a                                                 
20 state agency if the individual is not an officer or employee of a state agency and if the                               
21 testimony or statement is translated into English and included in the records of the                                    
22 agency.                                                                                                                 
23  (b)  A person may not be denied employment by a state agency based solely                                             
24 on that individual's lack of facility in a language other than English, except when                                     
25 facility in another language is a bona fide job qualification required to fulfill a function                            
26 listed in (a) of this section.                                                                                          
27  Sec. 01.10.220.  REGULATION OF PRIVATE LANGUAGE PROHIBITED.                                                           
28 AS 01.10.200 may not be construed in a way that infringes on the rights of people to                                    
29 use languages other than English in private activities.  A state agency may not restrict                                
30 the use of languages other than English in private activities.                                                          
31  Sec. 01.10.230.  PRIVATE RIGHT OF ACTION.  A person may bring an                                                      

01 action against a state agency to enforce AS 01.10.200 - 01.10.220.                                                      
02  Sec. 01.10.240.  DEFINITION.  In AS 01.10.200 - 01.10.240, "state agency"                                             
03 means an entity of the state or a political subdivision of the state including a board or                               
04 commission, the University of Alaska, a public authority or corporation, a municipality,                                
05 a school district, or other governmental unit of the state or a political subdivision of                                
06 the state.