as introduced - 84th Legislature, 2005 1st Special Session (2005 - 2005) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am
A bill for an act
relating to state government; designating English as
the official language; proposing coding for new law in
Minnesota Statutes, chapter 1.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
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English is the official
language of the state of Minnesota. English is designated as
the language for use by the state and local governments, for
government officers and employees acting in the scope of their
employment, and for government documents and records.
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This section does not apply:
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(1) to instruction in foreign language courses;
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(2) to instruction designed to aid students with limited
English in a timely transition and integration into the general
educational system;
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(3) to the promotion of international commerce, tourism,
and sporting events;
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(4) when determined to interfere with needs of the justice
system;
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(5) when the public safety, health, or emergency services
require the use of other languages; provided that any
authorization for the use of languages other than English in
printing informational materials or publications for general
distribution must be approved in a public proceeding by the
governing board or authority of the relevant state or local
government entity and the decision recorded in publicly
available minutes; and
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(6) when expert testimony or witnesses may require a
language other than English; provided that for purposes of
deliberation, decision making, or record keeping, the official
version of the testimony or commentary must be the officially
translated English-language version.
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All costs related to the preparation,
translation, printing, and recording of documents, records,
brochures, pamphlets, flyers, or other informational materials
in languages other than English resulting from an exception in
subdivision 2 must be delineated as a separate budget line item
in the agency, departmental, or office budget.
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No person may be denied employment
with the state or with any political subdivision of the state
based solely upon that person's lack of facility in a foreign
language, except when related to bona fide job needs reflected
in the exceptions in subdivision 2.
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This section must not be
construed in any way to infringe on the rights of citizens under
the Minnesota Constitution or the United States Constitution in
the use of language in activities or functions conducted solely
in the private sector. No agency or officer of the state or of
any political subdivision of the state may place any
restrictions or requirements regarding language usage for
businesses operating in the private sector other than in
official documents, forms, submissions, or other communications
directed to government agencies and officers, which must be in
English as required by this section.
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Any citizen of the state has
standing to bring an action against the state to enforce this
section. The district court has jurisdiction to hear and decide
actions brought under this section.
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