PARRIS N. GLENDENING, Governor                            H.B. 657

making provisions of this Act severable declaring English as the State language.

BY adding to

Article 41—Governor—Executive and Administrative Departments

Section 18-205

Annotated Code of Maryland

(1993 Replacement Volume and 1994 Supplement)

BY adding to

Article - State Government

Section 13-315

Annotated Code of Maryland

(1993 Replacement Volume and 1994 Supplement)

Preamble

WHEREAS,—Maryland is comprised of people from many ethnic, cultural, and
linguistic backgrounds, each of whom has contributed to this State the richness of their
heritage; and

WHEREAS,—Maryland has been greatly enriched by this diversity, and the
government should always take steps to promote the dignity of all the heritages that form
this State's pluralistic society; and

WHEREAS,—It is not the purpose of this Act nor may this Act be construed, to
infringe upon the rights of citizens to exercise the use of a language of their choice for
private conduct; now, therefore,

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
MARYLAND, That the Laws of Maryland read as follows:

Article 41—Governor—Executive and Administrative Departments

18-205.

(A) (1) ENGLISH IS RECOGNIZED AS THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE OF
GOVERNMENT OF THIS STATE.

(2) AS THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE OF THE STATE, ENGLISH IS THE
LANGUAGE OF GOVERNMENT FUNCTIONS AND ACTIONS.

(B) THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION APPLY TO:

(1) THE LEGISLATIVE, EXECUTIVE, AND JUDICIAL BRANCHES OF
GOVERNMENT; AND

(2) THE STATE AND EACH POLITICAL SUBDIVISION AND MUNICIPAL
CORPORATION OF THE STATE, INCLUDING EACH DEPARTMENT, AGENCY, UNIT,
ORGANIZATION, AND INSTRUMENTALITY THEREOF.

(C) EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN SUBSECTION (D) OF THIS SECTION, AN ENTITY
SUBJECT TO THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION SHALL;

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