IV.

Recent Developments

Support for English Only laws resurfaced during the mid-1990s. In 1996 the United States House of Representatives passed the English Language Empowerment Act, a proposed law that would have restricted the use of languages other than English in the provision of any governmental services, including instruction in public schools. The bill never became law, however, because the Senate did not pursue similar legislation.

In the absence of national laws restricting bilingual education, some states have imposed their own limits on programs designed for students with limited English skills. In 1998 California voters overwhelmingly approved an anti-bilingual-education initiative, Proposition 227. California traditionally has had more students in bilingual education than has any other state. Proposition 227, entitled English for All Children, essentially eliminated bilingual education programs in the state’s public schools in favor of mandatory one-year programs of immersion in English. Under the new restrictions, California’s 1.4 million students with limited English skills will be placed in regular classes after receiving the one-year English immersion course. Opponents of the measure challenged Proposition 227 in both state and federal courts.