Rep. Brandon Gill (R-TX) introduced legislation Thursday to ensure naturalized American citizens can speak the same language as their countrymen.
The English Language Proficiency Act authored by Gill would rescind the English proficiency and civics examination exceptions from U.S. naturalization law, Breitbart News learned exclusively.
While Gill’s bill would not prohibit Americans from speaking languages other than English, ensuring Americans share a common tongue strengthens the civic bonds that hold communities and nations together. The legislation benefits prospective citizens as well by ensuring they have an essential tool to assimilate into the society they seek to join.
“English is the common tongue that holds American communities together,” Gill said in a statement to Breitbart News. “It is of paramount importance that every American citizen be able to communicate in the same language. My bill holds everyone to the same standard already on the books, restoring equal treatment under nationalization law.”
Under current law, naturalization applicants over the age of 50 who have been lawful permanent residents for at least 20 years, and applicants over the age of 55 who have been lawful permanent residents for at least 15 years, are exempt from the English language requirement. Applicants over the age of 65 who have been lawful permanent residents for at least 20 years receive additional special consideration on the civics examination.
Gill’s English Language Proficiency Act eliminates these age-based exceptions and requires naturalization applicants to meet the same English language and civics standards regardless of age.
The legislation does not impose any new naturalization requirements. Instead, in the spirit of equality, the bill removes a special class of petitioners based on age who currently receive a pass on meeting lawful requirements.
Gill’s bill is timely, as more foreign language speakers have migrated to America than ever before and in numbers that disincentivize assimilation.
According to the Department of State’s 2026 data, the number of people who spoke a language other than English at home nearly tripled from 23.1 million (about 1 in 10) to 67.8 million (about 1 in 5) over three recent decades, according to the Census Bureau.
The top five non-English languages spoken in U.S. households also include Chinese (spoken by 3.49 million in U.S. homes, or 5.2 percent of such households); Tagalog (1.7 million, or 2.6 percent); Vietnamese (1.5 million, or 2.3 percent); and Arabic (1.2 million, or 1.9 percent).
Cosponsoring Gill’s legislation are Republican Reps. Randy Fine (FL), Barry Moore (AL), and Beth Van Duyne (TX). Immigration Accountability Project and Pro English support the legislation as well.
Bradley Jaye is Political Editor for Breitbart News. Follow him on X/Twitter and Instagram @BradleyAJaye.