State Representative Wants “Must Speak English” Law

A proposal to assure employers that they can make their workers speak English on the job is moving through the state legislature. The measure is essentially a repeat of federal rules.

State Representative Matthew Hill, a Republican from Jonesborough, says his bill is a way to avoid frivolous lawsuits.

“If you are a small business owner in the state of Tennessee, and for workplace safety, business necessity, you can now have your employees speak English without having to be afraid of any kind of lawsuit.”

Hill says although federal rules already say employers can require English to be spoken, this bill puts it in state law.

The “must speak English” issue has gotten attention from conservative political groups and from immigrants’ rights organizations, but a representative of small business who is watching the bill says none of his members have raised any questions about it.

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Representative Hill says putting the language in state law is worthwhile.

“It is a federal rule, and what we’re doing is codifying it as state law, as well as defining what rest period is, and kinda tightening the language up, but we’re putting it into codified state law. Now, with the new language, it is an allowable employment practice for employees to be required to speak English while they’re on the job, during work hours, while they’re clocked in, if it is deemed as a business necessity, and we define that, or for … workplace safety.”

Beverly Watts, executive director of the Tennessee Human Rights Commission, says the measure may result in more calls to her office but confirms that the rule is the same that employers already meet under federal law.

Jim Brown, Tennessee lobbyist for the National Federation of Independent Business, says no NFIB member in the state has expressed any interest in the bill.

The bill is HB 2685 Hill/SB 2753 Johnson.

After being approved by the House Employee Affairs Subcommittee today it is set to be heard by the parent committee, House Consumer and Employee Affairs, next Wednesday, March 10.