Designating English as the Official Language of the United States
The order designates English as the official language of the United States and revokes a 2000 executive order that required federal agencies to provide services to people with limited English proficiency.
It immediately removes the federal mandate for language access services while explicitly leaving agency heads free to continue offering multilingual materials at their discretion — meaning the practical outcome varies by agency.
What this order does
What it orders
The order declares English the official language of the United States and revokes Executive Order 13166 of August 11, 2000, which had required federal agencies to improve access to services for people with limited English proficiency. It directs the Attorney General to rescind any policy guidance documents previously issued under that prior order and to issue updated guidance consistent with applicable law.
Despite revoking EO 13166, the order explicitly states that nothing in it requires or directs any agency to change the services it currently provides. Agency heads are not required to remove, amend, or stop producing documents or services in languages other than English. Each agency head retains discretion to make language-access decisions based on mission requirements and efficiency.
Who it affects
Federal agencies and their heads, who now operate without the previous federal mandate to provide language access services. People with limited English proficiency who rely on federally provided materials or assistance in their native languages, and the Attorney General, who is directed to rescind and replace prior guidance.
Why it matters
The revocation of EO 13166 removes the standing federal obligation for agencies to provide language access services, meaning millions of limited-English-proficiency individuals may face reduced multilingual assistance depending on how individual agencies choose to respond — though no agency is required to cut services.
What must happen and when
How the order is supposed to work
The order's two operative changes take effect immediately: the designation of English as the official language and the revocation of EO 13166. However, agencies bear no enforceable obligation to alter any current services. The Attorney General must separately rescind prior guidance documents and issue replacement guidance; no deadline is set for that step. No enforcement mechanism for the language designation is established, and the order contains a standard no-private-rights clause, meaning individuals cannot sue to enforce or challenge it in court.
Actions and deadlines
- Rescind policy guidance documents issued pursuant to EO 13166 and provide updated guidance consistent with applicable law
Agencies directed to act
Authority and reach
What this order changes
Revokes Executive Order 13166