SB1140 • 2025

Prohibits employers from imposing requirements that employees speak only English in the workplace unless the employer can demonstrate that the requirement is justified by business necessity and applicable only in limited circumstances.

Labor

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Senator Taylor
Last action: 2025-06-27
Official status: In Senate Committee
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Prohibits employers from imposing requirements that employees speak only English in the workplace unless the employer can demonstrate that the requirement is justified by business necessity and applicable only in limited circumstances.

Digest: The Act makes laws about English-only rules in the workplace.

What This Bill Does

Digest: The Act makes laws about English-only rules in the workplace.
(Flesch Readability Score: 69.7).
Prohibits employers from imposing requirements that employees speak only English in the workplace unless the employer can demonstrate that the requirement is justified by business necessity and applicable only in limited circumstances.
Requires employers to provide notice to employees.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

2025-06-27 Senate
In committee upon adjournment.
2025-03-03 Senate
Referred to Labor and Business.
2025-02-27 Senate
Introduction and first reading. Referred to President's desk.

Official Summary Text

Digest: The Act makes laws about English-only rules in the workplace. (Flesch Readability Score: 69.7).
Prohibits employers from imposing requirements that employees speak only English in the workplace unless the employer can demonstrate that the requirement is justified by business necessity and applicable only in limited circumstances. Requires employers to provide notice to employees.
Relating to: Relating to English-only policies in the workplace.
Current location: In Senate Committee

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

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83rd OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2025 Regular Session
Senate Bill 1140
Sponsored by Senator TAYLOR
SUMMARY
The following summary is not prepared by the sponsors of the measure and is not a part of the body thereof subject
to consideration by the Legislative Assembly. It is an editor’s brief statement of the essential features of the
measure as introduced. The statement includes a measure digest written in compliance with applicable readability
standards.
Digest: The Act makes laws about English-only rules in the workplace. (Flesch Readability
Score: 69.7).
Prohibits employers from imposing requirements that employees speak only English in the
workplace unless the employer can demonstrate that the requirement is justified by business neces-
sity and applicable only in limited circumstances. Requires employers to provide notice to employ-
ees.
A BILL FOR AN ACT
Relating to English-only policies in the workplace.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
SECTION 1.
Section 2 of this 2025 Act is added to and made a part of ORS chapter 659A.
SECTION 2. (1) An employer violates ORS 659A.030 if the employer imposes an occupa-
tional requirement or otherwise requires as a condition for employment or continuation of
employment that an employee speak only English at all times in the workplace.
(2) Subsection (1) of this section does not apply to such a requirement that employees
speak only English in the workplace if the employer can demonstrate that the English-only
requirement is justified by business necessity and is applicable under limited circumstances
that include:
(a) Communicating with customers, coworkers and supervisors who only speak English.
(b) Communicating in a common language to promote the safety and well-being of em-
ployees in the event of an emergency.
(c) Promoting business efficiency for cooperative work assignments that involve em-
ployees collaborating to complete an assignment.
(d) Enabling a supervisor who speaks only English to monitor the performance of an
employee whose job duties require communicating in English with coworkers and customers.
(3)(a) If an employer imposes a requirement that employees speak only English in ac-
cordance with subsection (2) of this section, the employer shall provide employees with no-
tice that:
(A) Informs the employees of the English-only requirement and the circumstances in
which the requirement will apply.
(B) Includes the potential consequences that an employee may face for failure to comply
with the requirement.
(b) Failure of an employer to provide the notice required under this subsection shall
constitute prima facie evidence of the employer’s unlawful discrimination based on national
origin in violation of ORS 659A.030.
NOTE:Matter in boldfaced type in an amended section is new; matter [ italic and bracketed] is existing law to be omitted.
New sections are in boldfaced type.
LC 4438
SB 1140
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