Draft bill #9432-1 of June 28, 2023 

Cosponsors: a group of 5 MPs from the Holos faction 

Status: submitted to the Verkhovna Rada 

Who is affected: residents of Ukraine, government bodies, local governments, schools, cultural establishments, medical institutions, businesses, civil servants, heads of local state administrations, their deputies, military officers, middle and senior rank police officers, prosecutors of the General Prosecutor’s Office, tax officers, customs officers, and heads of state companies 

Summary of the bill: 

  • English will be recognized as the language of international communication in Ukraine 
  • for certain categories of officials, certain proficiency level in English will be required: 
    • proficiency in English will be required from all civil servants, heads of local state administrations, their first deputies and deputies, prosecutors of the General Prosecutor’s Office, military officers under contract service, middle and senior police officers, employees of the Tax Service and the Customs Service, and heads of state companies (the list of state companies will be prepared and approved by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine). Also, the same requirement will apply to heads of higher education establishments and heads of research institutions (the list will also be provided by the Cabinet), pedagogical and scientific personnel involved in the educational process in higher education institutions, candidates for the positions of heads of healthcare institutions 
    • proficiency in English can also be required from candidates for positions in local self-government bodies, from police officers and prosecutors if their work will be related to international cooperation 
    • candidates applying for category A positions in civil service and heads of higher education establishments will have to provide internationally recognized certificates instead of taking an exam 
    • those who received education in English will be allowed to submit university diplomas instead of taking an exam 
    • requirements for proficiency level and exam procedure will be defined by the Cabinet 
    • English language proficiency exams will be conducted by the Ministry of Education and Science 
    • it will be allowed to retake the exam any number of times, but not more than once every four months. For Ukrainian citizens, the exam will be free of charge provided a person takes it once a year 
    • officials who have a B2 level in English will be eligible for 10% bonuses. 
    • government bodies, local government bodies, and universities will be obliged to have websites with English localization 
  • emergency assistance to foreigners and stateless persons who do not speak the state language will be provided in English or other languages acceptable to the parties 
  • official communication during the border crossing by foreigners and stateless persons and customs control will be carried out in English or other languages acceptable to the parties 
  • the state will assist in learning English by: 
    • introduction of mandatory classes in kindergartens, schools, vocational educational establishments, and universities 
    • financial aid for adults learning English 
    • improving the qualifications of English teachers 
  • information about cultural events published by cultural institutions, museum items, and tourist attractions will be required to have English translations 
  • information, messages, signs, and announcements on all types of passenger transport, at train stations, bus stations, and airports, will be required to have English translations. 

What is right: 

  • the bill promotes English as the language of international communication 
  • the bill is supposed to be implemented gradually, which will allow everyone to adapt to the proposed changes. For example: 
    • provisions that require proficiency in English will come into effect two (for class A civil servants and heads of local state administrations) and four years (for other categories) after martial law ends 
    • mandatory English classes in kindergartens will be introduced on September 1, 2026 
    • other provisions about the use of English by officials of local self-government bodies, in transportation services, and cultural institutions will come into effect two years after the bill comes into force 
  • unlike the bill sponsored by the President, the bill does not violate the Law on Ensuring the Functioning of the Ukrainian Language as a State Language that requires for movies in cinema to have Ukrainian dubbing. 

Background information: the President of Ukraine has sponsored a draft bill on the use of the English language on June 28, 2023. The bill submitted by MPs is an alternative to the presidential one.