Draft bill #9432 of June 28, 2023 

Sponsor: the President of Ukraine 

Status: submitted to the Verkhovna Rada 

Who is affected: residents of Ukraine, government bodies, local self-governance, schools, cultural institutions, medical establishments, businesses, government officials, heads of local state administrations, their first deputies and deputies, military officers, middle and senior police officers, prosecutors, employees of the Tax Service and the Customs Service, and heads of state companies. 

Summary of the bill: 

  • English will become the language of international communication in Ukraine 
  • for certain categories of officials, proficiency in English will be required 
    • proficiency in English will be required from all state officials, heads of local state administrations, their first deputies and deputies, prosecutors, 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) 
    • proficiency in English can be required from candidates for positions in local self-government bodies if their work will be related to international cooperation 
    • requirements for proficiency level and exam procedure will be set by the Cabinet 
    • English language proficiency exams will be conducted by the Ministry of Education and Science 
    • officials who have 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 aid to foreigners and stateless persons who do not speak the state language will be provided in English or other language acceptable to the parties 
  • official communication during the border crossing by foreigners and stateless persons will be carried out in English or other language 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 
    • enhancement of English teachers’ qualification 
  • foreign movies in English will be screened in cinemas in English with Ukrainian subtitles. The share of such movies in 2025 are supposed to be 50%, in 2026 — 75%, in 2027 — 100% 
  • 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, 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 instance: 
    • provisions that require proficiency in English will come into force 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 government bodies and local self-government bodies, in transportation services and cultural institutions will come into effect two years after the bill comes into force. 

What is wrong:  the bill violates 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: according to the Law on Ensuring the Functioning of the Ukrainian Language as a State Language, the state supports the learning of international communication languages, primarily English, at state and municipal educational establishments.