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What it is

Proposal to require Spanish in all municipality names

Admitted step 2 of 7· Lapsed

It is a members’ bill. Introduced by parliamentary groups, the Senate, regional governments or citizens. It was introduced on 20 October 2023. Introduced by: Grupo Parlamentario VOX.

Official title: Private member's bill amending Law 7/1985, of 2 April, regulating the Basic Regime of Local Government, to guarantee the use of Spanish regarding the naming of municipalities.

Follow this law

Source: Congreso de los Diputados, file 122/000015· updated 11 Nov

Automatic summary, not yet reviewed

  1. The bill would amend Article 14 of Law 7/1985 so that municipality names must always be in Spanish, and only additionally in the region's co-official language if there is one. Currently the law allows choosing Spanish, the regional language, or both.
  2. Within three months of the law's approval, the Government would have to send Congress and the Senate a list of national and regional rules that need to be changed to apply the law, along with the planned schedule.
  3. Any rules of equal or lower rank that conflict with the law would be repealed, and the Government could issue whatever provisions are needed to implement it.
  4. The law would take effect the day after its publication in the Official State Gazette. This is a bill introduced by VOX and admitted for processing, not an approved law.

Who it affects

  • Municipalities and town councils: Their official name would always have to be in Spanish, and only additionally in the co-official language if one exists.
  • Autonomous communities with their own language: Their laws and rules on place names would have to be adapted if they conflict with the new rule.
  • The Government: It would have to list and adapt the affected rules within three months and issue implementing provisions.

Words worth knowing

Toponimia (place names)
The official names of places, such as towns, cities or provinces.
Lengua cooficial (co-official language)
A language that, besides Spanish, is official in an autonomous community, such as Catalan or Galician.
Derogar (repeal)
To cancel a previous rule that conflicts with the new law.
Proposición de ley (bill)
A text introduced by a parliamentary group so it can become law. It is not law until approved.

It summarizes the text as it was introduced. It is written by artificial intelligence and may contain mistakes: the official text is what counts. Read the official text · How we make summaries

Where it stands

How far did it get?

It took 2 of 7 steps. It reached Admitted, and today it is lapsed.

  1. Introduced20 October 2023Someone registers the text in the Congreso.
  2. Admitted25 October 2023The Bureau of the Congreso accepts it and, for a members’ bill, the plenary decides whether to consider it.
  3. Amendmentsnot reachedGroups propose changes.
  4. Committeenot reachedA committee goes through the text in detail.
  5. Plenarynot reachedAll 350 deputies vote.
  6. Senatenot reachedThe Senate can pass it, amend it or veto it.
  7. BOEnot reachedIt is published in the Official State Gazette (BOE) and comes into force.
See the 6 official steps on a timeline
Dec 2023Dec 2024Dec 202511. 20 October 2023: Presentación22. 25 October 2023: Boletín Oficial de las Cortes Generales Publicación desde 25/10/2023 hasta 27/10/202333. 25 October 2023: Calificación44. 27 October 2023: Gobierno Contestación desde 27/10/2023 hasta 05/12/202355. 5 December 2023: Pleno Toma en consideración desde 05/12/2023 hasta 06/10/202666. 6 October 2026: Concluido - (Caducado) desde 06/10/2026 hasta 04/11/2026

Was there a plenary vote?

We have no plenary vote linked to this law in the Congreso’s data.

What happens next

What happens now?

The legislature ended before it finished. To go on, someone would have to introduce it again in the new Cortes.

Sources

Where does all this come from?

  • The data comes from the open files of the Congreso, the Senate and the BOE, unaltered.
  • Each deputy’s province is the one of their seat on the day of the vote.
  • We never say “passed” because of a vote: the files do not say which majority was needed.

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