[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 989 Engrossed in Senate (ES)]
<DOC>
117th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 989
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To establish a Native American language resource center in furtherance
of the policy set forth in the Native American Languages Act.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Native American Language Resource
Center Act of 2022''.
SEC. 2. NATIVE AMERICAN LANGUAGE RESOURCE CENTERS.
(a) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to further align the
resources provided by the Department of Education with the policies set
forth in the Native American Languages Act (25 U.S.C. 2901 et seq.)
through establishment of a program within the Department of Education
to support 1 or more Native American language resource centers.
(b) In General.--The Secretary of Education is authorized to make a
grant to, or enter into a contract with, an eligible entity for the
purpose of--
(1) establishing, strengthening, and operating a Native
American language resource center; and
(2) staffing the center with individuals with relevant
expertise and experience, including staff who speak American
Indian and Alaska Native languages and the Native Hawaiian
language and have worked in language education in the American
Indian and Alaska Native languages and the Native Hawaiian
language in a preschool, elementary school, secondary school,
adult education, or higher education program.
(c) Authorized Activities.--The Native American language resource
center established under subsection (b) shall carry out activities to--
(1) improve the capacity to teach and learn Native American
languages;
(2) further Native American language use and acquisition;
(3) preserve, protect, and promote the rights and freedom
of Native Americans to use, practice, and develop Native
American languages in furtherance of--
(A) the policies set forth in the Native American
Languages Act (25 U.S.C. 2901 et seq.); and
(B) the United States trust responsibility to
Native American communities;
(4) address the effects of past discrimination and ongoing
inequities experienced by Native American language speakers;
(5) support the revitalization and reclamation of Native
American languages; and
(6) support the use of Native American languages as a
medium of instruction for a wide variety of age levels,
academic content areas, and types of schools, including Native
American language medium education.
(d) Additional Authorized Activities.--The Native American language
resource center established under subsection (b) may also carry out
activities--
(1) to encourage and support the use of Native American
languages within educational systems in the same manner as
other world languages, including by encouraging State
educational agencies, local educational agencies, and
institutions of higher education to offer Native American
language courses the same full academic credit as courses in
other world languages;
(2) to support the development, adoption, and use of
educational outcome metrics aligned with the Native American
language of instruction, including assessments, qualifications,
and processes based on promising practices in Native American
language medium education;
(3) to provide assistance to Native American language
programs seeking Federal resources;
(4) to encourage and support teacher preparation programs
that prepare teachers to teach Native American languages and to
use Native American languages as a medium of instruction,
including by disseminating promising practices and developing
pedagogical programming and through appropriate alternative
pathways to teacher certification;
(5) to provide information and resources--
(A) on promising practices in the use and
revitalization of Native American languages in Native
American communities, including use in educational
institutions; and
(B) for the use of technology in school and
community-based Native American language programs to
support the retention, use, and teaching of Native
American languages;
(6) to support the use of distance learning technologies
and training for parents, students, teachers, and learning
support staff associated with Native American language
programs, including--
(A) the compilation and curation of digital
libraries and other online resources for Native
American languages, except that any materials collected
by the center shall only be materials provided by a
Native American language program or Native American
community;
(B) the development of optional distance learning
curricula appropriate for preschool, elementary school,
secondary school, adult education, and postsecondary
education;
(C) pedagogical training for Native American
language teachers; and
(D) other efforts necessary to continue Native
American language acquisition through distance
learning;
(7) to provide technical assistance for Native American
communities and school systems to develop Native American
language medium education programs in preschool, elementary
school, secondary school, or adult education programs conducted
through the medium of Native American languages;
(8) to support Native American language programs and Native
American communities in--
(A) accessing international best practices,
resources, and research in indigenous language
revitalization; and
(B) gathering and sharing technical assistance,
promising practices, and experiences;
(9) for the operation of intensive programs, including
summer institutes, to train Native American language speakers,
to provide professional development, and to improve Native
American language instruction through preservice and in-service
language training for teachers; and
(10) that otherwise support the Native American language
resource center established under subsection (b) to carry out
the activities required in subsection (c).
(e) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) ESEA definitions.--The terms ``elementary school'',
``local educational agency'', ``secondary school'', and ``State
educational agency'' have the meanings given the terms in
section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
(2) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means--
(A) an institution of higher education;
(B) an entity within an institution of higher
education with dedicated expertise in Native American
language and culture education; or
(C) a consortium that includes 1 or more
institutions of higher education or 1 or more entities
described in subparagraph (B).
(3) Institution of higher education.--The term
``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given the
term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 1001).
(4) Native american; native american language.--The terms
``Native American'' and ``Native American language'' have the
meanings given those terms in section 103 of the Native
American Languages Act (25 U.S.C. 2902).
(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section, $3,000,000 for each fiscal
year.
Passed the Senate December 19, 2022.
Attest:
Secretary.
117th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 989
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To establish a Native American language resource center in furtherance
of the policy set forth in the Native American Languages Act.