[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1779 Reported in Senate (RS)]






                                                      Calendar No. 1110
110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 1779

                          [Report No. 110-519]

To establish a program for tribal colleges and universities within the 
    Department of Health and Human Services and to amend the Native 
American Programs Act of 1974 to authorize the provision of grants and 
  cooperative agreements to tribal colleges and universities, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 12, 2007

Mr. Tester (for himself, Mr. Dorgan, Mr. Baucus, Mr. Bingaman, and Mr. 
   Johnson) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
              referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs

            October 1 (legislative day, September 17), 2008

               Reported by Mr. Dorgan, with an amendment
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To establish a program for tribal colleges and universities within the 
    Department of Health and Human Services and to amend the Native 
American Programs Act of 1974 to authorize the provision of grants and 
  cooperative agreements to tribal colleges and universities, and for 
                            other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Tribal 
Health Promotion and Tribal Colleges and Universities Advancement Act 
of 2007''.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents of this Act 
is as follows:</DELETED>

<DELETED>Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
 <DELETED>TITLE I--THROUGH HIGHER EDUCATION: PROMOTING THE ADVANCEMENT 
                            OF TRIBAL HEALTH

<DELETED>Sec. 101. Short title.
<DELETED>Sec. 102. Findings and purpose.
<DELETED>Sec. 103. Definitions.
<DELETED>Sec. 104. Administration by coordinating officer.
<DELETED>Sec. 105. Community-based health and wellness fairs.
<DELETED>Sec. 106. Health promotion and disease prevention targeted 
                            programs; wellness centers.
<DELETED>Sec. 107. Development and expansion of public health 
                            professional degree programs.
<DELETED>Sec. 108. Tribal College and University Rural Health Equity 
                            Endowment Fund.
<DELETED>Sec. 109. Offices of sponsored programs.
<DELETED>Sec. 110. Health promotion and disease prevention research 
                            programs.
    <DELETED>TITLE II--ADVANCING TRIBES THROUGH TRIBAL COLLEGES AND 
                              UNIVERSITIES

<DELETED>Sec. 201. Short title.
<DELETED>Sec. 202. Findings.
<DELETED>Sec. 203. Office on Tribal College and University Programs.
<DELETED>Sec. 204. Native Prosperity and Native American Language 
                            Vitalization and Training Programs at TCUs.
<DELETED>Sec. 205. Tribal colleges and universities native communities 
                            research program.
<DELETED>Sec. 206. Definitions.
<DELETED>Sec. 207. Authorization of appropriations.

 <DELETED>TITLE I--THROUGH HIGHER EDUCATION: PROMOTING THE ADVANCEMENT 
                       OF TRIBAL HEALTH</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 101. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    This title may be cited as the ``Through Higher Education: 
Promoting the Advancement of Tribal Health Act'' or ``THE PATH 
Act''.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 102. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) because there is a significant lack of health-
        related education and training opportunities for Indians, few 
        Indians are represented in the health-related workforce of the 
        United States;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) tribal colleges and universities remain the 
        most poorly-funded institutions of higher education in the 
        United States, yet, as engaged institutions, tribal colleges 
        and universities serve as true catalysts for positive change in 
        Indian communities;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) tribal colleges and universities with nursing 
        programs train hundreds of students to hold critically-needed 
        leadership and management positions in the Indian Health 
        Service, tribal health organizations, and private and community 
        agencies serving rural Indian populations;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) to the extent that tribal colleges and 
        universities are able, the colleges and universities have begun 
        to address the many societal challenges faced by Indian 
        communities;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) tribal colleges and universities offer 
        critically-needed education and outreach programs, including--
        </DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) community health fairs;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) HIV-AIDS education programs;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) extensive diabetes programs;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (D) nutritional and obesity programs, 
                including community garden programs;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (E) substance abuse prevention 
                programs;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (F) youth-at-risk programs;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (G) parenting classes; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (H) child and elder care services; 
                and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (6) due to a chronic lack of operational and 
        targeted program funding, together with the unwillingness of 
        certain Federal agencies to recognize tribal colleges and 
        universities as valuable partners in addressing rural community 
        issues, including health issues, tribal colleges and 
        universities have limited resources available to adequately 
        address the perennial health challenges of the rural 
        communities served by the tribal colleges and 
        universities.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Purpose.--The purpose of this title is to assist 
tribal colleges and universities to strengthen Indian communities 
through the provision of health promotion and disease prevention 
education, outreach, and workforce development programs, including 
through program implementation, research, and capacity-
building.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 103. DEFINITIONS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    In this title:</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) Deputy assistant secretary.--The term ``Deputy 
        Assistant Secretary'' means the Deputy Assistant Secretary for 
        Minority Health, within the Office of Public Health and 
        Science.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the 
        Director of the National Institutes of Health.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) Indian.--The term ``Indian'' has the meaning 
        given the term in section 4 of the Indian Health Care 
        Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 1603).</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the 
        Secretary of Health and Human Services.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) Tribal college or university.--The term 
        ``tribal college or university'' means--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) an institution that is eligible to 
                receive funds under the Tribally Controlled College or 
                University Assistance Act of 1978 (25 U.S.C. 1801 et 
                seq.);</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) Dine College; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) any 1 of the 1994 Institutions (as 
                defined in section 532 of the Equity in Educational 
                Land-Grant Status Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 301 note; 
                Public Law 103-382)).</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 104. ADMINISTRATION BY COORDINATING OFFICER.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) Designation.--The Deputy Assistant Secretary shall 
serve as the coordinating officer with respect to programs of tribal 
colleges and universities relating to health promotion and disease 
prevention.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Staff.--The Secretary shall appoint such additional 
staff as the Secretary determines to be necessary--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) to assist the Deputy Assistant Secretary in 
        carrying out the duties under this section; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) to provide appropriate technical assistance to 
        tribal colleges and universities that receive grants or enter 
        into cooperative agreements under this title.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (c) Memorandum of Agreement.--Not later than 180 days 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in consultation 
with the Deputy Assistant Secretary, shall develop and implement a 
formal memorandum of agreement with the American Indian Higher 
Education Consortium to establish programs--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) to ensure that Native American communities, 
        through tribal colleges and universities, participate equitably 
        in employment programs, services, and resources of the 
        Department of Health and Human Services; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) to provide necessary technical assistance to 
        the tribal colleges and universities.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 105. COMMUNITY-BASED HEALTH AND WELLNESS FAIRS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary, acting through the 
Deputy Assistant Secretary, shall establish a program under which the 
Secretary shall provide grants to, or offer to enter into cooperative 
agreements with, tribal colleges and universities to carry out annual, 
community-based, and culturally relevant health and wellness fairs at 
the tribal colleges and universities.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Funding.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) Authorization of appropriations.--There is 
        authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out 
        this section for each of fiscal years 2009 through 2017 an 
        amount equal to the sum of--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) the product obtained by multiplying--
                </DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (i) the number of tribal colleges 
                        and universities in operation on October 1 of 
                        the fiscal year; and</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (ii) $15,000; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) such amount as the Secretary 
                determines to be necessary for the costs of 
                administering the program under this section.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Total amount.--Subject to paragraph (3), the 
        Secretary shall use all amounts made available under paragraph 
        (1)(A) to provide grants or enter into cooperative agreements 
        pursuant to this section.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) Nonapplicability of limitation.--The 
        limitation under section 1703(c) of the Public Health Service 
        Act (42 U.S.C. 300u-2(c)) shall not apply to this 
        section.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 106. HEALTH PROMOTION AND DISEASE PREVENTION TARGETED 
              PROGRAMS; WELLNESS CENTERS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Targeted 
Programs.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) Establishment.--The Secretary, acting through 
        the Deputy Assistant Secretary, shall establish a program under 
        which the Secretary shall provide grants to, or offer to enter 
        into cooperative agreements with, tribal colleges and 
        universities to carry out activities to improve and expand the 
        capacity of the tribal colleges and universities--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) to carry out activities relating to 
                health promotion and disease prevention; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) to eliminate health disparities in 
                tribal communities, to the maximum extent 
                practicable.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Requirements.--In providing grants and 
        entering into cooperative agreements under this subsection, the 
        Secretary, to the maximum extent practicable, shall--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) approve applications on a competitive 
                basis; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) ensure maximum and equitable 
                distribution among eligible tribal colleges and 
                universities.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) Application.--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) In general.--To be eligible to receive 
                a grant or enter into a cooperative agreement under 
                this subsection, a tribal college or university shall 
                submit to the Secretary an application at such time and 
                in such manner as the Secretary may reasonably 
                require.</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) Inclusion.--An application under 
                subparagraph (A) shall include a description of a 5-
                year strategy of the applicable tribal college or 
                university for meeting the health promotion and disease 
                prevention needs of Indians or Alaska Natives, as 
                appropriate, in the area served by the tribal college 
                or university.</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) Streamlined procedure.--The Secretary 
                shall ensure, to the maximum extent practicable, a 
                simplified and streamlined procedure for the submission 
                and approval of applications under subparagraph (A), 
                taking into consideration the limited number of 
                institutions that are eligible to receive assistance 
                under this subsection.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) Activities.--A tribal college or university 
        that receives a grant or enters into a cooperative agreement 
        under this subsection may use the grant or cooperative 
        agreement to develop and carry out activities to address 
        targeted areas of health promotion and disease prevention in 
        tribal communities, including activities relating to--
        </DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) diabetes education and 
                prevention;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) injury prevention;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) substance abuse, including 
                methamphetamine abuse;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (D) HIV-AIDS prevention;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (E) emerging health promotion and disease 
                prevention program and response development; 
                and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (F) obesity and nutrition.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) Authorization of appropriations.--There is 
        authorized to be appropriated to carry out this subsection 
        $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2009 through 
        2017.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Wellness Centers.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) Establishment.--The Secretary, acting through 
        the Deputy Assistant Secretary, shall establish a program under 
        which the Secretary shall provide grants to tribal colleges and 
        universities for purposes of--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) construction, renovation, and 
                modernization of community wellness centers located on 
                the campuses of the tribal colleges and universities; 
                and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) construction, renovation, and 
                modernization of outpatient student health clinics 
                located on those campuses.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Maximum amount.--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) In general.--Except as provided in 
                subparagraph (B), the maximum amount of a grant 
                provided under paragraph (1) shall not exceed an amount 
                equal to 95 percent of the cost of the project carried 
                out by the applicable tribal college or 
                university.</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) Exception.--The limitation under 
                subparagraph (A) shall not apply to a tribal college or 
                university located in, as determined by the Secretary--
                </DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (i) an urban area; or</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (ii) a poor rural area.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) Authorization of appropriations.--There is 
        authorized to be appropriated to carry out this subsection 
        $15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2009 through 
        2017.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 107. DEVELOPMENT AND EXPANSION OF PUBLIC HEALTH 
              PROFESSIONAL DEGREE PROGRAMS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary, acting through the 
Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, 
shall establish a program under which the Secretary shall provide 
grants to tribal colleges and universities for purposes of developing 
curricula, courses, and degree and in-service programs for health-
related professions.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Application.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) In general.--To be eligible to receive a grant 
        under this subsection, a tribal college or university shall 
        submit to the Secretary an application at such time and in such 
        manner as the Secretary may reasonably require.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Inclusion.--An application under paragraph (1) 
        shall include a description of a 5-year strategy of the 
        applicable tribal college or university for increasing the 
        number of Indians in the health workforce of the United 
        States.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) Streamlined procedure.--The Secretary shall 
        ensure, to the maximum extent practicable, a simplified and 
        streamlined procedure for the submission and approval of 
        applications under paragraph (1), taking into consideration the 
        limited number of institutions that are eligible to receive 
        assistance under this section.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized 
to be appropriated to carry out this subsection $10,000,000 for each of 
fiscal years 2009 through 2017.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 108. TRIBAL COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY RURAL HEALTH EQUITY 
              ENDOWMENT FUND.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) Establishment.--There is established in the Treasury 
of the United States a fund, to be known as the ``Tribal College and 
University Rural Health Equity Endowment Fund'' (referred to in this 
section as the ``Fund''), consisting of--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) such amounts as are appropriated to the Fund 
        under subsection (b); and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) any interest earned on those 
        amounts.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Transfers to Fund.--There is appropriated to the Fund, 
out of funds of the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, $9,000,000 for 
each of fiscal years 2009 through 2017.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (c) Investments.--The Secretary shall invest amounts in 
the Fund in interest-bearing obligations of the United 
States.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (d) Expenditures From Fund.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), on 
        September 30 of fiscal year 2009 and annually thereafter 
        through September 30, 2017, on request by the Secretary, the 
        Secretary of the Treasury shall transfer from the Fund to the 
        Secretary an amount equal to the amount of interest income 
        earned on amounts in the Fund during the preceding fiscal 
        year.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Administrative expenses.--An amount not 
        exceeding 1 percent of the annual interest yield distributed to 
        tribal colleges and universities shall be available for each 
        fiscal year to pay the administrative expenses necessary to 
        carry out this section.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (e) Distribution of Amounts.--Of amounts transferred under 
subsection (d)(1), the Secretary shall distribute--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) 60 percent to tribal colleges and universities 
        on a pro rata basis, based on the proportion that--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) the Indian student count (as defined 
                in section 2(a) of the Tribally Controlled College or 
                University Assistance Act of 1978 (25 U.S.C. 1801(a)) 
                of a tribal college or university for the applicable 
                fiscal year; bears to</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) the Indian student count of all tribal 
                colleges and universities for that fiscal year; 
                and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) 40 percent in payments of equal amounts to 
        each tribal college and university.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (f) Use of Funds.--A tribal college or university shall 
use amounts received under this section to establish an endowment for a 
rural health-related program at the tribal college or 
university.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 109. OFFICES OF SPONSORED PROGRAMS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary, acting through the 
Director, shall establish a program under which the Secretary shall 
provide grants to tribal colleges and universities to establish and 
maintain at the tribal colleges and universities offices of sponsored 
programs described in subsection (b).</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Sponsored Programs.--The sponsored programs referred 
to in subsection (a) include programs for--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) pre- and post-grant award research, data 
        collection, and analyses, through a method that ensures--
        </DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) proper documentation of relevant 
                applications; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) compliance with applicable regulations 
                and guidelines;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) advancing specific institutional grant 
        application procedures and processes through coordination of 
        external funding sources and faculty, staff, and financial 
        officers;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) assisting in negotiations with Federal funding 
        sources;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) providing liaisons with Federal counterparts 
        of tribal colleges and universities--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) to train and assist principal 
                investigators, faculty, and college staff with respect 
                to grant management, reporting, and program 
                implementation; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) to ensure that applicable deadlines 
                are met and required reports are completed;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) coordinating partnerships between tribal 
        colleges and universities, Federal agencies, and the private 
        sector for collaborative programs and activities; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (6) in consultation with Federal agencies, 
        identifying and proposing solutions to--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) obstacles relating to Federal agency 
                grant application procedures and requirements; 
                and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) other problems relating to Federal 
                grant program structures and requirements.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (c) Application.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) In general.--To be eligible to receive a grant 
        under this section, a tribal college or university shall submit 
        to the Secretary an application at such time and in such manner 
        as the Secretary may reasonably require.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Inclusion.--An application under paragraph (1) 
        shall include a description of a 5-year strategy of the 
        applicable tribal college or university for carrying out a 
        sponsored program at the tribal college or university, 
        including performance indicators by which success of the tribal 
        college or university will be evaluated.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (d) Distribution of Funds.--For each of fiscal years 2009 
through 2017, the Secretary, acting through the Director, shall provide 
to each tribal college and university the application of which is 
approved under subsection (c) a grant in an amount equal to the 
quotient obtained by dividing--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) the total amount made available under 
        subsection (f) for the fiscal year; by</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) the number of tribal colleges and universities 
        the applications of which are approved under subsection (c) for 
        the fiscal year.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (e) Reports.--For each of fiscal years 2010 through 2018, 
each tribal college or university that receives a grant under this 
section shall submit to the Director a report describing the success of 
the office of sponsored programs of the tribal college or university 
during the preceding fiscal year, as determined in accordance with the 
performance indicators contained in the application of the tribal 
college or university under subsection (c)(2).</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized 
to be appropriated to carry out this section for each of fiscal years 
2009 through 2017 an amount equal to the product obtained by 
multiplying--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) the number of tribal colleges and universities 
        in operation on October 1 of the applicable fiscal year; 
        and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) $50,000.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 110. HEALTH PROMOTION AND DISEASE PREVENTION RESEARCH 
              PROGRAMS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary, acting through the 
Director, shall establish a program under which the Secretary shall 
provide grants to, or offer to enter into cooperative agreements with, 
tribal colleges and universities to conduct research relating to health 
promotion and disease prevention at the tribal colleges and 
universities.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Requirements.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) Competition.--The Secretary shall provide 
        grants and offer to enter into cooperative agreements under 
        subsection (a) on a competitive basis.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) General terms and amounts.--Except as provided 
        in paragraph (3)--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) the term of a grant or cooperative 
                agreement under subsection (a) shall be not more than 3 
                years; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) the minimum amount of a grant under 
                subsection (a) for a fiscal year shall be 
                $150,000.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) Undergraduate research experience programs.--
        With respect to a grant or cooperative agreement provided for 
        an undergraduate research experience program under subsection 
        (d)(3)--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) the term of such a grant or 
                cooperative agreement shall be not more than 1 year; 
                and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) the minimum amount of such a grant for 
                a fiscal year shall be $10,000.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (c) Application.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) In general.--To be eligible to receive a 
        grant, or to enter into a cooperative agreement, under this 
        subsection, a tribal college or university shall submit to the 
        Secretary an application at such time and in such manner as the 
        Secretary may reasonably require.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Streamlined procedure.--The Secretary shall 
        ensure, to the maximum extent practicable, a simplified and 
        streamlined procedure for the submission and approval of 
        applications under paragraph (1), taking into consideration the 
        limited number of institutions that are eligible to receive 
        assistance under this section.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (d) Activities.--A tribal college or university that 
receives a grant or enters into a cooperative agreement under this 
section may use the grant or cooperative agreement to carry out 
activities, including--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) research on culturally relevant and innovative 
        health promotion and disease prevention strategies;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) epidemiological research on the health status 
        of Indian populations and communities; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) undergraduate research experience programs as 
        the tribal college or university determines to be 
        appropriate.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized 
to be appropriated to carry out this section $12,000,000 for each of 
fiscal years 2009 through 2017.</DELETED>

    <DELETED>TITLE II--ADVANCING TRIBES THROUGH TRIBAL COLLEGES AND 
                         UNIVERSITIES</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 201. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    This title may be cited as the ``Advancing Tribes Through 
Tribal Colleges and Universities Act'' or the ``AT TCUs 
Act''.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 202. FINDINGS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    Congress finds that--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) a primary goal of providing Federal support 
        for higher education is to ensure social and economic self-
        sufficiency and growth for all residents of the United 
        States;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) social and economic underdevelopment is the 
        primary obstacle to the self-sufficiency of Indian communities 
        and families;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) research has demonstrated that higher 
        education is a primary method of achieving economic and social 
        development for Indian communities;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) tribal colleges and universities are 
        institutions of higher education created by Indians for Indians 
        primarily on rural and isolated Indian reservations, which were 
        virtually excluded from the general system of higher education 
        in the United States;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) underlying goals of tribal colleges and 
        universities are--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) to improve the lives of Indians 
                through higher education; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) to assist Indians in achieving self-
                sufficiency;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (6) tribal colleges and universities--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) offer a variety of social services for 
                students and community members; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) often serve as community centers, 
                libraries, tribal archives, career and business 
                centers, economic development centers, public meeting 
                places, and childcare and wellness centers;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (7) tribal colleges and universities and students 
        of those colleges or universities contribute significantly to 
        the economic and social health of Indian communities;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (8)(A) tribal colleges and universities have been 
        more successful than any other institution of higher education 
        in educating and helping to retain Indians in high-need fields, 
        such as nursing and teaching;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (B) data from 2005 indicates that--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (i) approximately </DELETED>\<DELETED>1/
                2</DELETED>\ <DELETED>of all graduates of tribal 
                colleges and universities pursue advanced education; 
                and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (ii) of those graduates, more than 86 
                percent pursue bachelor's degrees;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (9) individuals, including Indians, with 
        bachelor's or advanced degrees earn--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) almost 4 times as much as individuals 
                who do not graduate from high school; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) more than twice as much as individuals 
                with high school diplomas;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (10) of the 155 indigenous languages spoken in the 
        United States as of the date of enactment of this Act, 135 are 
        spoken only by Indian elders;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (11)(A) language and culture are at the heart of 
        the mission of each tribal college and university;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (B) tribal colleges and universities--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (i) play a strong leadership role in 
                Native American language immersion; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (ii) are responsible for the majority of 
                the approximately 50 Native American language immersion 
                programs in the United States; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (12) despite the proven success of Native American 
        language preservation and vitalization efforts of tribal 
        colleges and universities, only minimal Federal and private 
        sector resources are used for the activities.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 203. OFFICE ON TRIBAL COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY 
              PROGRAMS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    Section 803B of the Native American Programs Act of 1974 
(42 U.S.C. 2991b-2) is amended--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) by redesignating subsection (e) as subsection 
        (f); and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) by inserting after subsection (d) the 
        following:</DELETED>
<DELETED>    ``(e) Office on Tribal College and University Programs.--
</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(1) Establishment.--There is established within 
        the Administration on Native Americans an office, to be known 
        as the `Office on Tribal College and University Programs' 
        (referred to in this subsection as the `Office'), for the 
        purposes of--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(A) administering the programs 
                authorized by this Act; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(B) coordinating intra- and inter-
                departmental activities relating to tribal colleges and 
                universities.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(2) Director.--The Secretary shall appoint a 
        Director of the Office, who shall--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(A) serve on a full-time basis; 
                and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(B) carry out the duties described in 
                paragraph (1).</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(3) Staff.--The Secretary shall appoint such 
        additional staff as the Secretary determines to be necessary--
        </DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(A) to assist the Director in carrying 
                out the duties described in paragraph (1); 
                and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(B) to provide appropriate technical 
                assistance to tribal colleges and universities that 
                receive grants or enter into cooperative agreements 
                under this Act.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(4) Technical assistance.--To ensure that tribal 
        colleges and universities receive timely, equitable, and 
        culturally-relevant technical assistance under section 804, the 
        Secretary, acting through the Commissioner, may enter into any 
        cooperative agreement the Secretary determines to be necessary 
        with the American Indian Higher Education 
        Consortium.''.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 204. NATIVE PROSPERITY AND NATIVE AMERICAN LANGUAGE 
              VITALIZATION AND TRAINING PROGRAMS AT TCUS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) In General.--The Native American Programs Act of 1974 
is amended by inserting after section 803C (42 U.S.C. 2991b-3) the 
following:</DELETED>

<DELETED>``SEC. 803D. NATIVE PROSPERITY AND NATIVE AMERICAN LANGUAGE 
              VITALIZATION AND TRAINING PROGRAMS AT TCUS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    ``(a) Native Prosperity Program.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(1) Establishment.--The Secretary, acting 
        through the Commissioner, shall establish a program, to be 
        known as the `Native Prosperity Program', under which the 
        Secretary shall provide grants to, or offer to enter into 
        cooperative agreements with, eligible tribal colleges and 
        universities to promote economic development, entrepreneurship, 
        community development, and sound fiscal leadership in Indian 
        communities.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(2) Requirements.--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(A) In general.--Except as provided in 
                subparagraph (B)--</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    ``(i) the Secretary shall provide 
                        grants and offer to enter into cooperative 
                        agreements under paragraph (1) on a competitive 
                        basis; and</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    ``(ii) the term of a grant or 
                        cooperative agreement under paragraph (1) shall 
                        be not more than 5 years.</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(B) Exception.--If the Secretary 
                determines that a tribal college or university that 
                receives a grant or enters into a cooperative agreement 
                under this subsection has performed satisfactorily 
                throughout the initial 5-year term of the grant or 
                cooperative agreement under subparagraph (A)(ii)--
                </DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    ``(i) the tribal college or 
                        university may submit to the Secretary an 
                        application to extend the grant or cooperative 
                        agreement, as applicable, for a period of not 
                        more than 3 additional years; and</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    ``(ii) the Secretary may waive the 
                        competitiveness requirement of subparagraph 
                        (A)(i) with respect to the 
                        application.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(3) Application.--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(A) In general.--To be eligible to 
                receive a grant or enter into a cooperative agreement 
                under this subsection, a tribal college or university 
                shall submit to the Secretary an application at such 
                time and in such manner as the Secretary may reasonably 
                require.</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(B) Program plan.--</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    ``(i) In general.--An application 
                        under subparagraph (A) shall include a plan for 
                        the program proposed to be carried out by the 
                        eligible tribal college or university using the 
                        grant or pursuant to the cooperative agreement, 
                        as applicable.</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    ``(ii) Inclusions.--A program plan 
                        under subparagraph (A) shall include--
                        </DELETED>
                                <DELETED>    ``(I) a description of a 
                                5-year strategy of the applicable 
                                tribal college or university for 
                                meeting the needs of Indians or Alaska 
                                Natives, as appropriate, in the area 
                                served by the tribal college or 
                                university;</DELETED>
                                <DELETED>    ``(II) an identification 
                                of the population to be served by the 
                                tribal college or university;</DELETED>
                                <DELETED>    ``(III) an identification 
                                of the education and employment needs 
                                of that population and a description of 
                                the manner in which the program will--
                                </DELETED>
                                        <DELETED>    ``(aa) strengthen 
                                        the economic development 
                                        potential of the population; 
                                        or</DELETED>
                                        <DELETED>    ``(bb) contribute 
                                        to the development of high-
                                        quality local and community 
                                        services;</DELETED>
                                <DELETED>    ``(IV) a description of 
                                the services to be provided under the 
                                program, including the manner in which 
                                the services will be integrated with 
                                other appropriate activities; 
                                and</DELETED>
                                <DELETED>    ``(V) a description, to be 
                                prepared in consultation with the 
                                Secretary, of the performance measures 
                                to be used to assess the performance of 
                                the tribal college or university in 
                                carrying out the program.</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    ``(iii) Requirement.--A program 
                        plan shall be consistent with the purposes of 
                        this section, as determined by the 
                        Secretary.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(4) Activities.--A tribal college or university 
        that receives a grant or enters into a cooperative agreement 
        under this subsection may use the grant or cooperative 
        agreement to carry out activities, including--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(A) microenterprise 
                development;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(B) business development and 
                administration courses and degree programs;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(C) entrepreneurship programs;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(D) municipality planning and 
                administration courses, degree programs, and in-service 
                training; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(E) executive leadership training in 
                economic development, planning, and emerging management 
                issues.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(5) Authorization of appropriations.--There is 
        authorized to be appropriated to carry out this subsection 
        $12,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2009 through 
        2012.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    ``(b) Native American Language Vitalization and Training 
Program.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(1) In general.--The Secretary, acting through 
        the Commissioner, shall establish a program, to be known as the 
        `Native American Language Vitalization and Training Program', 
        under which the Secretary shall provide grants to, or offer to 
        enter into cooperative agreements with, eligible tribal 
        colleges and universities to promote the preservation, 
        revitalization, relevancy, and use of Native American 
        languages.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(2) Requirements.--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(A) In general.--Except as provided in 
                subparagraph (B)--</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    ``(i) the Secretary shall provide 
                        grants and offer to enter into cooperative 
                        agreements under paragraph (1) on a competitive 
                        basis; and</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    ``(ii) the term of a grant or 
                        cooperative agreement under paragraph (1) shall 
                        be not more than 5 years.</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(B) Exception.--If the Secretary 
                determines that a tribal college or university that 
                receives a grant or enters into a cooperative agreement 
                under this subsection has performed satisfactorily 
                throughout the initial 5-year term of the grant or 
                cooperative agreement under subparagraph (A)(ii)--
                </DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    ``(i) the tribal college or 
                        university may submit to the Secretary an 
                        application to extend the grant or cooperative 
                        agreement, as applicable, for a period of not 
                        more than 3 additional years; and</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    ``(ii) the Secretary may waive the 
                        competitiveness requirement of subparagraph 
                        (A)(i) with respect to the 
                        application.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(3) Application.--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(A) In general.--To be eligible to 
                receive a grant or enter into a cooperative agreement 
                under this subsection, a tribal college or university 
                shall submit to the Secretary an application at such 
                time and in such manner as the Secretary may reasonably 
                require.</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(B) Program plan.--</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    ``(i) In general.--An application 
                        under subparagraph (A) shall include a plan for 
                        the program proposed to be carried out by the 
                        eligible tribal college or university using the 
                        grant or pursuant to the cooperative agreement, 
                        as applicable.</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    ``(ii) Inclusions.--A program plan 
                        under subparagraph (A) shall include--
                        </DELETED>
                                <DELETED>    ``(I) a description of a 
                                5-year strategy of the applicable 
                                tribal college or university for 
                                meeting the needs of Indians or Alaska 
                                Natives, as appropriate, in the area 
                                served by the tribal college or 
                                university;</DELETED>
                                <DELETED>    ``(II) an identification 
                                of the population to be served by the 
                                tribal college or university;</DELETED>
                                <DELETED>    ``(III) an identification 
                                of the status of Native American 
                                language understanding and use within 
                                that population and a description of 
                                the manner in which the program will 
                                help preserve and revitalize the 
                                relevant Native American 
                                language;</DELETED>
                                <DELETED>    ``(IV) a description of 
                                the services to be provided under the 
                                program, including the manner in which 
                                the services will be integrated with 
                                other appropriate activities; 
                                and</DELETED>
                                <DELETED>    ``(V) a description, to be 
                                prepared in consultation with the 
                                Secretary, of the performance measures 
                                to be used to assess the performance of 
                                the tribal college or university in 
                                carrying out the program.</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    ``(iii) Requirement.--A program 
                        plan shall be consistent with the purposes of 
                        this section, as determined by the 
                        Secretary.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(4) Activities.--A tribal college or university 
        that receives a grant or enters into a cooperative agreement 
        under this subsection may use the grant or cooperative 
        agreement to carry out activities, including--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(A) curricula development and academic 
                instruction, including educational activities, 
                programs, and partnerships relating to students in 
                prekindergarten through grade 12;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(B) professional development for college 
                and university faculty and in-service training programs 
                for prekindergarten through grade 12 instructors and 
                administrators; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(C) innovative Native American language 
                programs for students in prekindergarten through grade 
                12, including language immersion programs.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(5) Authorization of appropriations.--There is 
        authorized to be appropriated to carry out this subsection 
        $12,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2009 through 
        2012.''.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Conforming Amendment.--The section heading of section 
803C of the Native American Programs Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 2991b-3) is 
amended by inserting ``general'' before ``grant program''.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 205. TRIBAL COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES NATIVE COMMUNITIES 
              RESEARCH PROGRAM.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    Section 805 of the Native American Programs Act of 1974 
(42 U.S.C. 2991d) is amended--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) by redesignating subsection (b) as subsection 
        (c); and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) by inserting after subsection (a) the 
        following:</DELETED>
<DELETED>    ``(b) Tribal Colleges and Universities Native Communities 
Research Program.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(1) In general.--The Secretary, acting through 
        the Commissioner, shall provide grants to, or offer to enter 
        into cooperative agreements with, eligible tribal colleges and 
        universities to conduct research in accordance with the 
        purposes of this Act.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(2) Requirements.--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(A) Competition.--The Secretary shall 
                provide grants and offer to enter into cooperative 
                agreements under paragraph (1) on a competitive 
                basis.</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(B) Term.--The term of a grant or 
                cooperative agreement under paragraph (1) shall be not 
                more than 3 years.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(3) Application.--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(A) In general.--To be eligible to 
                receive a grant or enter into a cooperative agreement 
                under this subsection, a tribal college or university 
                shall submit to the Secretary an application at such 
                time and in such manner as the Secretary may reasonably 
                require.</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(B) Inclusion.--An application under 
                subparagraph (A) shall include a plan for the program 
                proposed to be carried out by the eligible tribal 
                college or university using the grant or pursuant to 
                the cooperative agreement, as applicable.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(4) Activities.--A tribal college or university 
        that receives a grant or enters into a cooperative agreement 
        under this subsection may use the grant or cooperative 
        agreement to carry out activities, including--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(A) community-based social science 
                research;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(B) Native American language 
                preservation and vitalization research; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(C) economic development research, 
                including research relating to--</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    ``(i) workforce inventory and 
                        industrial analysis;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    ``(ii) community development 
                        through coordinated planning; and</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    ``(iii) multistakeholder 
                        partnership models.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(5) Authorization of appropriations.--There is 
        authorized to be appropriated to carry out this subsection 
        $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2009 through 
        2012.''.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 206. DEFINITIONS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    Section 815 of the Native American Programs Act of 1974 
(42 U.S.C. 2992c) is amended--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) in paragraph (5), by striking ``and'' at the 
        end;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) in paragraph (6), by striking the period at 
        the end and inserting ``; and''; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) by adding at the end the following:</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(7) the term `tribal college or university' 
        means--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(A) an institution that is eligible to 
                receive funds under the Tribally Controlled College or 
                University Assistance Act of 1978 (25 U.S.C. 1801 et 
                seq.);</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(B) Dine College; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(C) any 1 of the 1994 Institutions (as 
                defined in section 532 of the Equity in Educational 
                Land-Grant Status Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 301 note; 
                Public Law 103-382)).''.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 207. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    Section 816 of the Native American Programs Act of 1974 
(42 U.S.C. 2992d) is amended--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) in subsections (a), (c), and (e), by striking 
        ``fiscal years 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2002'' each place it 
        appears and inserting ``fiscal years 2008 through 
        2012'';</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) in subsections (a) and (b), by striking 
        ``subsection (e)'' each place it appears and inserting 
        ``subsection (d)'';</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) by striking subsection (d); and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) by redesignating subsection (e) as subsection 
        (d).</DELETED>

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Tribal Health 
Promotion and Tribal Colleges and Universities Advancement Act of 
2008''.
    (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents of this Act is as 
follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.

TITLE I--THROUGH HIGHER EDUCATION: PROMOTING THE ADVANCEMENT OF TRIBAL 
                                 HEALTH

Sec. 101. Short title.
Sec. 102. Findings and purpose.
Sec. 103. Definitions.
Sec. 104. Administration by coordinating officer.
Sec. 105. Community-based health and wellness fairs.
Sec. 106. Health promotion and disease prevention targeted programs.
Sec. 107. Development and expansion of public health professional 
                            degree programs.
Sec. 108. Tribal College and University Rural Health Equity Endowment 
                            Fund.
Sec. 109. Offices of sponsored programs.
Sec. 110. Health promotion and disease prevention research programs.

  TITLE II--ADVANCING TRIBES THROUGH TRIBAL COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES

Sec. 201. Short title.
Sec. 202. Findings.
Sec. 203. Native Prosperity Programs at TCUs.
Sec. 204. Definitions.

TITLE I--THROUGH HIGHER EDUCATION: PROMOTING THE ADVANCEMENT OF TRIBAL 
                                 HEALTH

SEC. 101. SHORT TITLE.

    This title may be cited as the ``Through Higher Education: 
Promoting the Advancement of Tribal Health Act'' or ``THE PATH Act''.

SEC. 102. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
            (1) because there is a significant lack of accessible 
        health-related education and training opportunities for 
        Indians, few Indians are represented in the health-related 
        workforce of the United States;
            (2) tribal colleges and universities remain the most 
        poorly-funded institutions of higher education in the United 
        States, yet, as engaged institutions, tribal colleges and 
        universities serve as catalysts for positive change in Indian 
        communities;
            (3) tribal colleges and universities with nursing programs 
        train hundreds of students to hold critically-needed 
        professional and management positions in the Indian Health 
        Service, tribal health organizations, and private and community 
        agencies serving rural Indian populations;
            (4) to the extent that tribal colleges and universities are 
        able, the colleges and universities have begun to address the 
        many societal challenges faced by Indian communities;
            (5) tribal colleges and universities offer critically-
        needed education and outreach programs, including--
                    (A) community health fairs;
                    (B) HIV-AIDS education programs;
                    (C) diabetes education programs;
                    (D) nutritional and obesity programs, including 
                community garden programs;
                    (E) substance abuse prevention programs;
                    (F) youth-at-risk programs;
                    (G) parenting classes; and
                    (H) child and elder care services; and
            (6) due to a chronic lack of operational and targeted 
        program funding, together with the unwillingness of certain 
        Federal agencies to recognize tribal colleges and universities 
        as valuable partners in addressing rural community issues, 
        including health care professional shortages, tribal colleges 
        and universities have limited resources available to help 
        adequately address the perennial health challenges of rural 
        Indian communities.
    (b) Purpose.--The purpose of this title is to assist tribal 
colleges and universities to strengthen Indian communities through the 
provision of health promotion and disease prevention education, 
outreach, and workforce development programs, including program 
implementation, research, and capacity-building.

SEC. 103. DEFINITIONS.

    In this title:
            (1) Deputy assistant secretary.--The term ``Deputy 
        Assistant Secretary'' means the Deputy Assistant Secretary for 
        Minority Health, within the Office of Public Health and 
        Science.
            (2) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of 
        the National Institutes of Health.
            (3) Indian.--The term ``Indian'' has the meaning given the 
        term in section 4 of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (25 
        U.S.C. 1603).
            (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Health and Human Services.
            (5) Tribal college or university.--The term ``tribal 
        college or university'' means--
                    (A) an institution that is eligible to receive 
                funds under the Tribally Controlled College or 
                University Assistance Act of 1978 (25 U.S.C. 1801 et 
                seq.);
                    (B) Dine College; and
                    (C) any 1 of the 1994 Institutions (as defined in 
                section 532 of the Equity in Educational Land-Grant 
                Status Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 301 note; Public Law 103-
                382)).

SEC. 104. ADMINISTRATION BY COORDINATING OFFICER.

    (a) Designation.--The Deputy Assistant Secretary shall serve as the 
coordinating officer with respect to programs of tribal colleges and 
universities relating to--
            (1) health care workforce development; and
            (2) health promotion and disease prevention.
    (b) Staff.--The Secretary shall appoint such additional staff as 
the Secretary determines to be necessary--
            (1) to assist the Deputy Assistant Secretary in carrying 
        out the duties under this section; and
            (2) to provide appropriate technical assistance to tribal 
        colleges and universities eligible to receive grants or enter 
        into cooperative agreements under this title.
    (c) Memorandum of Agreement.--Not later than 180 days after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall develop and 
implement a formal memorandum of agreement with the American Indian 
Higher Education Consortium to establish programs--
            (1) to help ensure that Native American communities, 
        through tribal colleges and universities, participate equitably 
        in programs, services, and resources of the Department of 
        Health and Human Services; and
            (2) to provide necessary technical assistance to the tribal 
        colleges and universities, including in establishing 
        collaborations among tribal colleges and universities and 
        institutions of higher education or other organizations that 
        carry out activities for culturally integrated education and 
        training and research programs, delivered onsite or though 
        distance learning.

SEC. 105. COMMUNITY-BASED HEALTH AND WELLNESS FAIRS.

    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary, acting through the Deputy 
Assistant Secretary, shall establish a program under which the 
Secretary shall provide grants to, or offer to enter into cooperative 
agreements with, tribal colleges and universities to carry out annual, 
community-based, and culturally relevant health and wellness fairs at 
the tribal colleges and universities.
    (b) Funding.--
            (1) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized 
        to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section 
        for each of fiscal years 2009 through 2017 an amount equal to 
        the sum of--
                    (A) the product obtained by multiplying--
                            (i) the number of tribal colleges and 
                        universities in operation on October 1 of the 
                        fiscal year; and
                            (ii) $15,000; and
                    (B) such amount as the Secretary determines to be 
                necessary for the costs of administering the program 
                under this section.
            (2) Total amount.--Subject to paragraph (3), the Secretary 
        shall use all amounts made available under paragraph (1)(A) to 
        provide grants or enter into cooperative agreements pursuant to 
        this section.
            (3) Nonapplicability of limitation.--The limitation under 
        section 1703(c) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
        300u-2(c)) shall not apply to this section.

SEC. 106. HEALTH PROMOTION AND DISEASE PREVENTION TARGETED PROGRAMS.

    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary, acting through the Deputy 
Assistant Secretary, shall establish a program under which the 
Secretary shall provide grants to, or offer to enter into cooperative 
agreements with, tribal colleges and universities to assist the tribal 
colleges and universities to build and expand the capacity to work 
collaboratively with relevant Indian tribes--
            (1) to conduct coordinated community-based health promotion 
        and disease prevention activities; and
            (2) to jointly plan and implement programs to help reduce 
        health disparities in tribal communities, to the maximum extent 
        practicable.
    (b) Requirements.--In providing grants and entering into 
cooperative agreements under this section, the Secretary, to the 
maximum extent practicable, shall--
            (1) approve applications on a competitive basis; and
            (2) ensure maximum and equitable distribution among 
        eligible tribal colleges and universities.
    (c) Application.--
            (1) In general.--To be eligible to receive a grant or enter 
        into a cooperative agreement under this section, a tribal 
        college or university shall submit to the Secretary an 
        application at such time and in such manner as the Secretary 
        may reasonably require.
            (2) Inclusions.--An application under paragraph (1) shall 
        include--
                    (A) a signed agreement between the tribal college 
                or university and each relevant Indian tribe that--
                            (i) requires the entities to establish a 
                        partnership to implement the proposed 
                        community-based program; and
                            (ii) specifies the roles of each entity;
                    (B) a jointly prepared 5-year plan for addressing 
                the health promotion and disease prevention needs of 
                Indians or Alaska Natives, as appropriate, in the area 
                served by the tribal college or university;
                    (C) a demonstration of need for the proposed 
                program;
                    (D) an assurance that measures will be implemented 
                and monitored to minimize duplication of services; and
                    (E) an assurance that, under the proposed program, 
                the tribal college or university shall not be a direct 
                provider of any health care treatment or service.
            (3) Streamlined procedure.--The Secretary shall ensure, to 
        the maximum extent practicable, a simplified and streamlined 
        procedure for the submission and approval of applications under 
        paragraph (1), taking into consideration the limited number of 
        institutions that are eligible to receive assistance under this 
        section.
    (d) Activities.--A tribal college or university that receives a 
grant or enters into a cooperative agreement under this section may use 
the grant or cooperative agreement to develop and carry out activities 
to address targeted areas of health promotion and disease prevention in 
tribal communities, including activities described in a partnership 
agreement under subsection (c)(2)(A) relating to--
            (1) diabetes education and prevention;
            (2) injury prevention;
            (3) substance abuse, including methamphetamine abuse;
            (4) HIV-AIDS prevention;
            (5) emerging health promotion and disease prevention 
        program and response development; and
            (6) obesity and nutrition education.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $10,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2009 through 2017.

SEC. 107. DEVELOPMENT AND EXPANSION OF PUBLIC HEALTH PROFESSIONAL 
              DEGREE PROGRAMS.

    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary, acting through the Administrator 
of the Health Resources and Services Administration, shall establish a 
program under which the Secretary shall provide grants to tribal 
colleges and universities (which may include consortia of tribal 
colleges and universities and other institutions of higher education) 
for purposes of--
            (1) developing curricula, courses, degree, and in-service 
        programs for health-related professions; and
            (2) strengthening those programs through the acquisition of 
        basic and advanced laboratory, research, and classroom 
        equipment, instruments, and computers (including software).
    (b) Application.--
            (1) In general.--To be eligible to receive a grant under 
        this subsection, a tribal college or university shall submit to 
        the Secretary an application at such time and in such manner as 
        the Secretary may reasonably require.
            (2) Inclusion.--An application under paragraph (1) shall 
        include a description of a 5-year strategy of the applicable 
        tribal college or university for increasing the number of 
        Indians in the health workforce of the United States.
            (3) Streamlined procedure.--The Secretary shall ensure, to 
        the maximum extent practicable, a simplified and streamlined 
        procedure for the submission and approval of applications under 
        paragraph (1), taking into consideration the limited number of 
        institutions that are eligible to receive assistance under this 
        section.
    (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this subsection $15,000,000 for each of 
fiscal years 2009 through 2017.

SEC. 108. TRIBAL COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY RURAL HEALTH EQUITY ENDOWMENT 
              FUND.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established in the Treasury of the 
United States a fund, to be known as the ``Tribal College and 
University Rural Health Equity Endowment Fund'' (referred to in this 
section as the ``Fund''), consisting of--
            (1) such amounts as are appropriated to the Fund under 
        subsection (b); and
            (2) any interest earned on those amounts.
    (b) Transfers to Fund.--There is appropriated to the Fund, out of 
funds of the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, $9,000,000 for each 
of fiscal years 2009 through 2017.
    (c) Investments.--The Secretary shall invest amounts in the Fund in 
interest-bearing obligations of the United States.
    (d) Expenditures From Fund.--
            (1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), on September 30 
        of fiscal year 2009 and annually thereafter through September 
        30, 2017, on request by the Secretary, the Secretary of the 
        Treasury shall transfer from the Fund to the Secretary an 
        amount equal to the amount of interest income earned on amounts 
        in the Fund during the preceding fiscal year.
            (2) Administrative expenses.--An amount not exceeding 1 
        percent of the annual interest yield distributed to tribal 
        colleges and universities shall be available for each fiscal 
        year to pay the administrative expenses necessary to carry out 
        this section.
    (e) Distribution of Amounts.--Of amounts transferred under 
subsection (d)(1), the Secretary shall distribute--
            (1) 60 percent to tribal colleges and universities on a pro 
        rata basis, based on the proportion that--
                    (A) the Indian student count (as defined in section 
                2(a) of the Tribally Controlled College or University 
                Assistance Act of 1978 (25 U.S.C. 1801(a)) of a tribal 
                college or university for the applicable fiscal year; 
                bears to
                    (B) the Indian student count of all tribal colleges 
                and universities for that fiscal year; and
            (2) 40 percent in payments of equal amounts to each tribal 
        college and university.
    (f) Use of Funds.--A tribal college or university shall use amounts 
received under this section to establish and maintain an endowment for 
a health professions workforce development program at the tribal 
college or university.

SEC. 109. OFFICES OF SPONSORED PROGRAMS.

    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary, acting through the Director, 
shall establish a program under which the Secretary shall provide 
grants to tribal colleges and universities to establish and maintain at 
the tribal colleges and universities offices of sponsored programs 
described in subsection (b).
    (b) Sponsored Programs.--The sponsored programs referred to in 
subsection (a) include programs for--
            (1) pre- and post-grant award research, data collection, 
        and analyses, through a method that ensures--
                    (A) proper documentation of relevant applications; 
                and
                    (B) compliance with applicable regulations and 
                guidelines;
            (2) advancing specific institutional grant application 
        procedures and processes through coordination of external 
        funding sources and faculty, staff, and financial officers;
            (3) assisting in negotiations with Federal funding sources;
            (4) providing liaisons with Federal counterparts of tribal 
        colleges and universities--
                    (A) to train and assist principal investigators, 
                faculty, and college staff with respect to grant 
                management, reporting, and program implementation; and
                    (B) to ensure that applicable deadlines are met and 
                required reports are completed;
            (5) coordinating partnerships between tribal colleges and 
        universities, Federal agencies, and the private sector for 
        collaborative programs and activities; and
            (6) in consultation with Federal agencies, identifying and 
        proposing solutions to--
                    (A) obstacles relating to Federal agency grant 
                application procedures and requirements; and
                    (B) other problems relating to Federal grant 
                program structures and requirements.
    (c) Application.--
            (1) In general.--To be eligible to receive a grant under 
        this section, a tribal college or university shall submit to 
        the Secretary an application at such time and in such manner as 
        the Secretary may reasonably require.
            (2) Inclusion.--An application under paragraph (1) shall 
        include a description of a 5-year strategy of the applicable 
        tribal college or university for carrying out a sponsored 
        program at the tribal college or university, including 
        performance indicators by which success of the tribal college 
        or university will be evaluated.
    (d) Distribution of Funds.--For each of fiscal years 2009 through 
2017, the Secretary, acting through the Director, shall provide to each 
tribal college and university the application of which is approved 
under subsection (c) a grant in an amount equal to the quotient 
obtained by dividing--
            (1) the total amount made available under subsection (f) 
        for the fiscal year; by
            (2) the number of tribal colleges and universities the 
        applications of which are approved under subsection (c) for the 
        fiscal year.
    (e) Reports.--For each of fiscal years 2010 through 2018, each 
tribal college or university that receives a grant under this section 
shall submit to the Director a report describing the success of the 
office of sponsored programs of the tribal college or university during 
the preceding fiscal year, as determined in accordance with the 
performance indicators contained in the application of the tribal 
college or university under subsection (c)(2).
    (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section for each of fiscal years 2009 
through 2017 an amount equal to the product obtained by multiplying--
            (1) the number of tribal colleges and universities in 
        operation on October 1 of the applicable fiscal year; and
            (2) $50,000.

SEC. 110. HEALTH PROMOTION AND DISEASE PREVENTION RESEARCH PROGRAMS.

    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary, acting through the Director, 
shall establish a program under which the Secretary shall provide 
grants to, or offer to enter into cooperative agreements with, tribal 
colleges and universities to conduct research relating to health 
promotion and disease prevention at the tribal colleges and 
universities.
    (b) Requirements.--
            (1) Competition.--The Secretary shall provide grants and 
        offer to enter into cooperative agreements under subsection (a) 
        on a competitive basis.
            (2) General terms and amounts.--Except as provided in 
        paragraph (3)--
                    (A) the term of a grant or cooperative agreement 
                under subsection (a) shall be not more than 3 years; 
                and
                    (B) the minimum amount of a grant under subsection 
                (a) for a fiscal year shall be $150,000.
            (3) Undergraduate research experience programs.--With 
        respect to a grant or cooperative agreement provided for an 
        undergraduate research experience program under subsection 
        (d)(3)--
                    (A) the term of such a grant or cooperative 
                agreement shall be not more than 1 year; and
                    (B) the minimum amount of such a grant for a fiscal 
                year shall be $10,000.
    (c) Application.--
            (1) In general.--To be eligible to receive a grant, or to 
        enter into a cooperative agreement, under this subsection, a 
        tribal college or university shall submit to the Secretary an 
        application at such time and in such manner as the Secretary 
        may reasonably require.
            (2) Streamlined procedure.--The Secretary shall ensure, to 
        the maximum extent practicable, a simplified and streamlined 
        procedure for the submission and approval of applications under 
        paragraph (1), taking into consideration the limited number of 
        institutions that are eligible to receive assistance under this 
        section.
    (d) Activities.--A tribal college or university that receives a 
grant or enters into a cooperative agreement under this section may use 
the grant or cooperative agreement to carry out activities, including--
            (1) research on culturally relevant and innovative health 
        promotion and disease prevention strategies;
            (2) epidemiological research on the health status of Indian 
        populations and communities; and
            (3) undergraduate research experience programs as the 
        tribal college or university determines to be appropriate.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $12,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2009 through 2017.

  TITLE II--ADVANCING TRIBES THROUGH TRIBAL COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES

SEC. 201. SHORT TITLE.

    This title may be cited as the ``Advancing Tribes Through Tribal 
Colleges and Universities Act'' or the ``AT TCUs Act''.

SEC. 202. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that--
            (1) a primary goal of providing Federal support for higher 
        education is to ensure social and economic self-sufficiency and 
        growth for all residents of the United States;
            (2) social and economic underdevelopment is the primary 
        obstacle to the self-sufficiency of Indian communities and 
        families;
            (3) research has demonstrated that higher education is a 
        primary method of achieving economic and social development for 
        Indian communities;
            (4) tribal colleges and universities are institutions of 
        higher education created by Indians for Indians primarily on 
        rural and isolated Indian reservations, which were virtually 
        excluded from the general system of higher education in the 
        United States;
            (5) underlying goals of tribal colleges and universities 
        are--
                    (A) to improve the lives of Indians through higher 
                education; and
                    (B) to assist Indians in achieving self-
                sufficiency;
            (6) tribal colleges and universities--
                    (A) offer a variety of social services for students 
                and community members; and
                    (B) often serve as community centers, libraries, 
                tribal archives, career and business centers, economic 
                development centers, public meeting places, and 
                childcare and wellness centers;
            (7) tribal colleges and universities and students of those 
        colleges or universities contribute significantly to the 
        economic and social health of Indian communities;
            (8)(A) tribal colleges and universities have been more 
        successful than any other institution of higher education in 
        educating and helping to retain Indians in high-need fields, 
        such as nursing and teaching;
            (B) data from 2005 indicates that--
                    (i) approximately \1/2\ of all graduates of tribal 
                colleges and universities pursue advanced education; 
                and
                    (ii) of those graduates, more than 86 percent 
                pursue bachelor's degrees;
            (9) individuals, including Indians, with bachelor's or 
        advanced degrees earn--
                    (A) almost 4 times as much as individuals who do 
                not graduate from high school; and
                    (B) more than twice as much as individuals with 
                high school diplomas;
            (10) of the 155 indigenous languages spoken in the United 
        States as of the date of enactment of this Act, 135 are spoken 
        only by Indian elders;
            (11)(A) language and culture are at the heart of the 
        mission of each tribal college and university;
            (B) tribal colleges and universities--
                    (i) play a strong leadership role in Native 
                American language immersion; and
                    (ii) are responsible for the majority of the 
                approximately 50 Native American language immersion 
                programs in the United States; and
            (12) despite the proven success of Native American language 
        preservation and vitalization efforts of tribal colleges and 
        universities, only minimal Federal and private sector resources 
        are used for the activities.

SEC. 203. NATIVE PROSPERITY PROGRAMS AT TCUS.

    (a) In General.--Section 166 of the Workforce Investment Act of 
1998 (29 U.S.C. 2911) is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(k) Native Prosperity Programs at TCUs.--
            ``(1) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish a 
        program, to be known as the `TCU Native Prosperity Program', 
        under which the Secretary shall provide grants to, or offer to 
        enter into cooperative agreements with, eligible tribal 
        colleges and universities to promote economic development, 
        entrepreneurship, community development, and sound fiscal 
        leadership in Indian communities.
            ``(2) Requirements.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Except as provided in 
                subparagraph (B)--
                            ``(i) the Secretary shall provide grants 
                        and offer to enter into cooperative agreements 
                        under paragraph (1) on a competitive basis; and
                            ``(ii) the term of a grant or cooperative 
                        agreement under paragraph (1) shall be 5 years.
                    ``(B) Exception.--If the Secretary determines that 
                a tribal college or university that receives a grant or 
                enters into a cooperative agreement under this 
                subsection has performed satisfactorily throughout the 
                initial 5-year term of the grant or cooperative 
                agreement under subparagraph (A)(ii)--
                            ``(i) the tribal college or university may 
                        submit to the Secretary an application to 
                        extend the grant or cooperative agreement, as 
                        applicable, for a period of not more than 3 
                        additional years; and
                            ``(ii) the Secretary may waive the 
                        competitiveness requirement of subparagraph 
                        (A)(i) with respect to the application.
            ``(3) Application.--
                    ``(A) In general.--To be eligible to receive a 
                grant or enter into a cooperative agreement under this 
                subsection, a tribal college or university shall submit 
                to the Secretary an application at such time and in 
                such manner as the Secretary may reasonably require.
                    ``(B) Program plan.--
                            ``(i) In general.--An application under 
                        subparagraph (A) shall include a plan for the 
                        program proposed to be carried out by the 
                        eligible tribal college or university using the 
                        grant or pursuant to the cooperative agreement, 
                        as applicable.
                            ``(ii) Inclusions.--A program plan under 
                        subparagraph (A) shall include--
                                    ``(I) a description of a 5-year 
                                plan for the applicable tribal college 
                                or university, developed in 
                                consultation with, and approved by, 
                                each relevant Indian tribe, through 
                                which the tribal college or university 
                                will work collaboratively to meet the 
                                needs of Indians or Alaska Natives, as 
                                appropriate, in the area served by the 
                                tribal college or university;
                                    ``(II) an identification of the 
                                population to be served by the tribal 
                                college or university;
                                    ``(III) an identification of the 
                                education and employment needs of that 
                                population and a description of the 
                                manner in which the program will--
                                            ``(aa) strengthen the 
                                        economic development potential 
                                        of the population; or
                                            ``(bb) contribute to the 
                                        development of high-quality 
                                        local and community services;
                                    ``(IV) a description of the 
                                services to be provided under the 
                                program, including the manner in which 
                                the services will be integrated with 
                                other appropriate activities to 
                                minimize duplication of services; and
                                    ``(V) a description, to be prepared 
                                in consultation with the Secretary, of 
                                the performance measures to be used to 
                                assess the performance of the tribal 
                                college or university in carrying out 
                                the program.
                            ``(iii) Requirement.--A program plan shall 
                        be consistent with the purposes of this 
                        section, as determined by the Secretary.
            ``(4) Activities.--A tribal college or university that 
        receives a grant or enters into a cooperative agreement under 
        this subsection may use the grant or cooperative agreement to 
        carry out activities, including--
                    ``(A) microenterprise development;
                    ``(B) business development and administration 
                courses and degree programs;
                    ``(C) entrepreneurship programs;
                    ``(D) municipality planning and administration 
                courses, degree programs, and in-service training; and
                    ``(E) executive leadership training in economic 
                development, planning, and emerging management issues.
            ``(5) Technical assistance.--To ensure that tribal colleges 
        and universities receive timely, equitable, and culturally 
        relevant technical assistance, the Secretary may enter into any 
        cooperative agreement the Secretary determines to be necessary 
        with the American Indian Higher Education Consortium.
            ``(6) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized 
        to be appropriated to carry out this subsection $12,000,000 for 
        each of fiscal years 2009 through 2012.''

SEC. 204. DEFINITIONS.

    Section 166(b) of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 
2911(b)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
            ``(4) Tribal college or university.--The term `tribal 
        college or university' means--
                    ``(A) an institution that is eligible to receive 
                funds under the Tribally Controlled College or 
                University Assistance Act of 1978 (25 U.S.C. 1801 et 
                seq.);
                    ``(B) Dine College; and
                    ``(C) any 1 of the 1994 Institutions (as defined in 
                section 532 of the Equity in Educational Land-Grant 
                Status Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 301 note; Public Law 103-
                382)).''.
                                                      Calendar No. 1110

110th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                                S. 1779

                          [Report No. 110-519]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

To establish a program for tribal colleges and universities within the 
    Department of Health and Human Services and to amend the Native 
American Programs Act of 1974 to authorize the provision of grants and 
  cooperative agreements to tribal colleges and universities, and for 
                            other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

            October 1 (legislative day, September 17), 2008

                       Reported with an amendment