[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 133 (Wednesday, December 6, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Page S11314]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       ESTHER MARTINEZ NATIVE AMERICAN LANGUAGES PRESERVATION ACT

  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I rise in support of H.R. 4766, the Esther 
Martinez Native American Languages Preservation Act of 2006, which was 
passed by the House of Representatives on September 27, 2006, and 
referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs. This legislation 
reauthorizes the Native American Programs Act of 1974 through the year 
2012 and provides a grant program to ensure the survival and vitality 
of Native-American languages through such programs as language nests, 
survival schools, and language restoration programs, in addition to 
programs currently funded by the ANA grants for language preservation. 
I am asking the Senate to pass the bill as passed by the House of 
Representatives. However, I understand that Dr. Coburn has a question 
about the intent of this bill in respect to a particular matter and 
would like to engage in a colloquy for the purpose of clarifying that 
intent.
  Mr. COBURN. I rise for the purpose of engaging Senator McCain, who is 
managing H.R. 4766, in a colloquy over a certain aspect of the bill. 
Senator McCain, as the chairman of the Committee on Indian Affairs, to 
which this bill has been referred, and as the bill's manager in the 
Senate, I would like to know if it is the intent of this legislation 
that the Administration for native Americans, in administering the 
provisions of this bill, require that grants for Native language 
survival schools requite parental permission for the student to 
participate in the program and also that the students participating in 
the program demonstrate adequate progress in English proficiency 
according to grade level?
  Mr. McCAIN. The Senator from Oklahoma is correct. That is the intent 
of the bill.

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