[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 197 (Monday, December 19, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7289-S7291]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
NATIVE AMERICAN LANGUAGE RESOURCE CENTER ACT OF 2021
Mr. SCHATZ. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate
proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 176, S. 989.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
[[Page S7290]]
A bill (S. 989) to establish a Native American language
resource center in furtherance of the policy set forth in the
Native American Languages Act.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill
which had been reported from the Committee on Indian Affairs with an
amendment to strike all after the enacting clause and insert in lieu
thereof the following:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Native American Language
Resource Center Act of 2021''.
SEC. 2. NATIVE AMERICAN LANGUAGE RESOURCE CENTERS.
(a) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to further align
the resources provided by the Department of Education with
the policies set forth in the Native American Languages Act
(25 U.S.C. 2901 et seq.) through establishment of a program
within the Department of Education to support 1 or more
Native American language resource centers.
(b) In General.--The Secretary of Education is authorized
to make a grant to, or enter into a contract with, an
eligible entity for the purpose of--
(1) establishing, strengthening, and operating a Native
American language resource center; and
(2) staffing the center with individuals with relevant
expertise and experience, including staff who speak American
Indian and Alaska Native languages and the Native Hawaiian
language and have worked in language education in the
American Indian and Alaska Native languages and the Native
Hawaiian language in a preschool, elementary school,
secondary school, adult education, or higher education
program.
(c) Authorized Activities.--The Native American language
resource center established under subsection (b) shall carry
out activities to--
(1) improve the capacity to teach and learn Native American
languages;
(2) further Native American language use and acquisition;
(3) preserve, protect, and promote the rights and freedom
of Native Americans to use, practice, and develop Native
American languages in furtherance of--
(A) the policies set forth in the Native American Languages
Act (25 U.S.C. 2901 et seq.); and
(B) the United States trust responsibility to Native
American communities;
(4) address the effects of past discrimination and ongoing
inequities experienced by Native American language speakers;
(5) support the revitalization and reclamation of Native
American languages; and
(6) support the use of Native American languages as a
medium of instruction for a wide variety of age levels,
academic content areas, and types of schools, including
Native American language medium education.
(d) Additional Authorized Activities.--The Native American
language resource center established under subsection (b) may
also carry out activities--
(1) to encourage and support the use of Native American
languages within educational systems in the same manner as
other world languages, including by encouraging State
educational agencies, local educational agencies, and
institutions of higher education to offer Native American
language courses the same full academic credit as courses in
other world languages;
(2) to support the development, adoption, and use of
educational outcome metrics aligned with the Native American
language of instruction, including assessments,
qualifications, and processes based on promising practices in
Native American language medium education;
(3) to provide assistance to Native American language
programs seeking Federal resources;
(4) to encourage and support teacher preparation programs
that prepare teachers to teach Native American languages and
to use Native American languages as a medium of instruction,
including by disseminating promising practices and developing
pedagogical programming and through appropriate alternative
pathways to teacher certification;
(5) to provide information and resources--
(A) on promising practices in the use and revitalization of
Native American languages in Native American communities,
including use in educational institutions; and
(B) for the use of technology in school and community-based
Native American language programs to support the retention,
use, and teaching of Native American languages;
(6) to support the use of distance learning technologies
and training for parents, students, teachers, and learning
support staff associated with Native American language
programs, including--
(A) the compilation and curation of digital libraries and
other online resources for Native American languages, except
that any materials collected by the center shall only be
materials provided by a Native American language program or
Native American community;
(B) the development of distance learning curricula
appropriate for preschool, elementary school, secondary
school, adult education, and postsecondary education;
(C) pedagogical training for Native American language
teachers; and
(D) other efforts necessary to continue Native American
language acquisition through distance learning;
(7) to provide technical assistance for Native American
communities and school systems to develop Native American
language medium education programs in preschool, elementary
school, secondary school, or adult education programs
conducted through the medium of Native American languages;
(8) to support Native American language programs and Native
American communities in--
(A) accessing international best practices, resources, and
research in indigenous language revitalization; and
(B) gathering and sharing technical assistance, promising
practices, and experiences;
(9) for the operation of intensive programs, including
summer institutes, to train Native American language
speakers, to provide professional development, and to improve
Native American language instruction through preservice and
in-service language training for teachers; and
(10) that otherwise support the Native American language
resource center established under subsection (b) to carry out
the activities required in subsection (c).
(e) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) ESEA definitions.--The terms ``elementary school'',
``local educational agency'', ``secondary school'', and
``State educational agency'' have the meanings given the
terms in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
(2) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means--
(A) an institution of higher education;
(B) an entity within an institution of higher education
with dedicated expertise in Native American language and
culture education; or
(C) a consortium that includes 1 or more institutions of
higher education or 1 or more entities described in
subparagraph (B).
(3) Institution of higher education.--The term
``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given the
term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 1001).
(4) Native american; native american language.--The terms
``Native American'' and ``Native American language'' have the
meanings given those terms in section 103 of the Native
American Languages Act (25 U.S.C. 2902).
(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized
to be appropriated to carry out this section, $3,000,000 for
each fiscal year.
Mr. SCHATZ. I ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported
substitute amendment be withdrawn; that the Schatz substitute amendment
at the desk be agreed to; and that the bill, as amended, be considered
read a third time.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The committee-reported amendment in the nature of a substitute was
withdrawn.
The amendment (No. 6545) in the nature of a substitute was agreed to,
as follows:
(Purpose: In the nature of a substitute)
Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the
following:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Native American Language
Resource Center Act of 2022''.
SEC. 2. NATIVE AMERICAN LANGUAGE RESOURCE CENTERS.
(a) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to further align
the resources provided by the Department of Education with
the policies set forth in the Native American Languages Act
(25 U.S.C. 2901 et seq.) through establishment of a program
within the Department of Education to support 1 or more
Native American language resource centers.
(b) In General.--The Secretary of Education is authorized
to make a grant to, or enter into a contract with, an
eligible entity for the purpose of--
(1) establishing, strengthening, and operating a Native
American language resource center; and
(2) staffing the center with individuals with relevant
expertise and experience, including staff who speak American
Indian and Alaska Native languages and the Native Hawaiian
language and have worked in language education in the
American Indian and Alaska Native languages and the Native
Hawaiian language in a preschool, elementary school,
secondary school, adult education, or higher education
program.
(c) Authorized Activities.--The Native American language
resource center established under subsection (b) shall carry
out activities to--
(1) improve the capacity to teach and learn Native American
languages;
(2) further Native American language use and acquisition;
(3) preserve, protect, and promote the rights and freedom
of Native Americans to use, practice, and develop Native
American languages in furtherance of--
(A) the policies set forth in the Native American Languages
Act (25 U.S.C. 2901 et seq.); and
(B) the United States trust responsibility to Native
American communities;
(4) address the effects of past discrimination and ongoing
inequities experienced by Native American language speakers;
(5) support the revitalization and reclamation of Native
American languages; and
(6) support the use of Native American languages as a
medium of instruction for a wide variety of age levels,
academic content areas, and types of schools, including
Native American language medium education.
(d) Additional Authorized Activities.--The Native American
language resource center established under subsection (b) may
also carry out activities--
(1) to encourage and support the use of Native American
languages within educational systems in the same manner as
other world languages, including by encouraging State
educational agencies, local educational agencies, and
institutions of higher education to
[[Page S7291]]
offer Native American language courses the same full academic
credit as courses in other world languages;
(2) to support the development, adoption, and use of
educational outcome metrics aligned with the Native American
language of instruction, including assessments,
qualifications, and processes based on promising practices in
Native American language medium education;
(3) to provide assistance to Native American language
programs seeking Federal resources;
(4) to encourage and support teacher preparation programs
that prepare teachers to teach Native American languages and
to use Native American languages as a medium of instruction,
including by disseminating promising practices and developing
pedagogical programming and through appropriate alternative
pathways to teacher certification;
(5) to provide information and resources--
(A) on promising practices in the use and revitalization of
Native American languages in Native American communities,
including use in educational institutions; and
(B) for the use of technology in school and community-based
Native American language programs to support the retention,
use, and teaching of Native American languages;
(6) to support the use of distance learning technologies
and training for parents, students, teachers, and learning
support staff associated with Native American language
programs, including--
(A) the compilation and curation of digital libraries and
other online resources for Native American languages, except
that any materials collected by the center shall only be
materials provided by a Native American language program or
Native American community;
(B) the development of optional distance learning curricula
appropriate for preschool, elementary school, secondary
school, adult education, and postsecondary education;
(C) pedagogical training for Native American language
teachers; and
(D) other efforts necessary to continue Native American
language acquisition through distance learning;
(7) to provide technical assistance for Native American
communities and school systems to develop Native American
language medium education programs in preschool, elementary
school, secondary school, or adult education programs
conducted through the medium of Native American languages;
(8) to support Native American language programs and Native
American communities in--
(A) accessing international best practices, resources, and
research in indigenous language revitalization; and
(B) gathering and sharing technical assistance, promising
practices, and experiences;
(9) for the operation of intensive programs, including
summer institutes, to train Native American language
speakers, to provide professional development, and to improve
Native American language instruction through preservice and
in-service language training for teachers; and
(10) that otherwise support the Native American language
resource center established under subsection (b) to carry out
the activities required in subsection (c).
(e) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) ESEA definitions.--The terms ``elementary school'',
``local educational agency'', ``secondary school'', and
``State educational agency'' have the meanings given the
terms in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
(2) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means--
(A) an institution of higher education;
(B) an entity within an institution of higher education
with dedicated expertise in Native American language and
culture education; or
(C) a consortium that includes 1 or more institutions of
higher education or 1 or more entities described in
subparagraph (B).
(3) Institution of higher education.--The term
``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given the
term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 1001).
(4) Native american; native american language.--The terms
``Native American'' and ``Native American language'' have the
meanings given those terms in section 103 of the Native
American Languages Act (25 U.S.C. 2902).
(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized
to be appropriated to carry out this section, $3,000,000 for
each fiscal year.
The bill was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading and was read
the third time.
Mr. SCHATZ. I know of no further debate on the bill, as amended.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there further debate?
Hearing none, the bill having been read the third time, the question
is, Shall the bill pass?
The bill (S. 989), as amended, was passed.
Mr. SCHATZ. I ask unanimous consent that the motion to reconsider be
considered made and laid upon the table.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
____________________