I 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2958 

To fulfill the United States Government’s trust responsibility to serve the 

higher education needs of the Navajo people and to clarify, unify, and 

modernize prior Dine ́ College legislation. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 7, 2015 

Mrs. KIRKPATRICK introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Education and the Workforce 

A BILL 

To fulfill the United States Government’s trust responsibility 

to serve the higher education needs of the Navajo people 

and to clarify, unify, and modernize prior Dine ́ College 

legislation. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Dine ́ College Act of 

5 2015’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds as follows: 


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1 (1) The Treaty of 1868 between the United 

2 States of America and the Navajo Tribe of Indians 

3 provides for the education of the citizens of the Nav4 ajo Nation. 

5 (2) The Navajo Nation created and chartered 

6 the Navajo Community College by Resolution CN– 

7 95–68 as a wholly owned educational entity of the 

8 Navajo Nation. 

9 (3) In 1971, Congress enacted the Navajo Com10 munity College Act (Public Law 92–189; 25 U.S.C. 

11 640a et seq.). 

12 (4) The Navajo Nation officially changed the 

13 name of the Navajo Community College to Dine ́ Col14 lege by Resolution CAP–35–97. 

15 (5) The purpose of Dine ́ College is to provide 

16 educational opportunities to the Navajo people and 

17 others in areas important to the economic and social 

18 development of the Navajo Nation. 

19 (6) The educational philosophy of Dine ́ College 

20 is to apply principles of Sa’ah Naagha ́ ́ı Bik’eh 

21 Ho ́zho ́ ́on (Dine ́ Philosophy) to advance quality stu22 dent learning through training of the mind and 

23 heart. 


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1 (7) The United States has a trust and treaty 

2 responsibility to the Navajo Nation to provide for 

3 the educational opportunities for Navajo people. 

4 (8) Significant portions of the Dine ́ College’s 

5 infrastructure are dilapidated and pose a serious 

6 health and safety risk to students, employees, and 

7 the public. 

8 (9) This Act is consistent with Executive Order 

9 13592 (76 Fed. Reg. 76603, relating to improving 

10 American Indian and Alaska Native educational op11 portunities and strengthening tribal colleges and 

12 universities) and fulfills the United States Govern13 ment’s trust responsibility to serve the educational 

14 needs of the Navajo people. 

15 SEC. 3. PURPOSE. 

16 The purpose of this Act is to ensure that the Navajo 

17 Nation and Navajo people— 

18 (1) exercise their right to self-determination, 

19 particularly in matters relating to their internal and 

20 local affairs; 

21 (2) maintain and strengthen their distinct insti22 tutions of higher education through the teaching of 

23 the Navajo language, culture, traditions, and his24 tory; and 


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1 (3) improve their economic and social condi2 tions through higher education and postsecondary 

3 vocational training. 

4 SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS. 

5 In this Act: 

6 (1) APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES OF CON7 GRESS.—The term ‘‘appropriate committees of Con8 gress’’ means— 

9 (A) the Committee on Indian Affairs and 

10 the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate; 

11 and 

12 (B) the Committee on Natural Resources, 

13 the Committee on Education and the Work14 force, and the Committee on Appropriations of 

15 the House of Representatives. 

16 (2) COLLEGE.—The term ‘‘College’’ means 

17 Dine ́ College. 

18 (3) OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE.—The term 

19 ‘‘operation and maintenance’’ means all cost and ex20 penses associated with the customary daily operation 

21 of the Dine ́ College and necessary maintenance 

22 costs. 

23 (4) INFRASTRUCTURE.—The term ‘‘infrastruc24 ture’’ means Dine ́ College buildings, water and 

25 sewer facilities, roads, foundation, information techVerDate Sep 11 2014 06:10 Jul 08, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2958.IH H2958

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1 nology, and telecommunications, including class2 rooms and external matters such as walkways. 

3 (5) RENOVATIONS AND REPAIRS.—The term 

4 ‘‘renovations and repairs’’ means modernization and 

5 improvements to the infrastructure. 

6 (6) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

7 the Secretary of the Interior. 

8 SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF DINE ́ COLLEGE. 

9 Congress authorizes the Dine ́ College to receive all 

10 Federal funding and resources under this Act and other 

11 laws for its operation, improvement, and growth, includ12 ing— 

13 (1) to provide programs of higher education for 

14 citizens of the Navajo Nation and others; 

15 (2) to provide vocational and technical edu16 cation for citizens of the Navajo Nation and others; 

17 (3) to preserve and protect the Navajo lan18 guage, philosophy, and culture for citizens of the 

19 Navajo Nation and others; 

20 (4) to provide Navajo communities and people 

21 with employment and training opportunities; 

22 (5) to provide economic development and com23 munity outreach for Navajo communities and people; 

24 and 


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1 (6) to provide a safe learning, working, and liv2 ing environment for students, employees, and the 

3 public. 

4 SEC. 6. FACILITIES AND CAPITAL PROJECTS. 

5 From amounts made available under section 8(c), the 

6 Dine ́ College may undertake any renovations and repairs 

7 to the infrastructure of the College identified in the sur8 vey, study, and report carried out under section 9. 

9 SEC. 7. STATUS OF FUNDS. 

10 Funds provided under this Act to the Dine ́ College 

11 may be treated as non-Federal, private funds of the Col12 lege for purposes of any provision of Federal law which 

13 requires that non-Federal or private funds of the College 

14 be used in a project for a specific purpose. 

15 SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

16 (a) IN GENERAL.—There are hereby authorized to be 

17 appropriated to the Dine ́ College, for each fiscal year, such 

18 sums as may be necessary to pay for the operation and 

19 maintenance of the College. 

20 (b) BUDGET PLACEMENT.—The Secretary shall fund 

21 the operation and maintenance of the Dine ́ College sepa22 rately from tribal colleges and universities recognized and 

23 funded by the Tribally Controlled College or University 

24 Assistance Act of 1978 (25 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.). 


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1 (c) FACILITIES AND CAPITAL PROJECTS.—In addi2 tion to amounts appropriated under subsection (a), there 

3 are authorized to be appropriated $7,500,000, for each fis4 cal year, to carry out section 6. 

5 SEC. 9. SURVEY, STUDY, AND REPORT. 

6 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall conduct a de7 tailed survey and study of all capital projects and facility 

8 needs of the Dine ́ College, and shall report the results of 

9 such survey and study to the appropriate committees of 

10 Congress not later than October 31, 2016. Such report 

11 shall include recommendations by the Secretary and any 

12 recommendations or views submitted by the College and 

13 the Navajo Nation regarding the capital projects and facil14 ity needs of the College. 

15 (b) INVENTORY.—Not later than January 31, 2016, 

16 an inventory prepared by Dine ́ College identifying repairs, 

17 alterations, and renovations to facilities required to meet 

18 health and safety standards and other factors shall be sub19 mitted to the Secretary. The Secretary shall use the inven20 tory as baseline data to inform the survey, study, and re21 port required under subsection (a). 

22 (c) ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES.—Funds to carry 

23 out this section may be drawn from general administrative 

24 appropriations to the Secretary. 


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1 SEC. 10. SUPERSESSION OF NAVAJO COMMUNITY COLLEGE 

2 ACT. 

3 This Act supersedes— 

4 (1) the Navajo Community College Act (Public 

5 Law 92–189; 25 U.S.C., 640a et seq.); 

6 (2) the Navajo Community College Assistance 

7 Act of 1978 (Public Law 95–471, 92 Stat. 1325, 

8 1329); and 

9 (3) the Navajo Nation Higher Education Act of 

10 2010 (Public Law 110–315, 122 Stat. 3468). 

11 SEC. 11. CONTINUING ELIGIBILITY FOR OTHER FEDERAL 

12 FUNDS. 

13 Except as explicitly provided for in other Federal law, 

14 nothing in this Act shall preclude the eligibility of the Dine ́

15 College to received Federal funding and resources under 

16 any program authorized under the Higher Education Act 

17 of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001 et seq.), the Equity in Edu18 cational Land Grant Status Act (Title V, Part C, of Public 

19 Law 103–382; 7 U.S.C. 301 note), or any other applicable 

20 program for the benefit of institutions of higher education, 

21 community colleges, or postsecondary educational institu22 tions. 

Æ 


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