175 
cation policies, access to and eligibility for Federal re-
sources, and budget and school leadership development, 
and other issues, as appropriate. 
SEC. 306. FEASIBILITY STUDY TO TRANSFER BUREAU OF 
INDIAN EDUCATION TO DEPARTMENT OF 
EDUCATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the 
date of enactment of this section, the Government Ac-
countability Office shall carry out a study that examines 
the feasibility of transferring the Bureau of Indian Edu-
cation from the Department of the Interior to the Depart-
ment of Education. 
(b) CONTENTS.—The study shall include an assess-
ment of the impacts of a transfer described in subsection 
(a) on— 
(1) affected students; 
(2) affected faculty, staff, and other employees; 
(3) the organizational and operating structure 
of the Bureau of Indian Education; 
(4) applicable Federal laws, including laws re-
lating to Indian preference; and 
(5) intergovernmental agreements. 
SEC. 307. TRIBAL SELF-GOVERNANCE FEASIBILITY STUDY. 
(a) STUDY.—The Secretary of Education shall con-
duct a study to determine the feasibility of entering into 
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self-governance compacts and contracts with Indian tribal 
governments who wish to operate public schools that re-
side within their lands. 
(b) CONSIDERATIONS.—In conducting the study de-
scribed in subsection (a), the Secretary of Education shall 
consider the feasibility of— 
(1) assigning and paying to an Indian tribe all 
expenditures for the provision of services and related 
administration funds that the Secretary would other-
wise pay to a State educational agency and a local 
educational agency for 1 or more public schools lo-
cated on the Indian lands of such Indian tribe; 
(2) providing assistance to Indian tribes in de-
veloping capacity to administer all programs and 
services that are currently under the jurisdiction of 
the State educational agency or local educational 
agency; and 
(3) authorizing the Secretary to treat an Indian 
tribe as a State for the purposes of carrying out pro-
grams and services funded by the Secretary that are 
currently under the jurisdiction of the State. 
(c) REPORT.—Not later than 2 years after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Education 
shall submit, to the Committee on Indian Affairs and the 
Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions of 
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the Senate and the Education and the Workforce Com-
mittee of the House of Representatives, a report that in-
cludes— 
(1) the results of the study conducted under 
subsection (a); 
(2) a summary of any consultation that oc-
curred between the Secretary and Indian tribes in 
conducting this study; 
(3) projected costs and savings associated with 
the Department of Education entering into self-gov-
ernance contracts and compacts with Indian tribes, 
and any estimated impact on programs and services 
described in paragraphs (2) and (3) of subsection 
(a) in relation to probable costs and savings; and 
(4) legislative actions that would be required to 
authorize the Secretary to enter into self-governance 
compacts and contracts with Indian tribes to provide 
such programs and services. 
(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) INDIAN TRIBE.—The term ‘‘Indian Tribe’’ 
means any Indian tribe, band, nation, other orga-
nized group or community, including any Native vil-
lage or Regional Corporation or Village Corporation 
as defined in or established pursuant to the Alaska 
Native Claims Settlement Act, that is recognized as 
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eligible for the special programs and services pro-
vided by the United States to Indians because of 
their status as Indians. 
(2) INDIAN LANDS.—The term ‘‘Indian lands’’ 
has the meaning given that term in section 8013 of 
the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 7713). 
SEC. 308. ESTABLISHMENT OF CENTER FOR INDIGENOUS 
EXCELLENCE. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The 
term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ shall have the 
meaning given such term in section 101 of the High-
er Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001). 
(2) NATIVE AMERICAN AND NATIVE AMERICAN 
LANGUAGE.—The terms ‘‘Native American’’ and 
‘‘Native American language’’ shall have the mean-
ings given such terms in section 103 of the Native 
American Languages Act (25 U.S.C. 2902). 
(3) NATIVE AMERICAN LANGUAGE NESTS AND 
SURVIVAL SCHOOLS.—The terms ‘‘Native American 
language nest’’ and ‘‘Native American language sur-
vival school’’ shall have the meanings given such 
terms in section 803C(b)(7) of the Native American 
Programs Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 2991b–3). 
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