Durbin Feeling Native American Languages Act of 2022
Bill: S.1402 | Sponsor: Sen. Schatz, Brian (D-HI)
Policy area: Native Americans

Summary:
Durbin Feeling Native American Languages Act of 2022
This act directs the President to review whether federal agencies are in compliance with requirements to promote the use of Native American languages and make recommendations to improve interagency coordination to support the use of these languages. It also requires the Administration for Native Americans to survey the use of Native American languages in the United States.

[117th Congress Public Law 337]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



[[Page 136 STAT. 6153]]

Public Law 117-337
117th Congress

                                 An Act


 
 To amend the Native American Languages Act to ensure the survival and 
    continuing vitality of Native American languages, and for other 
             purposes. <<NOTE: Jan. 5, 2023 -  [S. 1402]>> 

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, <<NOTE: Durbin Feeling 
Native American Languages Act of 2022.>> 
SECTION 1. <<NOTE: 25 USC 2901 note.>>  SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Durbin Feeling Native American 
Languages Act of 2022''.
SEC. 2. ENSURING THE SURVIVAL AND CONTINUING VITALITY OF NATIVE 
                    AMERICAN LANGUAGES.

    (a) In General.--Section 106 of the Native American Languages Act 
(25 U.S.C. 2905) is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(c) <<NOTE: President.>> Evaluation; Report.--Not later than 1 
year after the date of enactment of this subsection, the President 
shall--
            ``(1) <<NOTE: Requirements.>>  require the heads of the 
        various Federal departments, agencies, and instrumentalities to 
        carry out an evaluation described in subsection (a)(1); and
            ``(2) submit to Congress a report that describes--
                    ``(A) the results of the evaluations; and
                    ``(B) the recommendations of the Secretary of the 
                Interior, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, 
                and the Secretary of Education, after consultation with 
                Indian tribes, traditional leaders, and representatives 
                of Native American language communities, for amendments 
                to Federal laws that are needed--
                          ``(i) to bring the Federal laws into 
                      compliance with this Act;
                          ``(ii) to improve interagency coordination for 
                      purposes of supporting revitalization, 
                      maintenance, and use of Native American languages; 
                      and
                          ``(iii) to reduce duplication, inefficiencies, 
                      and barriers Native American language communities 
                      face in accessing Federal programs to support 
                      efforts to revitalize, maintain, or increase the 
                      use of Native American languages.''.

    (b) Survey on Native American Languages.--The Native American 
Languages Act (25 U.S.C. 2901 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end 
the following:
``SEC. 108. <<NOTE: 25 USC 2907.>>  SURVEY ON NATIVE AMERICAN 
                        LANGUAGES.

    ``(a) In General.-- <<NOTE: Deadline.>> Not later than 18 months 
after the date of enactment of this section, and every 5 years 
thereafter, the

[[Page 136 STAT. 6154]]

Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Commissioner 
of the Administration for Native Americans (referred to in this section 
as the `Secretary'), shall undertake a survey of the use of all Native 
American languages in the United States.

    ``(b) Updates.--Prior to conducting each subsequent survey after the 
initial survey under subsection (a), the Secretary shall update the 
survey in accordance with this section.
    ``(c) Consultation Required.--The Secretary shall design the initial 
survey under subsection (a) and each updated survey under subsection 
(b)--
            ``(1) in consultation with Indian tribes; and
            ``(2) after considering feedback received from Native 
        American language speakers and experts.

    ``(d) Contents.--Each survey under subsection (a) shall solicit--
            ``(1) information on which Native American languages are 
        currently spoken;
            ``(2) estimates of the number of speakers of each Native 
        American language;
            ``(3) any language usage statistics or information that the 
        Secretary, in consultation with Indian tribes and Native 
        American language speakers and experts, determines to be 
        relevant and appropriate;
            ``(4) information on the types of Native American language 
        maintenance and revitalization projects and practices that are 
        currently being carried out;
            ``(5) information on any unmet Native American language 
        resource needs of Indian tribes and Native American language 
        communities; and
            ``(6) any other information that the Secretary, in 
        consultation with Indian tribes and Native American language 
        speakers and experts, determines to be necessary.

    ``(e) <<NOTE: Contracts.>>  Coordination.--The Secretary may 
coordinate, and enter into cooperative agreements with, the Director of 
the Bureau of the Census for the purposes of carrying out this section.

    ``(f) Outreach and Engagement.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall carry out outreach 
        and engagement activities to provide Indian tribes, Native 
        American language communities, and the public information 
        about--
                    ``(A) opportunities to provide input on the 
                development and design of each survey under subsection 
                (a), including information on the consultations required 
                under subsection (c);
                    ``(B) the goals and purpose of the surveys conducted 
                under subsection (a); and
                    ``(C) the benefits and importance of participation 
                in surveys under subsection (a).
            ``(2) Grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements 
        authorized.--The Secretary may carry out the outreach and 
        engagement activities required under paragraph (1)--
                    ``(A) directly;
                    ``(B) in partnership with the Bureau of the Census; 
                or
                    ``(C) through grants to, or contracts or cooperative 
                agreements with--
                          ``(i) Indian tribes;

[[Page 136 STAT. 6155]]

                          ``(ii) tribal organizations; and
                          ``(iii) nonprofit organizations that work with 
                      Indian tribes, Native American language programs, 
                      and Native American language communities.

    ``(g) Limitation.--Nothing in this section requires an Indian tribe, 
Native American language community, or Native American language 
speaker--
            ``(1) to participate in a survey under subsection (a); or
            ``(2) to provide specific or culturally sensitive 
        information in completing such a survey.

    ``(h) Availability of Survey Materials and Findings.--
            ``(1) In general. <<NOTE: Deadline. Public information.>> --
        Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this 
        section, and prior to conducting each survey under subsection 
        (a), the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Indian 
        Affairs of the Senate and the Committees on Education and Labor 
        and Natural Resources of the House of Representatives, and make 
        publicly available, a description of--
                    ``(A) the feedback received under subsection (c) on 
                the design of the survey;
                    ``(B) the form and content of the survey;
                    ``(C) the plan for deploying the survey to ensure a 
                robust response; and
                    ``(D) how the Secretary will ensure any survey 
                enumeration efforts are culturally informed and 
                appropriate.
            ``(2) <<NOTE: Deadline. Public information.>>  Results.--Not 
        later than 90 days after the date on which analysis of each 
        survey under subsection (a) is completed, the Secretary shall 
        submit to the Committee on Indian Affairs of the Senate and the 
        Committees on Education and Labor and Natural Resources of the 
        House of Representatives, and make publicly available, the 
        results of the survey.

    ``(i) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $1,500,000 for each fiscal year--
            ``(1) preceding a fiscal year during which a survey under 
        subsection (a) is conducted; and
            ``(2) during which a survey under that subsection is 
        conducted.''.

    Approved January 5, 2023.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--S. 1402:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

SENATE REPORTS: No. 117-45 (Comm. on Indian Affairs).
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 168 (2022):
            Dec. 19, considered and passed Senate.
            Dec. 21, 22, considered and passed House.

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