Native American Languages Act of 1991
PL 102-524 (S.2044), enacted 10/26/1992

106 STAT. 3434 
PUBLIC LAW 102-524—OCT. 26, 1992 
Public Law 102-524 
102d Congress 
An Act 
Oct. 26, 1992 
[S. 2044] 
Native 
American 
Languages Act 
of 1992. 
42 use 2991 
note. 
42 use 2991b-3. 
To assist Native Americans in assuring the survival and continuing vitality of 
their languages. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act, other than section 4, may be cited as the "Native 
American Languages Act of 1992". 
SEC. 2. GRANT PROGRAM. 
The Native American Programs Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 2991 
et seq.) is amended by inserting before section 804 the following: 
"SEC. 803C. GRANT PROGRAM TO ENSURE THE SURVIVAL AND CON-
TINUING VITALITY OF NATIVE AMERICAN LANGUAGES. 
"(a) AUTHORITY To AWARD GRANTS.—The Secretary shall award 
a grant to any agency or organization that is— 
"(1) eligible for financial assistance under section 803(a); 
and 
"(2) selected under subsection (c); * 
to be used to assist Native Americans in ensuring the survival 
and continuing vitality of Native American languages. 
"(b) PURPOSES FOR WHICH GRANTS MAY BE USED.—The pur-
E
oses for which each grant awarded under subsection (a) may 
e used include, but are not limited to— 
"(1) the establishment and support of a community Native 
American language project to bring older and younger Native 
Americans together to facilitate and encourage the transfer 
of Native American language skills from one generation to 
another; 
"(2) the establishment of a project to train Native Ameri-
cans to teach a Native AmericEin language to others or to 
enable them to serve as interpreters or translators of such 
language; 
"(3) the development, printing, and dissemination of mate-
rials to be used for the teaching and enhancement of a Native 
American language; 
"(4) the establishment or support of a project to train 
Native Americans to produce or participate in a television or 
radio program to be broadcast in a Native American language; 
"(5) the compilation, transcription, and analysis of oral 
testimony to record and preserve a Native American language; 
and 
"(6) the purchase of equipment (including audio and video 
recording equipment, computers, and software) required to con-
duct a Native American language project. 
"(c) APPLICATIONS.—For the purpose of making grants under 
subsection (a), the Secretary shall select applicants from among 
agencies and organizations described in such subsection on the 
PUBLIC LAW 102-524—OCT. 26, 1992 
106 STAT. 3435 
basis of applications submitted to the Secretary at such time, in 
such form, and containing such information as the Secretary shall 
require, but each application shall include at a minimum— 
"(1) a detailed description of the current status of the 
Native American language to be addressed by the project for 
which a grant under subsection (a) is requested, including 
a description of existing programs and projects, if any, in sup-
port of such language; 
"(2) a detailed description of the project for which such 
grant is requested; 
"(3) a statement of objectives that are consonant with the 
purpose described in subsection (a); 
"(4) a detailed description of a plan to be carried out 
by the applicant to evaluate such project, consonant with the 
purpose for which such grant is made; 
"(5) if appropriat<j, an identification of opportunities for 
the replication of such project or the modification of such project 
for use by other Native Americans; and 
"(6) a plan for the preservation of the products of the 
Native American language project for the benefit of future 
generations of Native Americans and other interested persons. 
"(d) PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS.—If a tribal organization 
or other eligible applicant decides that the objectives of its proposed 
Native American language project would be accomplished more 
effectively through a partnership arrangement with a school, col-
lege, or university, the applicant shall identify such school, college, 
or university as a participating organization in the application 
submitted under subsection (c). 
^ 
"(e) LIMITATIONS ON FtrNoiNG.— 
"(1) SHARE.—Notwithstanding any other provision of this 
title, a grant made under subsection (a) may not be expended 
to pay more than 80 percent of the cost of the project that 
is assisted by such grant. Not less than 20 percent of such 
cost— 
"(A) shall be in cash or in kind, fairly evaluated, includ-
ing plant, equipment, or services; and 
"(B)(i) may be provided from any private or non-Federal 
source; and 
"(ii) may include funds (including interest) distributed 
to a tribe— 
"(I) by the Federal Government pursuant to the 
satisfaction of a claim made under Federal law; 
"(II) from funds collected and administered by the 
Federal Grovernment on behalf of such tribe or its 
constituent members; or 
"(III) by the Federal Government for general tribal 
administration or tribal development under a formula 
or subject to a tribal budgeting priority system, such 
as, but not limited to, funds involved in the settlement 
of land or other judgment claims, severance or other 
royalty payments, or pa3nnents under the Indian Self-
Determination Act (25 U.S.C. 450f et seq.) or tribal 
budget priority system. 
"(2) DURATION.—^The Secretary may make grants made 
under subsection (a) on a 1-year, 2-year, or 3-year basis. 
"(f) ADMINISTRATION.—(1) The Secretary shall carry out this 
section through the Administration for Native Americans. 
106 STAT. 3436 
PUBLIC LAW 102-524—OCT. 26, 1992 
"(2)(A) Not later than 180 days after the effective date of 
this section, the Secretary shall appoint a panel of experts for 
the purpose of assisting the Secretary to review— 
"(i) applications submitted under subsection (a); 
"(ii) evEiluations carried out to comply with subsection (c)(4); 
and 
"(iii) the preservation of products required by subsection 
, 
(0(5). 
"(B) Such panel shall include, but not be limited to— 
"(i) a designee of the Institute of American Indian and 
Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development; 
"(ii) a designee of the regional centers funded under section 
5135 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 3215); 
"(iii) representatives of national, tribal, and regional 
organizations that focus on Native American language, or 
Native American cultural, research, development, or training; 
and 
"(iv) other individuals who are recognized for their expertise 
in the area of Native American language. 
Recommendations for appointment to such panel shall be solicited 
from Indian tribes and tribal organizations. 
"(C) The duties of such panel include— 
"(i) making recommendations regarding the development 
and implementation of regulations, policies, procedures, Eind 
rules of general applicability with respect to the administration 
of this section; 
"(ii) reviewing applications received under subsection (c); 
"(iii) providing to the Secretary a list of recommendations 
for the approval of such applications— 
"(I) in accordance with regulations issued by the Sec-
retary; and 
"(II) the relative need for the project; and 
"(iv) reviewing evaluations submitted to comply with sub-
section (c)(4). 
"(D)(i) Subject to clause (ii), a copy of the products of the 
Native American language project for which a grant is made under 
subsection (a)— 
"(I) shall be transmitted to the Institute of American Indian 
and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development; and 
"(II) may be transmitted, in the discretion of the grantee, 
to national and regional repositories of similar material; 
for preservation and use consonant with their respective responsibil-
ities under other Federal law. 
"(ii) Based on the Federal recognition of the sovereign authority 
of Indian tribes over all aspects of their cultures and language 
and except as provided in clause (iii), an Indian tribe may make 
a determination— 
"(I) not to transmit copies of such products under clause 
(i) or not to permit the redistribution of such copies; or 
"(II) to restrict in any msumer the use or redistribution 
of such copies after transmission under such clause, 
"(iii) Clause (ii) shall not be construed to authorize Indian 
tribes— 
"(I) to limit the access of the Secretary to such products 
for purposes of administering this section or evaluating such 
products; or 
^ ; 
PUBLIC LAW 102-524—OCT. 26, 1992 
106 STAT. 3437 
"(II) to sell such products, or copies of such products, for 
profit to the entities referred to in clause (i).". 
SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
Section 816 of the Native American Programs Act of 1974 
(42 U.S.C. 2992d) is amended— 
(1) by inserting "803C" after "803A" each place it appears; 
and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
"(f) There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out section 
803C, $2,000,000 for fiscal year 1993 and such sums as may be 
necessary for fiscal years 1994,1995, 1996, and 1997.", 
SEC. 4. NATIVE AMERICANS EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE ACT. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This section may be cited as the "Native 
Americans Educational Assistance Act". 
(b) AGREEMENT TO CARRY OUT DEMONSTRATION PROJECT,— 
The Secretary of the Interior is authorized to enter into an agree-
ment with a nonprofit captioning agency engaged in manufacturing 
and distributing captioning decoders, for the purpose of carrying 
out a demonstration project to determine the effectiveness of cap-
tioned educational materials as an educational tool in schools oper-
ated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. 
(c) REPORT.—Prior to the expiration of the 12-month period 
following the date of the agreement entered into pursuant to sub-
section (b), the Secretary of the Interior shall report to the Congress 
the results of the demonstration project carried out pursuant to 
such agreement, together with recommendations of the Secretary. 
(d) AUTHORIZATION.—There are authorized to be appropriated 
such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section. 
Approved October 26, 1992. 
Native 
Americans 
Educational 
Assistance Act. 
25 u s e 2001 
note. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—S. 2044: 
SENATE REPORTS: No. 102-343 (Select Comm. on Indian Affairs). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 138 (1992): 
Aug. 5, considered and passed Senate. 
Oct. 2, considered and passed House, amended. 
Oct. 5, Senate concurred in House amendment. 
WEEKLY COMPILATION OF PRESIDENTIAL DOCUMENTS, Vol. 28 (1992): 
Oct. 26, Presidential statement.