---
kind: "section"
citation: "20 U.S.C. § 7457"
title: "20"
title_heading: "Education"
number: "7457"
heading: "Native American language resource centers"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/20/7457"
units:
  - "Chapter 70 — Strengthening and Improvement of Elementary and Secondary Schools"
  - "Subchapter VI — Indian, Native Hawaiian, and Alaska Native Education"
  - "Part A — Indian Education"
  - "Subpart 3 — national activities"
---

# §7457. Native American language resource centers

- (a) **Purpose—** The purpose of this Act is to further align the resources provided by the [Department](/usc/20/7801.md?p=13) of Education with the policies set forth in the Native American Languages Act ([25 U.S.C. 2901](/usc/25/2901.md) et seq.) through establishment of a program within the [Department](/usc/20/7801.md?p=13) of Education to support 1 or more [Native American language](/usc/20/7801.md?p=34) resource centers.
- (b) **In general—** The [Secretary](/usc/20/7801.md?p=46) of Education is authorized to make a grant to, or enter into a contract with, an [eligible entity](/usc/20/6631.md?p=b-1) for the purpose of—
  - (1) establishing, strengthening, and operating a [Native American language](/usc/20/7801.md?p=34) resource center; and
  - (2) staffing the center with individuals with relevant expertise and experience, including staff who speak American [Indian](/usc/20/7491.md?p=3) and [Alaska Native](/usc/20/7546.md?p=1) languages and the [Native Hawaiian language](/usc/20/7517.md?p=5) and have worked in language education in the American [Indian](/usc/20/7491.md?p=3) and [Alaska Native](/usc/20/7546.md?p=1) languages and the [Native Hawaiian language](/usc/20/7517.md?p=5) in a preschool, [elementary school](/usc/20/7801.md?p=19), [secondary school](/usc/20/7801.md?p=45), [adult](/usc/20/7491.md?p=1) education, or higher education program.
- (c) **Authorized activities—** The [Native American language](/usc/20/7801.md?p=34) resource center established under [subsection (b)](#b) shall carry out activities to—
  - (1) improve the capacity to teach and learn [Native American languages](/usc/20/7801.md?p=34);
  - (2) further [Native American language](/usc/20/7801.md?p=34) use and acquisition;
  - (3) preserve, protect, and promote the rights and freedom of [Native Americans](/usc/20/7801.md?p=34) to use, practice, and develop [Native American languages](/usc/20/7801.md?p=34) in furtherance of—
    - (A) the policies set forth in the Native American Languages Act ([25 U.S.C. 2901](/usc/25/2901.md) et seq.); and
    - (B) the United States trust responsibility to [Native American](/usc/20/7801.md?p=34) communities;
  - (4) address the effects of past discrimination and ongoing inequities experienced by [Native American language](/usc/20/7801.md?p=34) speakers;
  - (5) support the revitalization and reclamation of [Native American languages](/usc/20/7801.md?p=34); and
  - (6) support the use of [Native American languages](/usc/20/7801.md?p=34) as a medium of instruction for a wide variety of age levels, academic content areas, and types of schools, including [Native American language](/usc/20/7801.md?p=34) medium education.
- (d) **Additional authorized activities—** The [Native American language](/usc/20/7801.md?p=34) resource center established under [subsection (b)](#b) may also carry out activities—
  - (1) to encourage and support the use of [Native American languages](/usc/20/7801.md?p=34) within educational systems in the same manner as other world languages, including by encouraging [State educational agencies](/usc/20/7801.md?p=49), [local educational agencies](/usc/20/7801.md?p=30-A), and institutions of higher education to offer [Native American language](/usc/20/7801.md?p=34) 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](/usc/20/7801.md?p=34) of instruction, including assessments, qualifications, and processes based on promising practices in [Native American language](/usc/20/7801.md?p=34) medium education;
  - (3) to provide assistance to [Native American language](/usc/20/7801.md?p=34) programs seeking Federal resources;
  - (4) to encourage and support teacher preparation programs that prepare teachers to teach [Native American languages](/usc/20/7801.md?p=34) and to use [Native American languages](/usc/20/7801.md?p=34) 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](/usc/20/7801.md?p=34) in [Native American](/usc/20/7801.md?p=34) communities, including use in educational institutions; and
    - (B) for the use of [technology](/usc/20/7801.md?p=50) in school and community-based [Native American language](/usc/20/7801.md?p=34) programs to support the retention, use, and teaching of [Native American languages](/usc/20/7801.md?p=34);
  - (6) to support the use of [distance learning](/usc/20/7801.md?p=14) [technologies](/usc/20/7801.md?p=50) and training for [parents](/usc/20/7801.md?p=38), students, teachers, and learning support staff associated with [Native American language](/usc/20/7801.md?p=34) programs, including—
    - (A) the compilation and curation of digital libraries and other online resources for [Native American languages](/usc/20/7801.md?p=34), except that any materials collected by the center shall only be materials provided by a [Native American language](/usc/20/7801.md?p=34) program or [Native American](/usc/20/7801.md?p=34) community;
    - (B) the development of optional [distance learning](/usc/20/7801.md?p=14) curricula appropriate for preschool, [elementary school](/usc/20/7801.md?p=19), [secondary school](/usc/20/7801.md?p=45), [adult](/usc/20/7491.md?p=1) education, and postsecondary education;
    - (C) pedagogical training for [Native American language](/usc/20/7801.md?p=34) teachers; and
    - (D) other efforts necessary to continue [Native American language](/usc/20/7801.md?p=34) acquisition through [distance learning](/usc/20/7801.md?p=14);
  - (7) to provide technical assistance for [Native American](/usc/20/7801.md?p=34) communities and school systems to develop [Native American language](/usc/20/7801.md?p=34) medium education programs in preschool, [elementary school](/usc/20/7801.md?p=19), [secondary school](/usc/20/7801.md?p=45), or [adult](/usc/20/7491.md?p=1) education programs conducted through the medium of [Native American languages](/usc/20/7801.md?p=34);
  - (8) to support [Native American language](/usc/20/7801.md?p=34) programs and [Native American](/usc/20/7801.md?p=34) 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](/usc/20/7801.md?p=34) speakers, to provide [professional development](/usc/20/7801.md?p=42), and to improve [Native American language](/usc/20/7801.md?p=34) instruction through preservice and in-service language training for teachers; and
  - (10) that otherwise support the [Native American language](/usc/20/7801.md?p=34) resource center established under [subsection (b)](#b) to carry out the activities required in [subsection (c)](#c).
- (e) **Definitions—** In this section:
  - (1) **ESEA definitions—** The terms “[elementary school](/usc/20/7801.md?p=19)”, “[local educational agency](/usc/20/7801.md?p=30-A)”, “[secondary school](/usc/20/7801.md?p=45)”, and “[State educational agency](/usc/20/7801.md?p=49)” have the meanings given the terms in [section 7801 of this title](/usc/20/7801.md).
  - (2) **Eligible entity—** The term “[eligible entity](/usc/20/6631.md?p=b-1)” means—
    - (A) an [institution of higher education](/usc/20/7801.md?p=29);
    - (B) an entity within an [institution of higher education](/usc/20/7801.md?p=29) with dedicated expertise in [Native American language](/usc/20/7801.md?p=34) 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)](#e-2-B).
  - (3) **Institution of higher education—** The term “[institution of higher education](/usc/20/7801.md?p=29)” has the meaning given the term in [section 1001 of this title](/usc/20/1001.md).
  - (4) **Native American; Native American language—** The terms “[Native American](/usc/20/7801.md?p=34)” and “[Native American language](/usc/20/7801.md?p=34)” have the meanings given those terms in section 103 of the Native American Languages Act ([25 U.S.C. 2902](/usc/25/2902.md)).
- (f) **Authorization of appropriations—** There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section, $3,000,000 for each fiscal year.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 117–335, § 2, Jan. 5, 2023, 136 Stat. 6143.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

This Act, referred to in subsec. (a), is Pub. L. 117–335, Jan. 5, 2023, 136 Stat. 6143, known as the Native American Language Resource Center Act of 2022, which enacted this section and provisions set out as a note under section 6301 of this title.

The Native American Languages Act, referred to in subsecs. (a) and (c)(3)(A), is title I of Pub. L. 101–477, Oct. 30, 1990, 104 Stat. 1153, which is classified generally to chapter 31 (§ 2901 et seq.) of Title 25, Indians. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 2901 of Title 25 and Tables.

### Codification

Section was enacted as part of the Native American Language Resource Center Act of 2022, and not as part of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 which comprises this chapter.