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S. 4886Senate116th Congress (2019-2021)In Committee

Durbin Feeling Native American Languages Act of 2020

Sponsored by Tom UdallSen. Tom Udall (D-NM)
Introduced November 10, 2020

AI-Generated Summary

Updated April 14, 2026 at 3:47 PM UTC

The Durbin Feeling Native American Languages Act of 2020 updates the existing Native American Languages Act to strengthen federal support for preserving and revitalizing Native American languages. It directs the President to have federal agencies assess their language programs and report recommendations to Congress, and it creates a recurring, government‑run survey to collect detailed data on language use, speaker numbers, and community needs. The bill also funds these activities and ensures tribal input and public transparency.

Key Provisions

  • Requires the President, within one year, to have all federal agencies evaluate how they support Native American language revitalization and to submit a report to Congress with recommendations for law changes, better inter‑agency coordination, and removal of barriers.
  • Mandates the Secretary of Health and Human Services, through the Administration for Native Americans, to conduct a nationwide survey of Native American language use within one year of enactment and every five years thereafter.
  • The survey must be designed with input from tribes, language speakers, and experts, and must collect data on which languages are spoken, speaker numbers, revitalization projects, unmet resource needs, and other relevant information.
  • Requires outreach and engagement activities—directly or via grants/agreements with tribes and nonprofit partners—to inform communities about the survey and encourage participation, while making participation voluntary and protecting culturally sensitive information.
  • Calls for the survey design, methodology, and results to be reported to the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs and the House Committee on Natural Resources and made publicly available, with results posted within 90 days of survey completion.
  • Authorizes $1.5 million in annual funding for each fiscal year before and during a survey year to cover survey costs.

Legislative Activity

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SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.

Indian Affairs Committee

November 10, 2020

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

November 10, 2020

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.

Indian Affairs Committee

November 10, 2020

Bill Text

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Introduced in SenateIssued November 10, 2020

II

116th CONGRESS

2d Session

S. 4886

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

November 10, 2020

Mr. Udall (for himself and Ms. Murkowski) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs

A BILL

To amend the Native American Languages Act to ensure the survival and continuing vitality of Native American languages, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Durbin Feeling Native American Languages Act of 2020.

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)

Evaluation; report

Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this subsection, the President shall—

(1)

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:

108.

Survey on Native American languages

(a)

In general

Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this section, and every 5 years thereafter, the 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 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 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)

Outreach and engagement

(1)

In general

The Secretary shall carry out outreach and engagement activities to provide Indian tribes, Native 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; or

(B)

through grants to, or contracts or cooperative agreements with—

(i)

Indian tribes;

(ii)

tribal organizations; and

(iii)

nonprofit organizations that work with Indian tribes, Native American language programs, and Native American language communities.

(f)

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.

(g)

Availability of survey materials and findings

(1)

In general

Not later than 270 days 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 Committee on 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)

Results

Not later than 90 days after the date on which each survey under subsection (a) is completed, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Indian Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives, and make publicly available, the results of the survey.

(h)

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.

.