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Building upon Unique Indian Learning and Development Act

Introduced: June 11, 2013 See on congress.gov
This bill died when the 113th Congress ended
It never became law before the 113th Congress (2013–2014) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 2 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Jun 11, 2013
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.
Jun 11, 2013
Introduced in Senate
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 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Building upon Unique Indian Learning and Development Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to establish an in-school facility innovation program contest to encourage institutions of higher education (IHEs) to solve the problem of how to improve Indian school facilities for problem-based learning.

Requires the Secretary of Education (Secretary) and the Secretary of the Interior to establish a Department of the Interior and Department of Education Joint Oversight Board to coordinate Indian education policies and assistance.

Amends part A (Indian Education) of title VII (Indian, Native Hawaiian, and Alaska Native Education) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to establish a program awarding grants to local educational agencies (LEAs), IHEs, or nonprofit organizations to create or expand teacher and administrator pipelines for teachers and administrators of Native American students.

Amends the school improvement program, under part A of title I of the ESEA, to require states to develop standards-based assessments and classroom lessons that accommodate diverse learning styles.

Directs: (1) the Secretary to expand programs for Native American school children to support learning in the children's Native language and culture and provide English language instruction, and (2) the Comptroller General to conduct research on culture- and language-based education to identify the factors that improve education and health outcomes.

Excepts Native language teachers from the requirement that teachers be highly qualified. Requires states, in collaboration with Indian tribes or Tribal Colleges and Universities, to develop an alternative licensure or certification process for those teachers.

Directs the Commissioner of the Administration for Native Americans in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a program providing grants to public and nonprofit private agencies to assist Native Americans in ensuring the survival and continuing vitality of Native American languages.

Requires Department of Education assistance programs for elementary and secondary schools or early learning programs to reserve at least 0.5% of their funding for Indian elementary and secondary schools or early learning programs.

Requires the Secretary to: (1) establish a program to improve school environments and student skill development for healthy choices for Native American students, (2) establish a program for school dropout prevention for Native American students, and (3) collaborate with the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to establish tribal-school specific school gardens and nutrition programs that are within the tribal cultural context.

Authorizes and appropriates additional funds for the Impact Aid program, under title VIII of the ESEA, through FY2016. (The Impact Aid program compensates LEAs for the financial burden of federal activities affecting their school districts.)

Authorizes appropriations for FY2014, for use through FY2015, for: (1) the tribally controlled postsecondary career and technical institutions program under the Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities Assistance Act of 1978; (2) the Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development; (3) institutional operations grants for the Haskell Indian Nations University and Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute under the Snyder Act; and (4) scholarships and adult education and special higher education scholarships under the Snyder Act.

What's happening now June 11, 2013

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.

 Related & companion bills 1
 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 1131: Building upon Unique Indian Learning and Development Act. 113th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/113-S-1131/
MLA
"S. 1131: Building upon Unique Indian Learning and Development Act." 113th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/113-S-1131/.
Bluebook (legal)
S. 1131, 113th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/113-S-1131/.
Markdown link
[S. 1131: Building upon Unique Indian Learning and Development Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/113-S-1131/)
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