Title
AN ACT AMENDING TITLE 31 OF THE CHEROKEE NATION CODE ANNOTATED - THE DURBIN FEELING LANGUAGE PRESERVATION ACT - 2024 PERMANENT REAUTHORIZATION
Body
BE IT ENACTED BY THE CHEROKEE NATION:
Section 1. Title and Codification
This legislative Act shall be codified in Title 31, Chapter 5 of the Cherokee Nation Code and be known as the amendment of Legislative Act 04-24 Durbin Feeling Language Preservation Act - 2024 Permanent Reauthorization and alternatively know as the "Durbin Feeling Language Act of 2019, as amended."
Section 2. Findings
The Council of the Cherokee Nation finds that a crisis exists within the Cherokee Nation with respect to language preservation. The Council finds that the Durbin Feeling Language Preservation Act of 2019 (LA 19-19) resulted in historic investments into efforts to address this crisis and yielded substantial progress towards language revitalization. The Council finds that the Durbin Feeling Language Preservation Act, funding authorizations under which expire on September 30, 2024, should be permanently reauthorized and expanded to set forth the basic policy and programs of the Cherokee Nation as it relates to Cherokee language revitalization, set a minimum funding authorization, encouraging budget increases over time, measure results and increase program accountability and to enhance the oversight of the Council on these subjects.
In the 2026 amendments, the Council further finds that, in order to continue the substantial progress yielded by the historic investments authorized under the Durbin Feeling Language Act and the Durbin Feeling Language Act - 2024 Permanent Reauthorization, the capability of the Cherokee Nation to measure the effectiveness of authorized programs and to increase program accountability should be expanded. The Council finds that such expansion, as it relates to all Language Immersion Education Programs, should include the establishment of a third-party review with an ann...
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