Description:
S. 1402 would require the Department of Health and Human Services to conduct a survey every five years on the use of Native American languages in the United States. The bill would authorize the appropriation of $1.5 million in each survey year and in each year prior to the survey. The bill also would require federal agencies, including the Departments of the Interior, Education, and Health and Human Services, to consult with Indian tribes to evaluate their policies and procedures regarding Native American languages. Within a year, those agencies would need to report to the Congress with legislative recommendations. For this estimate, CBO assumes that S. 1402 will be enacted before the end of calendar year 2021. Based on the timeline specified in the bill, CBO expects that the first survey on Native American languages would be conducted in 2023. CBO estimates that implementing that requirement would cost $3 million over the 2022-2026 period, assuming appropriation of the authorized amounts. CBO estimates that implementing the requirements for various agencies to evaluate their policies and procedures regarding Native American languages would cost about $300,000 over the 2022-2026 period. The costs of the legislation, detailed in Table 1, fall within budget functions 450 (community and regional development) and 500 (education, training, employment, and social services).
