Esther Martinez Native American Languages Preservation Act of 2006
Public Law 109-394 · H.R. 4766 · 109th Congress · began in the House
Signed by George W. Bush (R) on Dec 14, 2006 · Native Americans
Sponsor: Rep. Heather Wilson (R-NM-1)
Cosponsors (6): Rep. Rick Renzi, Rep. Steve Pearce,
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Esther Martinez Native American Languages Preservation Act of 2006 - Amends the Native American Programs Act of 1974 to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services, as part of the Native American languages grant program, to make three-year grants for educational Native American language nests, survival schools, and restoration programs.
Requires that Native American language nests: (1) provide instruction and child care through the use of a Native American language for at least 10 children under the age of seven for an average of at least 500 hours per year per student; (2) provide classes in such language for the parents of such students; and (3) use such language as the dominant medium of instruction in the nest.
Requires that Native American language survival schools: (1) provide an average of at least 500 hours of instruction per year per student through the use of at least one Native American language for at least 15 students for whom the school is their principal school; (2) develop instructional courses and materials that service the goal of making all students fluent in such a language and proficient in mathematics, reading, and science; (3) provide teacher training; and (4) be located in areas having high concentrations of Native American students. Requires applicants for language survival school funding to have at least three years of experience in running such a school, a Native American language nest, or any other educational program in which instruction is conducted in a Native American language.
Requires that Native American language restoration programs: (1) operate at least one Native American language program for the community they serve; (2) train teachers of such languages; and (3) develop Native American language instructional materials.
Authorizes appropriations for FY2008-FY2012.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Education and Workforce Committee · House · referred toSubcommittee: Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Subcommittee
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Related bills
2 bills the Library of Congress relates to this one.
H.R. 5222Related bill
Native American Languages Amendments Act of 2006
S. 2674Related bill
Native American Languages Act Amendments Act of 2006
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 17 actions.
- Dec 14, 2006Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 109-394.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Dec 11, 2006FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Dec 7, 2006FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Dec 6, 2006FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Senate Committee on Indian Affairs discharged by Unanimous Consent.
- Nov 13, 2006CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.
- Sep 28, 2006CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate.
- Sep 27, 2006FloorFloor · The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 4766.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mr. McKeon moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- May 1, 2006CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Education Reform.
- Feb 15, 2006CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in House
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
No amendments to this bill are on record.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.