The U.S. Senate considers S.5355, the National Advisory Council on Indian Education Improvement Act, on December 3, 2024.

The bipartisan bill ensures that the National Advisory Council on Indian Education, also known as NACIE, contains at least one member who is a leader of a tribal college or university. The measure has the support of tribal colleges and Indian education organizations.

“Tribal Advisory Councils are an integral part of the federal trust responsibility, ensuring that the voices of our Tribal Nations have a formal role in advising the federal government,” National Indian Education Association President Tesia Zientek said when an earlier version of the bill passed the Senate last year. “The National Advisory Council on Indian Education Improvement Act is an important step that will serve to uplift the Nation-to-Nation relationship, securing the future of our Native children.”

Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Nebraska) is the sponsor of S.5355. She introduced the bill on November 20, following passage of S.749, also known as the NACIE Improvement Act, last year.

S.5355 differs from the earlier version in that it only addresses the membership requirements of NACIE. S.749 included language requiring the Department of Education and the Department of the Interior to consider NACIE reports when preparing their agency budgets but the provision is not present in S.5355.

The Senate approved S.5355 by unanimous consent, a process often used for Indian Country bills that are bipartisan in nature and are otherwise considered non-controversial.

The bill would need to pass the U.S. House of Representatives before it can be sent to President Joe Biden for his signature.

Video Courtesy C-SPAN