H.Res. 977: Reinforcing the Federal Government's Federal trust relationship and commitment to working with American Indian Nations to empower, promote, and support the educational development of American Indian and Alaska Native children and youth.

H.Res. 977: Reinforcing the Federal Government's Federal trust relationship and commitment to working with American Indian Nations to empower, promote, and support the educational development of American Indian and Alaska Native children and youth.

109th Congress · introduced 2006-07-28 · Native Americans · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Education Reform.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2006-07-28 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. McCollum, Betty [D-MN-4] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Education Reform. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Reinforcing the Federal Government's Federal trust relationship and commitment to working with American Indian Nations to empower, promote, and support the educational development of American Indian and Alaska Native children and youth.

Plain summary

Affirms the federal government's special legal and political relationship with American Indian and Alaska Native people by recognizing the sovereignty of Tribal Nations. Calls upon the federal government, including the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Department of Education, to recognize and fulfill its trust responsibilities and consultation obligations to American Indian and Alaska Native people and communities. Acknowledges that past federal policies of the forced removal of children from reservations to boarding schools have negatively impacted American Indian and Alaska Native families, communities, and youth. Urges the federal government to promote success and eliminate disparities among American Indian and Alaska Native children and youth during consideration of the reauthorization of Head Start and the No Child Left Behind Act, and through the federal appropriation process. Urges the federal government to recognize, promote, and work towards strengthening the educational needs of American Indian and Alaska Native youth and families. Reinforces the educational commitment to promote the best interests of American Indian and Alaska Native children by reinforcing native cultural and language development which strengthens, preserves, and promotes cultural identity. Recognizes that it is imperative that the federal government sharpen its focus and commitment to title VII of the No Child Left Behind Act consistent with the desires of American Indian and Alaska Native people. Recognizes that education is significantly linked to overall quality of life and therefore must be prioritized and organized to meet the unique and specialized needs of American Indian and Alaska Native students.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

A Yea supports adopting this resolution.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Reinforcing the Federal Government's Federal trust relationship and commitment to working with American Indian Nations to empower, promote, and support the educational development of American Indian and Alaska Native children and youth.

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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The strongest published arguments

Arguments for (supporters)

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. McCollum, Betty [D-MN-4] · 26 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Danny K. Davis (D-IL), Adam B. Schiff (D-CA)

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. McCollum, Betty [D-MN-4] reported raising $1.5 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (4)

Appropriation: Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
Obligation: A binding promise by a government agency to pay money, for example by signing a contract or awarding a grant. Spending data such as USAspending.gov counts money when it is obligated, which can be before it is actually paid out.
Resolution: A formal statement or decision by a legislative body. Simple resolutions often only express an opinion or set rules for one chamber; they do not become law.
Roll-call vote: A vote where each member's position is recorded by name, so the public can see how every member voted. "Yea" means yes, "Nay" means no, "Present" means the member was there but did not take a side.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-109hres977.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/109/hres>

Record fed-us-cong109-hres977 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong109 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong109