§ 7427. Student eligibility forms

(a) In general

The Secretary shall require that, as part of an application for a grant under this subpart, each applicant shall maintain a file, with respect to each Indian child for whom the local educational agency provides a free public education, that contains a form that sets forth information establishing the status of the child as an Indian child eligible for assistance under this subpart, and that otherwise meets the requirements of subsection (b) of this section.

(b) Forms

The form described in subsection (a) of this section shall include—

(1) either—

(A)

(i) the name of the tribe or band of Indians (as defined in section 7491 of this title) with respect to which the child claims membership;

(ii) the enrollment number establishing the membership of the child (if readily available); and

(iii) the name and address of the organization that maintains updated and accurate membership data for such tribe or band of Indians; or

(B) the name, the enrollment number (if readily available), and the name and address of the organization responsible for maintaining updated and accurate membership data, of any parent or grandparent of the child from whom the child claims eligibility under this subpart, if the child is not a member of the tribe or band of Indians (as so defined);

(2) a statement of whether the tribe or band of Indians (as so defined), with respect to which the child, or parent or grandparent of the child, claims membership, is federally recognized;

(3) the name and address of the parent or legal guardian of the child;

(4) a signature of the parent or legal guardian of the child that verifies the accuracy of the information supplied; and

(5) any other information that the Secretary considers necessary to provide an accurate program profile.

Nothing in this section shall be construed to affect a definition contained in section 7491 of this title.

(d) Forms and standards of proof

The forms and the standards of proof (including the standard of good faith compliance) that were in use during the 1985–86 academic year to establish the eligibility of a child for entitlement under the Indian Elementary and Secondary School Assistance Act shall be the forms and standards of proof used—

(1) to establish eligibility under this subpart; and

(2) to meet the requirements of subsection (a) of this section.

(e) Documentation

For purposes of determining whether a child is eligible to be counted for the purpose of computing the amount of a grant award under section 7423 of this title, the membership of the child, or any parent or grandparent of the child, in a tribe or band of Indians (as so defined) may be established by proof other than an enrollment number, notwithstanding the availability of an enrollment number for a member of such tribe or band. Nothing in subsection (b) of this section shall be construed to require the furnishing of an enrollment number.

(f) Monitoring and evaluation review

(1) In general

(A) Review

For each fiscal year, in order to provide such information as is necessary to carry out the responsibility of the Secretary to provide technical assistance under this subpart, the Secretary shall conduct a monitoring and evaluation review of a sampling of the recipients of grants under this subpart. The sampling conducted under this subparagraph shall take into account the size of and the geographic location of each local educational agency.

(B) Exception

A local educational agency may not be held liable to the United States or be subject to any penalty, by reason of the findings of an audit that relates to the date of completion, or the date of submission, of any forms used to establish, before April 28, 1988, the eligibility of a child for an entitlement under the Indian Elementary and Secondary School Assistance Act.

(2) False information

Any local educational agency that provides false information in an application for a grant under this subpart shall—

(A) be ineligible to apply for any other grant under this subpart; and

(B) be liable to the United States for any funds from the grant that have not been expended.

(3) Excluded children

A student who provides false information for the form required under subsection (a) of this section shall not be counted for the purpose of computing the amount of a grant under section 7423 of this title.

(g) Tribal grant and contract schools

Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, in calculating the amount of a grant under this subpart to a tribal school that receives a grant or contract from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Secretary shall use only one of the following, as selected by the school:

(1) A count of the number of students in the schools certified by the Bureau.

(2) A count of the number of students for whom the school has eligibility forms that comply with this section.

(h) Timing of child counts

For purposes of determining the number of children to be counted in calculating the amount of a local educational agency’s grant under this subpart (other than in the case described in subsection (g)(1) of this section), the local educational agency shall—

(1) establish a date on, or a period not longer than 31 consecutive days during, which the agency counts those children, if that date or period occurs before the deadline established by the Secretary for submitting an application under section 7424 of this title; and

(2) determine that each such child was enrolled, and receiving a free public education, in a school of the agency on that date or during that period, as the case may be.

U.S. Code

§ 7427. Student eligibility forms