(a) General authority

(1) The Secretary is authorized to establish or continue an agreement with an institution of higher education for the establishment and operation, including construction and equipment, of a National Technical Institute for the Deaf.

Terms Used In 20 USC 4332

  • construction: includes construction and initial equipment of new buildings, and expansion, remodeling, and alteration of existing buildings and equipment therein, including architect's services, but excluding off-site improvements. See 20 USC 4351
  • Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
  • institution of higher education: means an educational institution in any State which (A) admits as regular students only individuals having a certificate of graduation from a school providing secondary education, or the recognized equivalent of such a certificate. See 20 USC 4351
  • NTID: means the National Technical Institute for the Deaf. See 20 USC 4351
  • Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
  • Secretary: means the Secretary of Education. See 20 USC 4351

(2) The Secretary and the institution of higher education with which the Secretary has an agreement under this section—

(A) shall periodically assess the need for modification of the agreement; and

(B) shall periodically update the agreement as determined necessary by the Secretary or the institution.

(b) Provisions of agreement

The agreement shall—

(1) provide that Federal funds appropriated for the benefit of NTID will be used only for the purposes for which appropriated and in accordance with the applicable provisions of this chapter and the agreement made pursuant thereto;

(2) provide that the Board of Trustees or other governing body of the institution, subject to the approval of the Secretary, will appoint an advisory group to advise the Director of NTID in formulating and carrying out the basic policies governing its establishment and operation, which group shall include individuals who are professionally concerned with education and technical training at the postsecondary school level, persons who are professionally concerned with activities relating to education and training of individuals who are deaf, and members of the public familiar with the need for services provided by NTID;

(3) provide that the Board of Trustees or other governing body of the institution will prepare and submit to the Secretary, not later than June 1 following the fiscal year for which the report is submitted, an annual report containing an accounting of all indirect costs paid to the institution of higher education under the agreement with the Secretary, which accounting the Secretary shall transmit to the Committee on Education and Labor of the House of Representatives and to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate, with such comments and recommendations as the Secretary may deem appropriate;

(4) include such other conditions as the Secretary deems necessary to carry out the purposes of this part;

(5) provide that any laborer or mechanic employed by any contractor or subcontractor in the performance of work on any construction aided by Federal funds appropriated for the benefit of NTID will be paid wages at rates not less than those prevailing on similar construction in the locality as determined by the Secretary of Labor in accordance with subchapter IV of chapter 31 of title 40, commonly referred to as the Davis-Bacon Act; except that the Secretary of Labor shall have, with respect to the labor standards specified in this paragraph, the authority and functions set forth in Reorganization Plan Numbered 14 of 1950 (5 U.S.C. App.) and section 3145 of title 40; and

(6) establish a policy of outreach and recruitment to employ and advance in employment qualified individuals with disabilities, particularly individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing.

(c) Limitation

If, within twenty years after the completion of any construction (except minor remodeling or alteration) for which such funds have been paid—

(1) the facility ceases to be used for the purposes for which it was constructed or the agreement is terminated, unless the Secretary determines that there is good cause for releasing the institution from its obligation, or

(2) the institution ceases to be the owner of the facility,


the United States shall be entitled to recover from the applicant or other owner of the facility an amount which has the same ratio with respect to the current market value of the facility as the amount of Federal funds expended for construction of such facility bears to the total cost of construction of the facility. The current market value of the facility shall be determined by agreement of the parties or by action brought in the United States district court for the district in which the facility is situated.