Public Law 119-73 (01/23/2026)

25 U.S.C. § 5342

Contracts for education, medical attention, relief and social welfare of Indians

The Secretary of the Interior is authorized, in his discretion, to enter into a contract or contracts with any State or Territory, or political subdivision thereof, or with any State university, college, or school, or with any appropriate State or private corporation, agency, or institution, for the education, medical attention, agricultural assistance, and social welfare, including relief of distress, of Indians in such State or Territory, through the agencies of the State or Territory or of the corporations and organizations hereinbefore named, and to expend under such contract or contracts, moneys appropriated by Congress for the education, medical attention, agricultural assistance, and social welfare, including relief of distress, of Indians in such State or Territory.

Apr. 16, 1934, ch. 147, § 148 Stat. 596June 4, 1936, ch. 490, § 149 Stat. 1458(, ; , .)

Editorial Notes

Codification

section 452 of this titleSection was formerly classified to prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section.

Amendments

1936—Act , substituted “with any State or Territory, or political subdivision thereof, or with any State university, college, or school, or with any appropriate State or private corporation, agency, or institution”, “through the agencies of the State or Territory or of the corporations and organizations hereinbefore named,”, and “such State or Territory” for “any State or Territory having legal authority so to do,”, “through the qualified agencies of such State or Territory,”, and “such State”, respectively.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Short Title

section 5301 of this titleSections 5342 to 5348 of this title popularly known as the “Johnson-O’Malley Act”, see note under .

Distribution of Public School Assistance

Pub. L. 100–446, title I102 Stat. 1795

48 Stat. 59625 U.S.C. 45225 U.S.C. 5342“notwithstanding any other provision of law, the amounts available for assistance to public schools under the Act of (), as amended ( et seq.) [now et seq.], shall be distributed on the basis of the formula recommended by the Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs in a letter to the Committees on Appropriations dated , except that for the fiscal year ending , the minimum weight factor shall be 1.1 rather than 1.3 and for the fiscal year ending , the minimum weight factor shall be 1.2 rather than 1.3”.
, , , provided that:

Similar provisions were contained in the following prior appropriation act:

Pub. L. 100–202, § 101(g) [title I]101 Stat. 1329–213, , , 1329–228.

Limitation on Contract Authority

Pub. L. 99–190, § 101(d) [title I]99 Stat. 1224

25 U.S.C. 5342“notwithstanding any law or regulation, in allocating funds for aid to public schools under the Act of , as amended [ et seq.], the Secretary shall enter into contracts only for the provision of supplementary educational services for Indian children”.
, , , 1235, provided that: