Revamped Regulations for Johnson-O'Malley Program Published in Federal Register, 1974-08-21

New regulations for the Johnson-O'Malley program of the Bureau of Indian Affairs were published in the Federal Register in August 1974. The program aims to provide financial assistance to meet the special educational needs of Indian children in public schools. The new regulations give more control to the local Indian community in determining how funds should be used, in line with the policy of Indian self-determination. Funding for the program in fiscal year 1975 is expected to be almost $28 million, with a focus on supplementing the regular school program to meet the special needs of Indian students. The regulations were developed with input from Indian people to ensure better programs for Indian children. Other changes from the old regulations include broadening eligibility for assistance, allowing funds to be used for pre-school children and educational programs outside of the normal school setting, tightening eligibility requirements for school districts seeking funds for operational expenditures, ensuring more equitable funding between states and within states, and strengthening program and fiscal accountability requirements.