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Title 20, EducationRelease 119-110

§4353 Audit

Title 20 › CHAPTER 55 — EDUCATION OF THE DEAF › SUBCHAPTER II — GENERAL PROVISIONS › § 4353

Last updated Sep 23, 2026|Official source

Summary

Require the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to settle and adjust all financial transactions and accounts that use federal money for Gallaudet University or for building its facilities, and for the National Technical Institute for the Deaf or for building its facilities. Require annual independent financial and compliance audits: Gallaudet must get one each year covering its programs and K–12 operations, and the college that runs NTID must get one each year covering its programs and NTID with special schedules for NTID funds as the Secretary decides. "Compliance" means following these federal sections: 4302(b), 4305(b)(4), 4332(b)(5), 4353(c), 4357(b)(2), 4357(c)–(f), and 4359a(a)–(c). A copy of each audit must go to the Secretary and to the House Education and Labor Committee and the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee within 15 days after the university or institution accepts the audit, and not later than January 10 each year. Federal funds under this chapter cannot be spent on alcoholic drinks, goods or services for personal use, housing or personal living costs (unless a written job agreement requires them), lobbying (but the schools may educate Congress, the Secretary, and others about their programs), or memberships in country, social, or dining clubs. Within 180 days after October 16, 1992, the university and NTID must make uniform policies on allowable expenditures, using OMB education cost rules as guidance, and send those policies to the Secretary and the two committees. Those policies must cover items such as noninstitutional professional activities, fringe benefits, interest on loans, rental costs, sabbatical leave, severance pay, travel, and royalties or patent costs. The Secretary may not add items to that required list.

Full Legal Text

Title 20, §4353

Education, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Government Accountability Office authority
All financial transactions and accounts of the corporation or institution of higher education, as the case may be, in connection with the expenditure of any moneys appropriated by any law of the United States—
(1)for the benefit of Gallaudet University or for the construction of facilities for its use; or
(2)for the benefit of the National Technical Institute for the Deaf or for the construction of facilities for its use,
shall be settled and adjusted in the Government Accountability Office.
(b)Independent financial and compliance audit
(1)In general
Gallaudet University shall have an annual independent financial and compliance audit made of the programs and activities of the University, including the national mission and school operations of the elementary and secondary education programs at Gallaudet. The institution of higher education with which the Secretary has an agreement under section 4332 of this title shall have an annual independent financial and compliance audit made of the programs and activities of such institution of higher education, including NTID, and containing specific schedules and analyses for all NTID funds, as determined by the Secretary.
(2)Compliance
As used in paragraph (1), compliance means compliance with section 4302(b), 4305(b)(4), 4332(b)(5), 4353(c), 4357(b)(2) of this title, subsections (c) through (f) of section 4357 of this title, and subsections (a), (b), and (c) of section 4359a of this title.
(3)Submission of audits
A copy of each audit described in paragraph (1) shall be provided to the Secretary and the Committee on Education and Labor of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate within 15 days of acceptance of the audit by the University or the institution authorized to establish and operate the NTID under section 4332(a) of this title, as the case may be, but not later than January 10 of each year.
(c)Limitations regarding expenditure of funds
(1)In general
No funds appropriated under this chapter for Gallaudet University, including the Kendall Demonstration Elementary School and the Model Secondary School for the Deaf, or for the National Technical Institute for the Deaf may be expended on the following:
(A)Alcoholic beverages.
(B)Goods or services for personal use.
(C)Housing and personal living expenses (but only to the extent such expenses are not required by written employment agreement).
(D)Lobbying, except that nothing in this subparagraph shall be construed to prohibit the University and NTID from educating the Congress, the Secretary, and others regarding programs, projects, and activities conducted at those institutions.
(E)Membership in country clubs and social or dining clubs and organizations.
(2)Policies
(A)Not later than 180 days after October 16, 1992, the University and NTID shall develop policies, to be applied uniformly, for the allowability of expenditures for each institution. These policies should reflect the unique nature of these institutions. The principles established by the Office of Management and Budget for costs of educational institutions may be used as guidance in developing these policies. General principles relating to allowability and reasonableness of all costs associated with the operations of the institutions shall be addressed. These policies shall be submitted to the Secretary for review and comments, and to the Committee on Education and Labor of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate.
(B)Policies under subparagraph (A) shall include the following:
(i)Noninstitutional professional activities.
(ii)Fringe benefits.
(iii)Interest on loans.
(iv)Rental cost of buildings and equipment.
(v)Sabbatical leave.
(vi)Severance pay.
(vii)Travel.
(viii)Royalties and other costs for uses of patents.
(C)The Secretary is not authorized to add items to those specified in subparagraph (B).

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

Provisions similar to this section were contained in section 691f of this title prior to repeal by Pub. L. 99–371.

Amendments

2009—Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 111–39 substituted “and subsections (a), (b), and (c) of section 4359a of this title.” for “and subsections (b) and (c) of section 4359a of this title.” 2008—Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 110–315, § 905(1)(A), substituted “section 4302(b), 4305(b)(4), 4332(b)(5), 4353(c), 4357(b)(2) of this title, subsections (c) through (f) of section 4357 of this title, and subsections (b) and (c) of section 4359a of this title” for “section 4302(b), 4305(b)(4), 4332(b)(5) of this title, and subsection (c) of this section, paragraphs (2) and (3) of section 4357(b) of this title, subsections (b)(2), (b)(3), and (c) through (f), of section 4357 of this title, and subsections (b) and (c) of section 4359a of this title”. Subsec. (b)(3). Pub. L. 110–315, § 905(1)(B), inserted “and the Committee on Education and Labor of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate” after “Secretary”. Subsec. (c)(2)(A). Pub. L. 110–315, § 905(2), substituted “Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate” for “Committee on Labor and Human Resources of the Senate”. 2004—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 108–271 substituted “Government Accountability Office” for “General Accounting Office” in heading and text. 1998—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 105–244 amended heading and text of subsec. (b) generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “Gallaudet University shall have an annual independent financial audit made of the programs and activities of the University. The institution of higher education with which the Secretary has an agreement under section 4332 of this title shall have an annual independent financial audit made of the programs and activities of such institution of higher education, including NTID, and containing specific schedules and analyses for all NTID funds, as determined by the Secretary.” 1993—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 103–73, § 204(b), amended subsec. (b) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (b) read as follows: “Gallaudet University and the institution of higher education operating the National Technical Institute for the Deaf shall have an annual independent audit made of the programs and activities of the University and of NTID, respectively.” Pub. L. 103–73, § 202, substituted “NTID” for “the Institute”. 1992—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 102–421, § 133, added subsec. (c).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Change of Name

Committee on Education and Labor of House of Representatives changed to Committee on Education and the Workforce of House of Representatives by House Resolution No. 5, One Hundred Eighteenth Congress, Jan. 9, 2023.

Effective Date

of 2009 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 111–39 effective as if enacted on the date of enactment of Pub. L. 110–315 (Aug. 14, 2008), see section 3 of Pub. L. 111–39, set out as a note under section 1001 of this title.

Effective Date

of 1998 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 105–244 effective Oct. 1, 1998, except as otherwise provided in Pub. L. 105–244, see section 3 of Pub. L. 105–244, set out as a note under section 1001 of this title.

Effective Date

of 1992 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 102–421 effective Oct. 1, 1992, see section 161 of Pub. L. 102–421, set out as a note under section 4301 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

20 U.S.C. § 4353

Title 20, Education

Last Updated

Sep 23, 2026

Release point: 119-110