Title 20, EducationRelease 119-110

§4442 Administrative Provisions

Title 20 › CHAPTER 56 — AMERICAN INDIAN, ALASKA NATIVE, AND NATIVE HAWAIIAN CULTURE AND ART DEVELOPMENT › SUBCHAPTER II — NATIVE HAWAIIANS AND ALASKA NATIVES › § 4442

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary can pay grants in parts, give money up front, or pay people back after they spend it. The Secretary can also change payments if too much or too little was paid. If a person lies, hides important facts, causes someone else to lie, or steals grant money, the Secretary or a court can require them to repay the money to the general fund of the U.S. Treasury. The Secretary must give a fair hearing first. A person who does this can be fined up to $1,000, put in jail for up to one year, or both.

Full Legal Text

Title 20, §4442

Education, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Payments

The Secretary may award grants under this subchapter in installments, in advance, or by way of reimbursement and may make necessary adjustments in payments of grants on account of overpayments or underpayments.

(b)Recovery of overpayments

(1)If the Secretary or a court of competent jurisdiction finds that—

(A)any person—

(i)has—

(I)made, or has caused to be made by another, a false statement or representation of a material fact knowing it to be false, or

(II)knowingly failed, or caused another to fail, to disclose a material fact; and

(ii)as a result of such action, has received any funds under this subchapter which such person would not have otherwise received, or

(B)any person misappropriates any funds paid by the Secretary under this subchapter,

such person shall be liable to repay the amount of such funds to the United States. Any such finding by the Secretary may be made only after an opportunity for a fair hearing.

(2)Any amount repaid under this subsection shall be returned to the general fund of the Treasury of the United States.

(c)Penalties

Whoever—

(1)makes a false statement of a material fact knowing it to be false, or knowingly fails to disclose a material fact, for the purpose of obtaining or increasing for such person or for any other person any payment of funds provided under this subchapter, or

(2)misappropriates any funds provided under this subchapter,

shall be fined not more than $1,000 or imprisoned for not more than one year, or both.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

20 U.S.C. § 4442

Title 20, Education

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110