[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 172 (Wednesday, December 12, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Page S13078]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA COLLEGE ACCESS IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2001

  Mr. REID. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the 
consideration of Calendar No. 244, H.R. 1499.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (H.R. 1499) to amend the District of Columbia 
College Access Act of 1999 to permit individuals who graduated from a 
secondary school prior to 1998 and individuals who enroll in an 
institution of higher education more than 3 years after graduating from 
a secondary school to participate in the tuition assistance programs 
under such Act, and for other purposes.

  The Senate proceeded to consider the bill which had been reported 
from the Committee on Governmental Affairs, with an amendment to strike 
all after the enacting clause and insert in lieu thereof the following:

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``District of Columbia College 
     Access Improvement Act of 2001''.

     SEC. 2. PUBLIC SCHOOL PROGRAM.

       Section 3(c)(2) of the District of Columbia College Access 
     Act of 1999 is amended by striking subparagraphs (A) through 
     (C) and inserting the following:
       ``(A)(i) for individuals who begin an undergraduate course 
     of study within 3 calendar years (excluding any period of 
     service on active duty in the armed forces, or service under 
     the Peace Corps Act (22 U.S.C. 2501 et seq.) or subtitle D of 
     title I of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 
     U.S.C. 12571 et seq.)) of graduation from a secondary school, 
     or obtaining the recognized equivalent of a secondary school 
     diploma, was domiciled in the District of Columbia for not 
     less than the 12 consecutive months preceding the 
     commencement of the freshman year at an institution of higher 
     education; or
       ``(ii) for all other individuals and for those applicants 
     re-enrolling after more than a 3-year break in their post-
     secondary education, has been domiciled in the District of 
     Columbia for at least 5 consecutive years at the date of 
     application;
       ``(B)(i) graduated from a secondary school or received the 
     recognized equivalent of a secondary school diploma on or 
     after January 1, 1998;
       ``(ii) for applicants that did not graduate from a 
     secondary school or receive a recognized equivalent of a 
     secondary school diploma, is accepted for enrollment as a 
     freshman at an eligible institution on or after January 1, 
     2002; or
       ``(iii) for applicants who graduated from a secondary 
     school or received the recognized equivalent of a secondary 
     school diploma before January 1, 1998, is currently enrolled 
     at an eligible institution as of the date of enactment of the 
     District of Columbia College Access Improvement Act of 2001;
       ``(C) meets the citizenship and immigration status 
     requirements described in section 484(a)(5) of the Higher 
     Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1091(a)(5));''.

     SEC. 3. PRIVATE SCHOOL PROGRAM.

       Section 5(c)(1)(B) of the District of Columbia College 
     Access Act of 1999 is amended by striking ``The main campus 
     of which is located in the State of Maryland or the 
     Commonwealth of Virginia''.

     SEC. 4. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS.

       Section 6 of the District of Columbia College Access Act of 
     1999 is amended--
       (1) by striking subsection (b) and inserting the following:
       ``(b) Administrative Expenses.--
       ``(1) In general.--The Mayor of the District of Columbia 
     may not use more than 7 percent of the total amount of 
     Federal funds appropriated for the program, retroactive to 
     the date of enactment of this Act (the District of Columbia 
     College Access Act of 1999), for the administrative expenses 
     of the program.
       ``(2) Definition.--In this subsection, the term 
     `administrative expenses' means any expenses that are not 
     directly used to pay the cost of tuition and fees for 
     eligible students to attend eligible institutions.'';
       (2) by redesignating subsections (e) and (f) as subsections 
     (f) and (g);
       (3) by inserting after subsection (d) the following:
       ``(e) Local Funds.--It is the sense of Congress that the 
     District of Columbia may appropriate such local funds as 
     necessary for the Program.''; and
       (4) by inserting at the end the following:
       ``(h) Dedicated Account for the Resident Tuition Support 
     Program.--The District of Columbia government shall establish 
     a dedicated account for the Resident Tuition Support Program 
     that shall consist of the Federal funds appropriated to the 
     Program in this Act and any subsequent appropriations, any 
     unobligated balances from prior fiscal years, and any 
     interest earned in this or any fiscal years. The funds in 
     this dedicated account may be used to help pay the cost of 
     tuition and fees for eligible students to attend eligible 
     institutions if the fiscal year appropriation for that year 
     is insufficient to cover the cost of tuition and fees for 
     that year.''.
       Amend the title so as to read: ``An Act to amend the 
     District of Columbia College Access Act of 1999 to permit 
     individuals who enroll in an institution of higher education 
     more than 3 years after graduating from a secondary school 
     and individuals who attend private historically black 
     colleges and universities nationwide to participate in the 
     tuition assistance programs under such Act, and for other 
     purposes.''.

  Mr. REID. There is a Lieberman amendment at the desk, and I ask it be 
agreed to, the committee substitute amendment, as amended, be agreed 
to, and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, that the bill, 
as amended, be read the third time, passed, and the motion to 
reconsider be laid on the table, with no intervening action or debate, 
that any statements related thereto be printed in the Record, and that 
the title amendment be agreed to.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment (No. 2515) was agreed to, as follows:

        (Purpose: To clarify the intended inclusion of certain 
                              individuals)

       In subparagraph (A) of section 3(c)(2) of the District of 
     Columbia College Access Act of 1999, as added by section 2--
       (1) in clause (i), strike ``or'' after the semicolon;
       (2) redesignate clause (ii) as clause (iii); and
       (3) insert after clause (i) the following:
       ``(ii) for individuals who graduated from a secondary 
     school or received the recognized equivalent of a secondary 
     school diploma before January 1, 1998, and is currently 
     enrolled at an eligible institution as of the date of 
     enactment of the District of Columbia College Access 
     Improvement Act of 2001, was domiciled in the District of 
     Columbia for not less than the 12 consecutive months 
     preceding the commencement of the freshman year at an 
     institution of higher education; or''.

  The committee amendment in the nature of a substitute, as amended, 
was agreed to.
  The bill (H.R. 1499), as amended, was read the third time and passed.
  The title amendment was agreed to.

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