[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 27 (Tuesday, March 12, 2002)]
[House]
[Pages H810-H813]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA COLLEGE ACCESS IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2002
Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to
the resolution (H. Res. 364) providing for the concurrence of the House
with amendment in the Senate amendments to the bill H.R. 1499.
The Clerk read as follows:
H. Res. 364
Resolved, That upon the adoption of this resolution, the
House shall be considered to have taken from the Speaker's
table the bill H.R. 1499 and amendments of the Senate
thereto, and to have (1) concurred in the amendment of the
Senate to the title, and (2) concurred in the amendment of
the Senate to the text with an amendment as follows: In lieu
of the matter proposed to be inserted by the Senate, insert
the following:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``District of Columbia College
Access Improvement Act of 2002''.
SEC. 2. PUBLIC SCHOOL PROGRAM.
Section 3(c)(2) of the District of Columbia College Access
Act of 1999 (sec. 38-2702(c)(2), D.C. Official Code) is
amended by striking subparagraphs (A) through (C) and
inserting the following:
``(A)(i) in the case of an individual who begins 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
[[Page H811]]
months preceding the commencement of the freshman year at an
institution of higher education;
``(ii) in the case of an individual 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 2002, 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
``(iii) in the case of any other individual and an
individual re-enrolling after more than a 3-year break in the
individual's 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) in the case of an individual who 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) in the case of an individual 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 2002;
``(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 (sec. 38-2704(c)(1)(B), D.C. Official
Code) 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 (sec. 38-2705, D.C. Official Code) 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 programs under sections 3 and 5.''; and
(4) by adding at the end the following:
``(h) Dedicated Account for Programs.--
``(1) Establishment.--The District of Columbia government
shall establish a dedicated account for the programs under
sections 3 and 5 consisting of the following amounts:
``(A) The Federal funds appropriated to carry out such
programs under this Act or any other Act.
``(B) Any District of Columbia funds appropriated by the
District of Columbia to carry out such programs.
``(C) Any unobligated balances in amounts made available
for such programs in previous fiscal years.
``(D) Interest earned on balances of the dedicated account.
``(2) Use of funds.--Amounts in the dedicated account shall
be used solely to carry out the programs under sections 3 and
5.''.
SEC. 5. CONTINUATION OF CURRENT AGGREGATE LEVEL OF
AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) In General.--The District of Columbia College Access
Act of 1999 (sec. 38-2701 et seq., D.C. Official Code) is
amended by adding at the end the following new section:
``SEC. 7. LIMIT ON AGGREGATE AMOUNT OF FEDERAL FUNDS FOR
PUBLIC SCHOOL AND PRIVATE SCHOOL PROGRAMS.
``The aggregate amount authorized to be appropriated to the
District of Columbia for the programs under sections 3 and 5
for any fiscal year may not exceed--
``(1) $17,000,000, in the case of the aggregate amount for
fiscal year 2003;
``(2) $17,000,000, in the case of the aggregate amount for
fiscal year 2004; or
``(3) $17,000,000, in the case of the aggregate amount for
fiscal year 2005.''.
(b) Conforming Amendments.--
(1) Public school program.--Section 3(i) of such Act (sec.
38-2702(i), D.C. Official Code) is amended by striking ``and
such sums'' and inserting ``and (subject to section 7) such
sums''.
(2) Private school program.--Section 5(f) of such Act (sec.
38-2704(f), D.C. Official Code) is amended by striking ``and
such sums'' and inserting ``and (subject to section 7) such
sums''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
Maryland (Mrs. Morella) and the gentlewoman from the District of
Columbia (Ms. Norton) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs. Morella).
General Leave
Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks
on the legislation now under consideration, House Resolution 364.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Maryland?
There was no objection.
Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support House Resolution 364,
which incorporates amendments by the Senate and by the House to H.R.
1499.
First, I would like to thank and recognize the gentlewoman from the
District of Columbia (Ms. Norton), the sponsor of the bill, for her
deep interest in education for those who are domiciled in the District
of Columbia and for her genuine interest in making our Nation's Capital
a place of which all our citizens can be proud and one where visitors
from all other countries visit enthusiastically.
I also want to express my appreciation to the gentleman from Virginia
(Mr. Davis), my predecessor as Chair of the Subcommittee on the
District of Columbia, an original cosponsor of the measure, who was
responsible in guiding the original legislation into law in 1999.
Additionally, I want to recognize the support given by the chairman
of the Committee on Government Reform, the gentleman from Indiana (Mr.
Burton), as the House passed the legislation in July of 2001 and for
his support of the amended version. My appreciation also goes to the
majority leader, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Armey), for guidance in
bringing H.R. 1499, as amended by the Senate and the House, back to the
floor.
I also extend my gratitude to the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Watts)
and other members of the Republican leadership who assisted in crafting
an amended bill that is acceptable to both sides of the aisle and both
Houses.
The original act provides District of Columbia residents with in-
state tuition at public colleges and universities throughout the
country. Students are permitted a maximum of $10,000 per year and a
lifetime amount of $50,000 per student. This resolution, as originally
introduced on April 4, 2001, by the gentlewoman from District of
Columbia, and cosponsored by the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Davis)
and myself, expands this benefit to include District of Columbia
residents who graduated from high school or received the equivalent of
a high school degree before 1998, as well as individuals who begin
their postsecondary education more than 3 years after they graduated
from high school. The legislation prohibits foreign nationals from
participating in the tuition program.
The Senate amended H.R. 1499 under unanimous consent and sent it back
to the House on December 13, 2001. The amendment included, inter alia,
the expansion of the list of eligible private institutions where D.C.
residents could attend by receiving $2,500 annual stipend, capped at
$12,000 per student, to include historically black colleges and
universities nationwide. The original act included only the
historically black colleges and universities that were located in
Maryland and Virginia.
The House amendment includes some technical amendments. It also
retains the Senate provision of including all the HBCUs nationwide and
also requires the District government to establish a dedicated account
for the program. The House amendment endorses the Senate amendment,
expressing the sense of Congress that local funds may be appropriated
by the District of Columbia to help with financing the tuition program.
The House amendment adds language that authorizes no more than $17
million in Federal funds for each of following years: 2003, 2004, and
2005. This amount is the same as the current funding level.
Mr. Speaker, I urge our colleagues to support this lifetime
legislation. This gift of education is a gift that does last
[[Page H812]]
a lifetime. What we are doing today is letting more District of
Columbia residents receive that gift. The legislation opens a window of
opportunity for countless numbers of District of Columbia residents,
and it is another contribution to the growing vitality of the Nation's
Capital.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 364, the
College Access Improvement Act, as amended by the Senate and as further
amended by the bill we offer in the House today. H. Res. 364 would
allow more D.C. residents to receive the valuable benefits of the
College Access Act passed by Congress in 1999.
I want to thank the Chair of the Subcommittee on the District of
Columbia, the gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs. Morella), and the past
Chair of the subcommittee, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Davis), who
are original cosponsors of this bill; the gentlewoman from Maryland for
her consistent work and strong support of the House version, and the
gentleman from Virginia, who, with me, sponsored and worked diligently
for passage of the original College Access Act.
The Senate amendments before us today are the result of collegial
negotiations to produce a consensus bill with our Senate sponsors,
particularly the ranking member of the Senate Subcommittee on the
District of Columbia, George Voinovich, the chief sponsor of the Senate
bill, with the strong support of Senator Joe Lieberman, Chairman of the
Senate Government Affairs Committee, and Ranking Member Senator Fred
Thompson, and chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on the District of
Columbia, Dick Durbin.
I appreciate the willingness of the House leadership, particularly
the majority leader, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Armey), along with
conference chair, the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. J.C. Watts), as well
as the chairman of the Committee on Government Reform, the gentleman
from Indiana (Mr. Burton), and the ranking member, the gentleman from
California (Mr. Waxman), to work with us on the amended version of the
bill before us today which ensures that the College Access Act, as
amended by H. Res. 364, does not exceed its annual appropriation.
We are pleased and appreciative that the College Access Act,
including the amendments made by H. Res. 364, have been fully funded by
President Bush in his 2003 budget. H. Res. 364, as amended, has the
enthusiastic support of Mayor Williams, the Council of the District of
Columbia, and especially of D.C. residents.
I want once again to thank Congress for its strong support of the
District of Columbia College Access Act of 1999, and to indicate that
the benefits to education Congress sought are being realized. The act
is now responsible for nearly 2,500 D.C. students who are attending
public colleges and universities nationwide at in-state rates, or
receiving a $2,500 stipend to attend private colleges and universities
in the District of Columbia and the region.
{time} 1530
It is impossible to overestimate the value and importance of the act
to the District which has only an open admissions university and no
State university system. A college degree is critical in the District
of Columbia because ours is a white collar and technology city and
region with few factories and other opportunities for jobs that provide
good wages without a college education. The College Access Act provides
opportunities for D.C. residents to afford a college education here, in
the region and around the country that would be routinely available
throughout the Nation with the exception of the District. Now D.C.
residents have choices for college education similar to those available
to Americans in the 50 States. In no small part because of the success
of the College Access Act, the high school class in the District of
Columbia of 2001 had 64 percent college attendance compared with the
national average of 43 percent.
H. Res. 364 will expand the original College Access Act of 1999 in
several significant ways. The bill allows D.C. residents to receive a
$2,500 stipend to attend any historically black college and university
in the country rather than only in the region as in the original act.
Over 600 D.C. residents are expected to take advantage of this
important provision in the first year after enactment.
Second, students who are somewhat older because they graduated prior
to 1998 were not included in the original College Access Act because of
the Senate's fear that funding would be insufficient. Actually, funding
was sufficient; and I appreciate that we have been able to get
agreement with the Senate to expand tuition benefits to at least two
groups of older students. The first group is D.C. residents currently
enrolled in college, regardless of when these students graduated and
regardless of the amount of time it took those students to enroll in
college. This change will enable approximately 1,000 students
previously denied in-state tuition, including many older students, to
qualify this year.
A second group of older students will benefit as a result of language
that removes a requirement that a student enroll in college no longer
than 3 years after high school graduation. The Senate has agreed to
remove the 3-year constraint prospectively. Consequently, the first
group of students who took longer than 3 years to enroll in college can
take advantage of the College Access Act benefits this year. There are
many such students in the District because many cannot afford to go to
college right out of high school, and more and more older students are
expected to receive tuition assistance in the years to come.
Also included in both the Senate and the House bill is an amendment
that closes a loophole that allowed foreign nationals who live in the
District to benefit, a result never intended by the sponsors or by
either House.
These amendments to the College Access Act will allow thousands of
additional D.C. residents who were not included in the original act to
receive tuition assistance. Although the Senate did not include all the
changes I sought, the agreement on the addition of HBCUs nationwide is
especially welcome. This bill deserves our support because it brings
higher-education opportunities for the District's young people much
closer to those regularly enjoyed routinely in the districts of other
Members of Congress. I thank Members for the support they have given
the College Access Act and ask for their support for its expansion.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
This is a bill that is very important. It took a lot of time and a
lot of attention. Some great staff have been involved in doing it. I
mentioned the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton)
for her splendid cooperation and splendid work on this bill. It is very
important to our workforce that we have opportunities for college
education. I ask this body to very strongly support House Resolution
364.
Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res.
364, providing for the concurrence of the House with amendment in the
Senate amendments to the bill, H.R. 1499, the District of Columbia
College Access Act Technical Corrections Act of 2002.
In 1999, I introduced the District of Columbia College Access Act of
1999, with Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, which created the D.C.
Tuition Assistance Grant Program. This program allows recent high
school graduates in D.C. to pay in-state tuition rates of up to $10,000
annually at public colleges and universities nationwide. Eligible D.C.
residents attending private institutions in D.C., Maryland, or
Virginia, or Historically Black Colleges and Universities in Maryland
and Virginia may receive grants of $2,500 annually.
It was always my intention that this program would have a broader
application. However, financial considerations restricted the scope of
the program. Therefore, I am pleased to be an original cosponsor of
H.R. 1499. It will open the eligibility requirements to those
individuals who graduated from secondary school prior to 1998 and also
to individuals who enroll in an institution of higher education more
than 3 years after graduating from a secondary school. Additionally,
this bill will permit the grants to be applied to tuition expenses at
Historically Black Colleges and Universities nationwide.
The popularity of this program among students and parents has risen
steadily since its inception. The program has proven to be a successful
incentive to retain and attract D.C.
[[Page H813]]
residents. Now, H.R. 1499 ensures that a greater number of D.C.
residents are eligible to receive tuition assistance and broaden their
educational opportunities at the undergraduate level.
I would like to thank my colleagues in the House and Senate for their
work on this bill. We have successfully worked together on this
legislation to authorize $17 million for the Tuition Assistance Grant
Program each year through FY 2005.
The expansion of the Tuition Assistance Grant Program will increase
the educational opportunities available to D.C. residents. I strongly
urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H. Res. 364.
Mr. WATTS of Oklahoma. Mr. Speaker, I rise to support the District of
Columbia College Access Improvement Act of 2001. Historically black
colleges and universities, or HBCUs as they're known, are important
institutions of higher learning in America. This bill recognizes their
significance by opening up tuition assistance under the D.C. College
Access Act to be used for HBCUs nationwide--not just those in the
immediate area.
Under current law, a resident of the District of Columbia may receive
$2,500 per year for tuition at private HBCUs in D.C., Virginia or
Maryland. Well, for one thing, there aren't any private HBCUs in
Maryland. And the other options can be pretty expensive for a student
who will not be receiving other financial help. This bill expands the
options for students and broadens the possibilities for residents of
the District of Columbia.
HBCUs have received a higher level of awareness thanks to the bi-
partisan leadership of many in Congress and the White House. This
legislation is yet another step toward raising the role HBCUs serve in
the field of higher education.
I thank the sponsors of the bill before the House today and urge my
colleagues to support the D.C. College Access Improvement Act.
Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Simpson). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs. Morella) that the House
suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 364.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________