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.

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 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''.

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

                            Vice President of the United States and    
                                               President of the Senate.

Summary: District of Columbia College Access Improvement Act of 2001 - Revises eligibility requirements for tuition assistance under the District of Columbia College Access Act of 1999 to allow the following to be eligible for such assistance: (1) applicants who graduated from a secondary school or received the recognized equivalent of a secondary school diploma before January 1, 1998, and are currently enrolled at an eligible institution as of the enactment of this Act, and were domiciled in the District of Columbia for not less than 12 consecutive months preceding the commencement of the freshman year at an institution of higher education. (2) applicants re-enrolling after more than a three-year break in their post-secondary education who have been domiciled in the District for at least five consecutive years at the application date. (3) applicants who did not graduate from a secondary school or receive a recognized equivalent of a secondary school diploma, but are accepted for enrollment as a freshman at an eligible institution on or after January 1, 2002. And (4) applicants who graduated from a secondary school or received the recognized equivalent of such school diploma before January 1, 1998 and are currently enrolled at an eligible institution as of the enactment of this Act. Requires all eligible students to meet the citizenship and immigration status requirements described in the Higher Education Act of 1965. Amends the Act: (1) to allow individuals who attend private historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) nationwide to participate in such Tuition Assistance Program. And (2) to prohibit the Mayor from using more than seven percent of the total amount of Federal funds appropriated for such Program, retroactive to the Act's enactment, for the Program's administrative expenses. Expresses the sense of Congress that the District of Columbia may appropriate such local funds as necessary for the Program. Requires the District government to 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. Authorizes the use of such funds 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.