,i  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #bdfi  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,june #bj1 #bjac ,ms4
 ,norton introduced the following bill2 
which was referred to the ,committee on 
,oversight and ,government ,reform  ,a  
,,bill  ,to direct the ,mayor of the    
,district of ,columbia to establish a   
,district of ,columbia ,national ,guard 
,educational ,assistance ,program to    
encourage the enlistment and retention  
of persons in the ,district of ,columbia
 ,national ,guard by providing financial
 assistance to enable members of the    
,national ,guard of the ,district of    
,columbia to attend undergraduate1      
vocational1 or technical courses4  #a4  
,district of ,columbia ,national ,guard 
,educational ,assistance ,program ,the  
,act entitled ,an ,act to provide for   
the organization of the militia of the  
,district of ,columbia1 approved ,march 
#a1 #ahhi 7sec4 #di--aja et seq41 ,d4,c4
 ,official ,code7 is amended by adding  
at the end the following new title3     

,,ii ,educational ,assistance ,program  
#bja4 ,short title2 ,findings  7a7      
,short ,title ,this title may be cited  
as the ,major ,general ,david ,f4       
,wherley1 ,jr4 ,district of ,columbia   
,national ,guard ,retention and ,college
 ,access ,act4  7b7 ,findings ,congress 
makes the following findings3  7#a7 ,the
 ,district of ,columbia ,national ,guard
 is under the exclusive jurisdiction of 
the ,president of the ,united ,states as
 ,commander-in-,chief and1 unlike other 
,national ,guards1 is permanently       
federalized4  7#b7 ,the ,district of    
,columbia ,national ,guard is unique and
 differs from the ,national ,guards of  
the several ,states in that the         
,district of ,columbia ,national ,guard 
is responsible1 not only for residents  
of the ,district of ,columbia1 but also 
for a special and unique mission and    
obligation as a result of the extensive 
presence of the ,federal ,government in 
the ,district of ,columbia4  7#c7       
,consequently1 the ,president of the    

,united ,states1 rather than the chief  
executive of the ,district of ,columbia1
 is in command of the ,district of      
,columbia ,national ,guard1 and only the
 ,president can call up the ,district of
 ,columbia ,national ,guard even for    
local emergencies4  7#d7 ,the ,district 
of ,columbia ,national ,guard has been  
specifically trained to address the     
unique emergencies that may occur       
regarding the presence of the ,federal  
,government in the ,district of         
,columbia4  7#e7 ,the great majority of 
the members of the ,district of         
,columbia ,national ,guard actually live
 in ,maryland or ,virginia1 rather than 
in the ,district of ,columbia4  7#f7    
,the ,district of ,columbia ,national   
,guard has been experiencing a          
disproportionate decline in force in    
comparison to the ,national ,guards of  
,maryland and ,virginia4  7#g7 ,the     
,states of ,maryland and ,virginia      
provide additional recruiting and       
retention incentives1 such as           

educational benefits1 in order to       
maintain their force1 and their         
,national ,guards have drawn recruits   
from the ,district of ,columbia at a    
rate that puts at risk the maintenance  
of the necessary force levels for the   
,district of ,columbia ,national ,guard4
  7#h7 ,funds for an educational benefit
 for members of the ,district of        
,columbia ,national ,guard would provide
 an incentive to help reverse the loss  
of members to nearby ,national ,guards  
and allow for maintenance and increase  
of necessary ,district of ,columbia     
,national ,guard personnel4  7#i7 ,the  
loss of members of the ,district of     
,columbia ,national ,guard could        
adversely affect the readiness of the   
,district of ,columbia ,national ,guard 
to respond in the event of a terrorist  
attack on the capital of the ,united    
,states4  #bjb4 ,district of ,columbia  
,national ,guard ,educational           
,assistance ,program  7a7 ,educational  
assistance program authorized ,the      

,mayor of the ,district of ,columbia1 in
 coordination with the commanding       
general of the ,district of ,columbia   
,national ,guard1 shall establish a     
program under which the ,mayor may      
provide financial assistance to an      
eligible member of the ,district of     
,columbia ,national ,guard to assist the
 member in covering expenses incurred by
 the member while enrolled in an        
approved institution of higher education
 to pursue the member's first           
undergraduate1 masters1 vocational1 or  
technical degree or certification4  7b7 
,eligibility  7#a7 ,criteria ,a member  
of the ,district of ,columbia ,national 
,guard is eligible to receive assistance
 under the program established under    
this title if the commanding general of 
the ,district of ,columbia ,national    
,guard certifies to the ,mayor the      
following3  7,a7 ,the member has        
satisfactorily completed required       
initial active duty service4  7,b7 ,the 
member has executed a written agreement 

to serve in the ,district of ,columbia  
,national ,guard for a period of not    
less than #f years4  7,c7 ,the member is
 not receiving a ,reserve ,officer      
,training ,corps scholarship4  7#b7     
,maintenance of eligibility ,to continue
 to be eligible for financial assistance
 under the program1 a member of the     
,district of ,columbia ,national ,guard 
must--  7,a7 be satisfactorily          
performing duty in the ,district of     
,columbia ,national ,guard in accordance
 with regulations of the ,national      
,guard 7as certified to the ,mayor by   
the commanding general of the ,district 
of ,columbia ,national ,guard72  7,b7 be
 enrolled on a full-time or part-time   
basis 7seeking to earn at least #c1 but 
less than #ab credit hours per semester7
 in an approved institution of higher   
education2 and  7,c7 maintain           
satisfactory progress in the course of  
study the member is pursuing1 determined
 in accordance with section #dhd7;c7 of 
the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife    

7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajia7;c774  #bjc4       
,treatment of ,assistance ,provided  7a7
 ,permitted ,use of ,funds ,financial   
assistance received by a member of the  
,district of ,columbia ,national ,guard 
under the program under this title may  
be used to cover--  7#a7 tuition and    
fees charged by an approved institution 
of higher education involved2  7#b7 the 
cost of books2 and  7#c7 laboratory     
expenses4  7b7 ,amount of assistance    
,the amount of financial assistance     
provided to a member of the ,district of
 ,columbia ,national ,guard under the   
program may be up to #djj per credit    
hour1 but not to exceed #f1jjj per year4
 ,if the ,mayor determines that the     
amount available to provide assistance  
under this title in any year will be    
insufficient1 the ,mayor may reduce the 
maximum amount of the assistance        
authorized1 or set a limit on the number
 of participants1 to ensure that amounts
 expended do not exceed available       
amounts4  7c7 ,relation to other        

assistance ,except as provided in       
section #bjb7;b77#a77;,c71 a member of  
the ,district of ,columbia ,national    
,guard may receive financial assistance 
under the program in addition to        
educational assistance provided under   
any other provision of law4  7d7        
,repayment ,a member of the ,district of
 ,columbia ,national ,guard who receives
 assistance under the program and who1  
voluntarily or because of misconduct1   
fails to serve for the period covered by
 the agreement required by section      
#bjb7;b77#a7 or fails to comply with the
 eligibility conditions specified in    
section #bjb7;b77#b7 shall be subject to
 the repayment provisions of section    
#cgc of title #cg1 ,united ,states      
,code4  #bjd4 ,administration and       
,funding of ,program  7a7               
,administration ,the ,mayor1 in         
coordination with the commanding general
 of the ,district of ,columbia ,national
 ,guard and in consultation with        
approved institutions of higher         

education1 shall develop policies and   
procedures for the administration of the
 program under this title4 ,nothing in  
this title shall be construed to require
 an institution of higher education to  
alter the institution's admissions      
policies or standards in any manner to  
enable a member of the ,district of     
,columbia ,national ,guard to enroll in 
the institution4  7b7 ,funding sources  
and gifts  7#a7 ,authorization of       
appropriations ,there are authorized to 
be appropriated to the ,district of     
,columbia such sums as may be necessary 
to enable the ,mayor to provide         
financial assistance under the program4 
,funds appropriated pursuant to this    
authorization of appropriations shall   
remain available until expended4  7#b7  
,transfer of funds ,the ,mayor may      
accept the transfer of funds from       
,federal agencies and use any funds so  
transferred for purposes of providing   
assistance under the program4 ,there is 
authorized to be appropriated to the    

head of any executive branch agency such
 sums as may be necessary to permit the 
transfer of funds to the ,mayor to      
provide financial assistance under this 
section4  7#c7 ,donations ,the ,mayor   
may accept1 use1 and dispose of         
donations of services or property for   
purposes of providing assistance under  
the program4  #bje4 ,definition ,in this
 title1 the term approved institution of
 higher education means an institution  
of higher education 7as defined in      
section #ajb of the ,higher ,education  
,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajjb77    
that--  7#a7 is eligible to participate 
in the student financial assistance     
programs under title ,,iv of the ,higher
 ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4
 #ajgj et seq472 and  7#b7 has entered  
into an agreement with the ,mayor       
containing an assurance that funds made 
available under this title are used to  
supplement and not supplant other       
assistance that may be available for    
members of the ,district of ,columbia   

,national ,guard4  #bjf4 ,effective     
,date ,financial assistance may be      
provided under the program under this   
title to eligible members of the        
,district of ,columbia ,national ,guard 
for periods of instruction that begin on
 or after ,january #a1 #bjac4  4