District of Columbia College Access Improvement Act of 2002
Public Law 107-157 · H.R. 1499 · 107th Congress · began in the House
Signed by George W. Bush (R) on Apr 4, 2002 · Education
Sponsor: Rep. Eleanor Norton (D-DC)
Cosponsors (2): Rep. Constance Morella, Rep. Tom Davis
Passage votes
- HouseMethod not stated
- SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
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 (the Act) 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 (currently, HBCUs whose main campuses are located in Maryland and Virginia) 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.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Oversight and Accountability Committee · House · markup by, referred toSubcommittee: District of Columbia Subcommittee
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee · Senate · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia Subcommittee
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 21 actions.
- Apr 4, 2002Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 107-157.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Mar 25, 2002PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Mar 14, 2002Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to the House amendment to the Senate amendments to H.R. 1499 by Unanimous Consent.
- Mar 12, 2002FloorFloor · House agreed to Senate amendments with amendment pursuant to H. Res. 364.
- Dec 12, 2001FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment and an amendment to the Title by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · The committee substitute as amended agreed to by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- Nov 29, 2001CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
- Nov 14, 2001CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
- Sep 10, 2001CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia Subcommittee of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
- Aug 2, 2001CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
- Jul 30, 2001FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · Mrs. Morella moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- Jul 25, 2001CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Oversight and Government Reform Committee
- Jun 26, 2001CommitteeCommittee · Reported by District of Columbia Subcommittee of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Markup by District of Columbia Subcommittee of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee
- Apr 23, 2001CommitteeCommittee · Referred to District of Columbia Subcommittee of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee
- Apr 4, 2001CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Oversight and Government Reform Committee
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the House
Data notes
Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.