(b) APPROVAL OF DESIGN AND SITE.--The Secretary of the Army, in consultation with Secretary of Veterans Affairs, shall approve an appropriate design and site within Arlington National Cemetery for the memorial marker provided for under subsection (a).
(c) USE OF FEDERAL FUNDS.--Federal funds shall not be required or permitted to be used for the design and construction of the memorial marker provided for under subsection (a).
(d) AUTHORITY TO ACCEPT DONATIONS.--(1) The Secretary of the Army may accept gifts and donations of services, money, and property (including personal, tangible, or intangible property) for the design and construction of the memorial marker provided for under subsection (a).
(2) The authority of the Secretary of the Army to accept gifts and donations under paragraph (1) shall expire on the date that is five years after the date of the enactment of this Act.
AMENDMENT NO. 30
Page 479, in the table following line 9--
(1) in the item for Robins Air Force Base, strike ``$15,000,000'' and insert ``$21,570,000''; and
(2) in the total at the bottom of the table, strike ``$398,714,000'' and insert ``$405,284,000''.
Page 483, line 2, strike ``$2,493,679,000'' and insert ``$2,500,249,000''.
Page 483, line 5, strike ``$398,714,000'' and insert ``$405,284,000''.
Page 492, line 7, strike ``$114,090,000'' and insert ``$107,520,000''.
AMENDMENT NO. 31
At the end of title I (page 27, after line 10), insert the following new section:
SEC. __. TRANSFER OF CERTAIN ARMY PROCUREMENT FUNDS.
(a) INCREASE FOR CERTAIN HELICOPTER ITEMS.--The amount provided in section 101(1) for procurement of aircraft for the Army is hereby increased by $4,000,000, of which--
(1) $2,000,000 shall be available for procurement of the Aircraft Wireless Intercom System; and
(2) $2,000,000 shall be available for procurement of bladefold kits for Apache Helicopters.
(b) OFFSET.--The amount provided in section 101(5) for Other Procurement, Army, is hereby reduced by $4,000,000, to be derived from amounts for Information Systems.
AMENDMENT NO. 32
At the end of subtitle F of title V (page 172, after line 9), insert the following new section:
SEC. 5__. ESTABLISHMENT OF COLLEGE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FOR DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA NATIONAL GUARD.
(a) Authority.--Under regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary concerned may, in recognition of the unique position of the District of Columbia in the Federal system, provide financial assistance to eligible members of the National Guard of the District of Columbia for expenses of such a member while enrolled in an approved institution of higher education in a degree, certificate, or other program (including a program of study abroad approved for credit by the institution of higher education) leading to a recognized educational credential at the institution of higher education. Any such assistance may be provided only during the program applicability period specified in subsection (i).
(b) Authority Subject to Availability of Appropriations.--The authority provided in subsection (a) is subject to the availability of appropriations for that purpose.
(c) Eligibility.--To be eligible for financial assistance under this section, a member of the National Guard of the District of Columbia must--
(1) be a member of the National Guard of the District of Columbia for not less than the 12 consecutive months preceding the commencement of the tuition assistance and continue to be such a member while receiving such assistance;
(2) agree to serve one year in the National Guard of the District of Columbia for each academic year of assistance provided;
(3) be enrolled or accepted for enrollment in a program of education referred to in subsection (a) at an institution of higher education; and
(4) if already enrolled, maintain satisfactory progress in the course of study the member is pursuing in accordance with section 484(c) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1091(c)).
(d) Covered Expenses.--Expenses for which financial assistance may be provided under this section are the following:
(1) Tuition and fees charged by an approved institution of higher education involved.
(2) The cost of books.
(3) Laboratory expenses.
(e) Amount.--(1) The amount of financial assistance provided to a member of the National Guard of the District of Columbia under this section shall be prescribed by the Secretary concerned, but may not exceed $2,500 for any academic year. The Secretary concerned shall prorate assistance under this section for members who pursue a program of education on less than a full-time basis.
(2) A member may not receive more than $12,500 under this section.
(f) Construction.--Nothing in this section 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 National Guard of the District of Columbia to enroll in the institution.
(g) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) The term ``approved institution of higher education'' means an institution of higher education (as defined in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)) that--
(A) is eligible to participate in the student financial assistance programs under title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070 et seq.); and
(B) has entered into an agreement with the Secretary concerned containing such conditions as the Secretary may specify, including a requirement that the institution use the funds made available under this section to supplement and not supplant assistance that otherwise would be provided to eligible students from the District of Columbia National Guard.
(2) SECRETARY CONCERNED.--The term ``Secretary concerned'' means--
(A) the Secretary of the Army, in the case of the Army National Guard of the District of Columbia; and
(B) the Secretary of the Air Force, in the case of the Air National Guard of the District of Columbia.
(h) Annual Report.--At the close of each year during which the program under this section is in effect, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report on the effectiveness of the program in improving recruiting and retention for the District of Columbia National Guard. Each such report shall include such recommendations for changes in law or policy as the Secretary considers appropriate. In the first such report, the Secretary shall include an analysis of means for improving the effectiveness as a recruitment and retention incentive of any program providing tuition assistance for members of the District of Columbia National Guard in existence as of the date of the enactment of this Act.
(i) Program Applicability Period.--Financial assistance may be provided under this section to eligible members of the National Guard of the District of Columbia for periods of instruction that begin during the three-year period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act.
AMENDMENT NO. 13, AS MODIFIED
At the end of title XXXI (page 556, after line 10), insert the following new section:
SEC. 31__. ADDITIONAL AMOUNT FOR DEFENSE SITE ACCELERATION COMPLETION.
(a) ADDITIONAL AMOUNT.--The amount in section 3102 is hereby increased by $50,000,000, to be available under section 3102(1) for defense site acceleration completion.
(b) OFFSET.--The amount in section 301(4), operation and maintenance, Air Force, is hereby reduced by $50,000,000, to be derived from the transportation capital fund.