text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``National Guard and Reservists 
  Education Benefits Act''.
  
  SEC. 2. BLOCK GRANTS TO STATES FOR TUITION ASSISTANCE FOR MEMBERS OF 
                THE SELECTED RESERVE.
  
      (a) Establishment of Program.--
              (1) In general.--The Secretary of Education shall carry out 
          a program of block grants to States under this section to 
          provide for the payment of tuition and fees for undergraduate 
          studies at public institutions of higher learning otherwise 
          payable by a member of the Selected Reserve attending those 
          institutions for those studies.
              (2) Limitation.--Tuition assistance under this section 
          shall not be made available to a member of the Selected Reserve 
          who participates in the program of educational assistance under 
          chapter 1606 of title 10, United States Code, or under chapter 
          30 of title 38, United States Code.
      (b) State Certifications.--Not later than October 1 of each of 
  fiscal year for which a State desires to receive an allotment under 
  this section, the chief executive officer of the State shall submit to 
  the Secretary a certification that the State will--
              (1) use such funds to defray the costs of tuition and fees 
          for undergraduate studies of members of the Selected Reserve 
          attending public institutions of higher learning in the States;
              (2) return any unused funds to the Secretary in accordance 
          with the reconciliation process under subsection (d); and
              (3) comply with the reporting requirements under subsection 
          (e).
      (c) Payments to States.--For each of fiscal years 2005 through 
  2010, the Secretary shall pay to each State that submits a 
  certification under subsection (b), from any funds appropriated under 
  subsection (g), for the fiscal year an amount equal to the amount of 
  the allotment determined for the fiscal year under subsection (f).
      (d) Reconciliation Process.--
              (1) 3-year availability of amounts allotted.--Each State 
          that receives an allotment under this section shall return to 
          the Secretary any unused portion of the amount allotted to a 
          State under this section for a fiscal year not later than the 
          last day of the second succeeding fiscal year together with any 
          earnings on such unused portion.
              (2) Procedure for redistribution of unused allotments.--The 
          Secretary shall establish an appropriate procedure for 
          redistributing to States that have expended the entire amount 
          allotted under this section any amount that is--
                      (A) returned to the Secretary by States under 
                  paragraph (1); or
                      (B) not allotted to a State under this section 
                  because the State did not submit a certification under 
                  subsection (b) by October 1 of a fiscal year.
      (e) Reporting Requirements.--
              (1) Monitoring and evaluation.--Each State receiving an 
          allotment under this section for a fiscal year shall monitor 
          and evaluate the tuition assistance program carried out under 
          this section using funds made available under this section in 
          such manner as the Secretary, in consultation with the States, 
          determines appropriate.
              (2) Annual reports.--Not less frequently than annually, 
          each State receiving an allotment under this section for a 
          fiscal year shall submit to the Secretary reports on the 
          tuition assistance programs carried out under this section at 
          such time, in such manner, and containing such information as 
          the Secretary may require.
      (f) Amount of Allotments.--
              (1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), of 
          the amount appropriated for the purpose of making allotments 
          under this section for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall allot 
          to each State that submits a certification under subsection (b) 
          for the fiscal year an amount equal to the amount that bears 
          the same ratio to the number of members of the Selected Reserve 
          residing in the State (as determined by the Secretary based on 
          the most recent March supplement to the Current Population 
          Survey of the Bureau of the Census before the beginning of the 
          calendar year in which such fiscal year begins) as bears to the 
          number of members of the Selected Reserve residing in all 
          States.
              (2) Minimum allotments.--No allotment for a fiscal year 
          under this section shall be less than--
                      (A) in the case of a State other than the 
                  Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin 
                  Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of 
                  the Northern Mariana Islands, 1 percent of the amount 
                  appropriated for the fiscal year under subsection (g); 
                  and
                      (B) in the case of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, 
                  the United States Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, 
                  and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, 
                  0.5 percent of such amount.
              (3) Pro rata reductions.--The Secretary shall make such pro 
          rata reductions to the allotments determined under paragraph 
          (1) as are necessary to comply with the requirements of 
          paragraph (2).
      (g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
  appropriated $100,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2005 through 2010 
  for purposes of making allotments to States under this section.
      (h) Definitions.--In this section:
              (1) Selected reserve.--The term ``Selected Reserve'' means 
          the Selected Reserve of the Ready Reserve of any of the reserve 
          components (including the Army National Guard of the United 
          States and the Air National Guard of the United States) of the 
          Armed Forces, as required to be maintained under section 
          10143(a) of title 10, United States Code.
              (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
          of Education.
              (3) Institution of higher learning.--The term ``institution 
          of higher education'' has the meaning given that term under 
          section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
          1001(a)).
              (4) State.--The term State'' means each of the 50 States, 
          the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the 
          United States Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the 
          Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
              (5) Tuition and fees for undergraduate studies.--The term 
          ``tuition and fees for undergraduate studies'' means the actual 
          cost of tuition and fees for undergraduate studies charged by a 
          public institution of higher learning to similarly 
          circumstanced individuals who are not members of the Selected 
          Reserve for enrollment in courses of education at the 
          institution, and includes the average cost of books and 
          supplies payable by such individuals for those studies.
target: National Guard and Reservists Education Benefits Act - Requires the Secretary of Education to carry out a program of block grants to States (defined to include U.S. territories and the District of Columbia) to pay tuition and fees for undergraduate studies at public institutions for members of the Selected Reserve.
  
  Excludes from the block grant program those members of the Selected Reserve who participate in other specified educational assistance programs.
  
  Requires the chief executive officer of each State wishing to receive block grant funds to submit an annual certification that the State will: (1) use such funds to defray the cost of undergraduate tuition and fees for members of the Selected Reserve; (2) return any unused funds to the Secretary according to the reconciliation process set forth in this Act; and (3) comply with the reporting requirements of this Act.
  
  Sets forth an allotment scheme for block grant funds that requires allotments to reflect the ratio of Selected Reserve members in the receiving State to Selected Reserve members in all States. Establishes minimum allotments.
feat_title: To provide grants to States for tuition assistance for undergraduate studies for members of the Selected Reserve at public institutions of higher learning.