text: SECTION 1. PURPOSE.
  
      It is the purpose of this Act to ensure that Federal funding is 
  provided to support and sustain the longstanding Federal mandate 
  requiring Fort Lewis College in the State of Colorado to waive tuition 
  charges for each Indian student it admits to an undergraduate program, 
  including the waiver of tuition charges for Indian students who are not 
  residents of the State of Colorado.
  
  SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
  
      Congress finds that--
              (1) Fort Lewis College in the State of Colorado is a 
          signature school for Indian students from throughout the Nation 
          and graduates more Indian students than any other baccalaureate 
          institution of higher education;
              (2) in 2009, Fort Lewis College awarded 95 degrees in 
          science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to Indian 
          students, representing 13.5 percent of degrees awarded by 
          baccalaureate institutions of higher education to Indian 
          students, more degrees than any other comparable baccalaureate 
          institution in the Nation;
              (3) as of the 2010-11 academic year, Fort Lewis College 
          provides federally mandated tuition-free education to 
          approximately 786 Indian students from 124 different Indian 
          tribes and 34 different States, representing approximately 20 
          percent of the overall student population at this non-tribal 
          institution of higher education that serves Indian students;
              (4) the Federal mandate to provide tuition-free education 
          to Indian students was first placed upon the State of Colorado 
          under section 5 of the Act of April 4, 1910 (36 Stat. 273, 
          chapter 140), as a condition of the transfer of the land, 
          buildings, and fixtures comprising Fort Lewis School, which had 
          been federally operated;
              (5) the amount of funds expended by the State of Colorado 
          to meet the waiver of tuition obligations under section 5 of 
          the Act of April 4, 1910 (36 Stat. 273, chapter 140), for all 
          Indian students, both out-of-State and in-State, far exceeds 
          the value of the land, buildings, and fixtures that the State 
          of Colorado holds for the benefit of Fort Lewis College;
              (6) the State of Colorado has expended more than 
          $110,000,000 in the past 25 years to meet the costs of the 
          tuition waivers for Indian students at Fort Lewis College from 
          44 different States; and
              (7) the federally mandated tuition waiver program for 
          Indian students at Fort Lewis College is at risk of being 
          reduced by the severe budget constraints of the State of 
          Colorado, thereby jeopardizing the education of many talented 
          Indian students from around the Nation, in present and future 
          classes.
  
  SEC. 3. STATE RELIEF FROM FEDERAL MANDATE.
  
      (a) Amount of Payment.--
              (1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), for fiscal year 
          2011 and each succeeding fiscal year, the Secretary of 
          Education shall pay to Fort Lewis College in the State of 
          Colorado an amount equal to the charges for tuition for all 
          Indian students who are not residents of the State of Colorado 
          and who are enrolled in Fort Lewis College for the academic 
          year ending before the beginning of such fiscal year.
              (2) Limitation.--The amount paid to Fort Lewis College for 
          each fiscal year under paragraph (1) may not exceed the amount 
          equal to the charges for tuition for all Indian students who 
          were not residents of the State of Colorado and who were 
          enrolled in Fort Lewis College for academic year 2010-2011.
      (b) Treatment of Payment.--Any amounts received under this section 
  shall be treated as a reimbursement from the State of Colorado to Fort 
  Lewis College for complying with the requirement of section 5 of the 
  Act of April 4, 1910 (36 Stat. 273, chapter 140), to admit Indian 
  students free of charge of tuition.
      (c) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this Act shall be construed 
  to relieve the State of Colorado from reimbursing, for purposes of 
  complying with the requirements of section 5 of the Act of April 4, 
  1910 (36 Stat. 273, chapter 140), Fort Lewis College for each academic 
  year--
              (1) with respect to Indian students who are not residents 
          of the State of Colorado and who are enrolled in Fort Lewis 
          College, any amount of charges for tuition for such students 
          that exceeds the amount received under this section for such 
          academic year; and
              (2) with respect to Indian students who are residents of 
          the State of Colorado and who are enrolled in Fort Lewis 
          College, an amount equal to the charges for tuition for such 
          students for such academic year.
      (d) Definition.--In this section, the term ``Indian students'' 
  refers to the term ``Indian pupils'' in section 5 of the Act of April 
  4, 1910 (36 Stat. 269, chapter 140).
      (e) Funding.--There are authorized to be appropriated, and there 
  are appropriated (in addition to any other amounts appropriated to 
  carry out this section and out of any money in the Treasury not 
  otherwise appropriated), such sums as may be necessary to carry out 
  this section.
target: Requires the Secretary of Education, beginning in FY2011, to pay to Fort Lewis College in Colorado an amount equal to the charges for tuition for enrolled Indian students who are not Colorado residents.
  
  Limits the amount paid to Fort Lewis College per fiscal year to an amount equal to the charges for tuition for Indian students who were non-Colorado residents and were enrolled for the academic year 2010-2011.
  
  Treats amounts received under this Act as a reimbursement from Colorado to Fort Lewis College for complying with federal law requiring the admission of Indian students at the College free of charge of tuition.
  
  Prohibits anything in this Act from being construed as relieving Colorado from reimbursing Fort Lewis College for each academic year: (1) with respect to enrolled Indian students who are not Colorado residents, any amount of the charges for their tuition which exceeds the amount received under this Act; and (2) with respect to enrolled Indian students who are Colorado residents, an amount equal to the charges for their tuition.
feat_title: A bill to direct the Secretary of Education to pay to Fort Lewis College in the State of Colorado an amount equal to the tuition charges for Indian students who are not residents of the State of Colorado.