- ‘(a) Timing and Recording Requirements-
- ‘(1) IN
GENERAL- Notwithstanding subtitles C, D, and H, and any other provision
of law, in approving a position as an approved national service
position, an approved summer of service position, or an approved silver
scholar position, the Corporation--
- ‘(A) shall approve the position at the time the Corporation--
- ‘(i)
enters into an enforceable agreement with an individual participant to
serve in a program carried out under subtitle E of title I of this Act,
section 198B or 198C(a), or under title I of the Domestic Volunteer
Service Act of 1973 (42 U.S.C. 4951 et seq.), a summer of service
program described in section 119(c)(8), or a silver scholarship program
described in section 198C(a); or
‘(ii) except as provided in clause (i), awards a grant to (or enters into a contract or cooperative agreement with) an entity to carry out a program for which such a position is approved under section 123; and
‘(3) CERTIFICATION REPORT- The Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation shall annually prepare and submit to the authorizing committees a report that contains a certification that the Corporation is in compliance with the requirements of paragraph (1).
‘(4) APPROVAL- The requirements of this subsection shall apply to each approved national service position, approved summer of service position, or approved silver scholarship position that the Corporation approves--
- ‘(A) during fiscal year 2010; and
‘(B) during any subsequent fiscal year.
- ‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT AND CONTENTS-
- ‘(A)
ESTABLISHMENT- Notwithstanding subtitles C, D, and H, and any other
provision of law, within the National Service Trust established under
section 145, the Corporation shall establish a reserve account.
‘(B) CONTENTS- To ensure the availability of adequate funds to support the awards of approved national service positions, approved summer of service positions, and approved silver scholar positions, for each fiscal year, the Corporation shall place in the account--
- ‘(i)
during fiscal year 2010, a portion of the funds that were appropriated
for fiscal year 2010 or a previous fiscal year under section 501 of this
Act or section 501 of the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 (42
U.S.C. 5081), were made available to carry out subtitle C, D, or E of
this title, section 198B or 198C(a), subtitle A of title I of the
Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973, or summer of service programs
described in section 119(c)(8), and remain available; and
‘(ii) during fiscal year 2011 or a subsequent fiscal year, a portion of the funds that were appropriated for that fiscal year under section 501 of this Act or section 501 of the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 (42 U.S.C. 5081), were made available to carry out subtitle C, D, or E of this title, section 198B or 198C(a), subtitle A of title I of the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973, or summer of service programs described in section 119(c)(8), and remain available.
- ‘(A)
determines that the funds will not be needed for the payment of
national service educational awards associated with previously approved
national service positions, summer of service educational awards
associated with previously approved summer of service positions, and
silver scholar educational awards associated with previously approved
silver scholar positions; or
‘(B) obligates the funds for the payment of national service educational awards for such previously approved national service positions, summer of service educational awards for such previously approved summer of service positions, or silver scholar educational awards for such previously approved silver scholar positions, as applicable.
‘(d) Availability of Amounts- Except as provided in subsection (b), all amounts included in the National Service Trust under paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of section 145(a) shall be available for payments of national service educational awards, summer of service educational awards, or silver scholar educational awards under section 148.’.
(b) Conforming Repeal- The Strengthen AmeriCorps Program Act (42 U.S.C. 12605) is repealed.
Subtitle E--Amendments to Subtitle E (National Civilian Community Corps)
SEC. 1501. PURPOSE.- Section 151 (42 U.S.C. 12611) is amended to read as follows:
SEC. 1502. PROGRAM COMPONENTS.‘SEC. 151. PURPOSE. ‘It is the purpose of this subtitle to authorize the operation of, and support for, residential and other service programs that combine the best practices of civilian service with the best aspects of military service, including leadership and team building, to meet national and community needs. The needs to be met under such programs include those needs related to--
‘(1) natural and other disasters;
‘(2) infrastructure improvement;
‘(3) environmental stewardship and conservation;
‘(4) energy conservation; and
‘(5) urban and rural development.’.
- Section 152 (42 U.S.C. 12612) is amended--
- (1) by amending the section heading to read as follows:
‘SEC. 152. ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIONAL CIVILIAN COMMUNITY CORPS PROGRAM.’;
- (2) in subsection (a), by striking ‘Civilian
Community Corps Demonstration Program’ and inserting ‘National Civilian
Community Corps Program’;
(3) in the matter preceding paragraph (1) of subsection (b)--
- (A) by striking ‘Civilian Community Corps Demonstration Program’ and inserting ‘National Civilian Community Corps Program’; and
(B) by striking ‘a Civilian Community Corps’ and inserting ‘a National Civilian Community Corps’; and
‘(c) Residential Components- Both programs referred to in subsection (b) may include a residential component.’.
- Section 153 (42 U.S.C. 12613) is amended--
- (1) in subsection (a)--
- (A) by striking ‘Civilian Community Corps Demonstration Program’ and inserting ‘National Civilian Community Corps Program’; and
(B) by striking ‘on Civilian Community Corps’ and inserting ‘on National Civilian Community Corps’;
‘(1) is, or will be, at least 18 years of age on or before December 31 of the calendar year in which the individual enrolls in the program, but is not more than 24 years of age as of the date the individual begins participating in the program; and’;(3) in subsection (c)--
- (A) in the subsection heading, by striking ‘Backrounds’ and inserting ‘Backgrounds’; and
(B) by adding at the end the following: ‘The Director shall take appropriate steps, including through outreach and recruitment activities, to increase the percentage of participants in the program who are disadvantaged youth to 50 percent of all participants by year 2012. The Director shall report to the authorizing committees biennially on such steps, any challenges faced, and the annual participation rates of disadvantaged youth in the program.’;
(5) by redesignating subsection (e) as subsection (d).
- Section 154 (42 U.S.C. 12614) is amended--
- (1) in subsection (a)--
- (A) by striking ‘Civilian Community Corps Demonstration Program’ and inserting ‘National Civilian Community Corps Program’; and
(B) by striking ‘on Civilian Community Corps’ and inserting ‘on National Civilian Community Corps’; and
- Section 155 (42 U.S.C. 12615) is amended--
- (1) by amending the section heading to read as follows:
‘SEC. 155. NATIONAL CIVILIAN COMMUNITY CORPS.’;
- (2) in subsection (a)--
- (A) by striking ‘Civilian Community Corps Demonstration Program’ and inserting ‘National Civilian Community Corps Program’; and
(B) by striking ‘the Civilian Community Corps shall’ and inserting ‘the National Civilian Community Corps shall’;
- (A) by amending the subsection heading to read as follows:
‘(b) Membership in National Civilian Community Corps- ’;
- (B) in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘National’ before ‘Civilian Community Corps’;
(C) in paragraph (3)--
- (i) by striking ‘superintendent’ and inserting ‘campus director’; and
(ii) by striking ‘camp’ and inserting ‘campus’; and
‘(4) TEAM LEADERS-(4) in subsection (d)--
‘(A) IN GENERAL- The Director may select individuals with prior supervisory or service experience to be team leaders within units in the National Civilian Community Corps, to perform service that includes leading and supervising teams of Corps members. Each team leader shall be selected without regard to the age limitation under section 153(b).
‘(B) RIGHTS AND BENEFITS- A team leader shall be provided the same rights and benefits applicable to other Corps members, except that the Director may increase the limitation on the amount of the living allowance under section 158(b) by not more than 10 percent for a team leader.’;
- (A) by amending the subsection heading to read as follows:
‘(d) Campuses- ’;
- (B) in paragraph (1)--
- (i) by amending the paragraph heading to read as follows:
‘(1) UNITS TO BE ASSIGNED TO CAMPUSES- ’;
- (ii) by striking ‘in camps’ and inserting ‘in campuses’;
(iii) by striking ‘Corps camp’ and inserting ‘Corps campus’; and
(iv) by striking ‘in the camps’ and inserting ‘in the campuses’;
‘(2) CAMPUS DIRECTOR- There shall be a campus director for each campus. The campus director is the head of the campus.(5) in subsection (e)--
‘(3) ELIGIBLE SITE FOR CAMPUS- A campus shall be cost effective and may, upon the completion of a feasibility study, be located in a facility referred to in section 162(c).’;
- (A) by amending the subsection heading to read as follows:
‘(e) Distribution of Units and Campuses- ’;
- (B) by striking ‘camps are distributed’ and inserting ‘campuses are cost effective and are distributed’; and
(C) by striking ‘rural areas’ and all that follows through the period at the end and inserting ‘rural areas such that each Corps unit in a region can be easily deployed for disaster and emergency response to such region.’; and
- (A) in paragraph (1)--
- (i) by striking ‘superintendent’ and inserting ‘campus director’; and
(ii) by striking ‘camp’ both places such term appears and inserting ‘campus’;
- (i)
in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking ‘superintendent
of a camp’ and inserting ‘campus director of a campus’;
(ii) in subparagraph (A)--
- (I) by striking ‘superintendent’ and inserting ‘campus director’;
(II) by striking ‘superintendent’s’ and inserting ‘campus director’s’; and
(III) by striking ‘camp’ each place such term appears and inserting ‘campus’; and
- Section 156 (42 U.S.C. 12616) is amended--
- (1) in subsection (a)--
- (A) by inserting ‘National’ before ‘Civilian Community Corps’; and
(B) by adding at the end the following: ‘The Director shall ensure that, to the extent practicable, each member of the Corps is trained in CPR, first aid, and other skills related to disaster preparedness and response.’;
(3) by amending subsection (c)(2) to read as follows:
‘(2) COORDINATION WITH OTHER ENTITIES- Members of the cadre may provide, either directly or through grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements, the advanced service training referred to in subsection (b)(1) in coordination with vocational or technical schools, other employment and training providers, existing youth service programs, other qualified individuals, or organizations with expertise in training youth, including disadvantaged youth, in the skills described in such subsection.’; and(4) in subsection (d), by striking ‘section 162(a)(3)’ and inserting ‘section 162(c)’.
- Section 157 (42 U.S.C. 12617) is amended--
- (1) in subsection (a)--
- (A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by inserting ‘National’ before ‘Civilian Community Corps’;
(B) in paragraph (1), by inserting before the semicolon the following: ‘, with specific emphasis on projects in support of infrastructure improvement, energy conservation, and urban and rural development’; and
(C) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘service learning’ and inserting ‘service-learning’;
- (A) in paragraph (1)--
- (i)
in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘and the Secretary of Housing and
Urban Development’ and inserting ‘the Secretary of Housing and Urban
Development, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency,
the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the
Secretary of Energy, the Secretary of Transportation, and the Chief of
the Forest Service’; and
(ii) in subparagraph (B)--
- (I) by inserting ‘community-based entities and’ before ‘representatives of local communities’; and
(II) by striking ‘camp’ both places such term appears and inserting ‘campus’; and
- (A) in paragraph (1)--
- (i) by striking ‘superintendent’ both places such term appears and inserting ‘campus director’; and
(ii) by striking ‘camp’ both places such term appears and inserting ‘campus’; and
- Section 158 (42 U.S.C. 12618) is amended--
- (1) in subsection (a), by inserting ‘National’ before ‘Civilian Community Corps’; and
(2) in subsection (c)--
- (A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1)--
- (i) by inserting ‘National’ before ‘Civilian Community Corps’; and
(ii) by inserting before the colon the following: ‘, as the Director determines appropriate’;
(C) in paragraph (7), by striking ‘Recreational services and supplies’ and inserting ‘Supplies’.
- Section 159 (42 U.S.C. 12619) is amended--
- (1) in subsection (a)--
- (A)
in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking ‘Civilian Community
Corps Demonstration Program’ and inserting ‘National Civilian Community
Corps Program’; and
(B) in paragraph (1)--
- (i) by inserting ‘including those’ before ‘recommended’; and
(ii) by inserting ‘National’ before ‘Civilian Community Corps’;
(3) in subsection (c)--
- (A) in paragraph (1)(B)(i), by inserting ‘National’ before ‘Civilian Community Corps’; and
(B) in paragraph (2)--
- (i) in subparagraph (A)--
- (I)
by striking ‘The Director shall establish a permanent cadre of’ and
inserting ‘The Chief Executive Officer shall establish a permanent cadre
that includes the Director and other appointed’; and
(II) by inserting ‘National’ before ‘Civilian Community Corps’;
(iii) in subparagraph (C)--
- (I) in the matter preceding clause (i), by striking ‘the Director’ and inserting ‘the Chief Executive Officer’;
(II) in clause (i), by striking ‘section 162(a)(2)’ and inserting ‘section 162(b)’;
(III) in clause (iii), by striking ‘and’ at the end;
(IV) by redesignating clause (iv) as clause (v); and
(V) by inserting after clause (iii) the following:
‘(iv) give consideration to retired and other former law enforcement, fire, rescue, and emergency personnel, and other individuals with backgrounds in disaster preparedness, relief, and recovery; and’; and(iv) in subparagraph (E)--
- (I) by striking ‘to members’ and inserting ‘to other members’;
(II) by inserting after ‘techniques’ the following: ‘, including techniques for working with and enhancing the development of disadvantaged youth,’; and
(III) by striking ‘service learning’ and inserting ‘service-learning’; and
- (i) in the first sentence, by striking ‘the members’ and inserting ‘other members’; and
(ii) in the third sentence, by striking ‘section 162(a)(2)(A)’ and inserting ‘162(b)(1)’.
- Section 160(a) (42 U.S.C. 12620(a)) is amended by inserting ‘National’ before ‘Civilian Community Corps’.
- Section 161 (42 U.S.C. 12621) is amended--
- (1)
in subsection (a), by striking ‘perform any program function under this
subtitle’ and inserting ‘carry out the National Civilian Community
Corps program’; and
(2) in subsection (b)--
- (A) in paragraph (1)(B), by striking ‘section 162(a)(3)’ and inserting ‘section 162(c)’; and
(B) in paragraph (2), by inserting ‘National’ before ‘Civilian Community Corps’.
- (a) In General- Section 162 (42 U.S.C. 12622) is amended--
- (1) in subsection (a)--
- (A) in paragraph (1)--
- (i) in subparagraph (A), by inserting ‘National’ before ‘Civilian Community Corps’; and
(ii) in subparagraph (B)(i), by striking ‘the registry established by’ and all that follows through the semicolon and inserting ‘the registry established by section 1143a of title 10, United States Code;’;
(C) in paragraph (3), by inserting ‘National’ before ‘Civilian Community Corps’; and
- (1) in the section heading, by striking ‘other departments’ and inserting ‘department of defense’;
(2) by redesignating paragraphs (2), (3), and (4) of subsection (a) as subsections (b), (c), and (d), respectively, and aligning the margins of such subsections with the margins of section 161(a) of the Act;
(3) by striking ‘(a) Secretary’ and all that follows through ‘OFFICE- ’ and inserting the following:
‘(a) Liaison Office- ’;
- (4) in subsection (a) (as amended by paragraph (3))--
- (A)
by redesignating subparagraphs (A) and (B) as paragraphs (1) and (2),
respectively, and aligning the margins of such paragraphs with the
margins of section 161(b)(1) of the Act; and
(B) by redesignating clauses (i) and (ii) of paragraph (2) (as redesignated by subparagraph (A)) as subparagraphs (A) and (B), respectively, and aligning the margins of such subparagraphs with the margins of section 161(b)(1)(A) of the Act;
- (A)
by redesignating subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) as paragraphs (1),
(2), and (3), respectively, and aligning the margins of such paragraphs
with the margins of section 161(b)(1) of the Act;
(B) in paragraph (1) (as redesignated by subparagraph (A)), by striking ‘paragraph (1)’ and inserting ‘subsection (a)’; and
(C) in paragraph (2) (as redesignated by subparagraph (A)), by striking ‘paragraph’ and inserting ‘subsection’; and
- (A) by striking ‘this paragraph’ and inserting ‘this subsection’; and
(B) by striking ‘paragraph (1)’ and inserting ‘subsection (a)’.
- Section 163 (42 U.S.C. 12623) is amended--
- (1) in subsection (a)--
- (A) by striking ‘Upon the establishment of the Program, there shall also be’ and inserting ‘There shall be’;
(B) by inserting ‘National’ before ‘Civilian Community Corps Advisory Board’; and
(C) by striking ‘to assist’ and all that follows through the period at the end and inserting ‘to assist the Corps in responding rapidly and efficiently in times of natural and other disasters. The Advisory Board members shall help coordinate activities with the Corps as appropriate, including the mobilization of volunteers and coordination of volunteer centers to help local communities recover from the effects of natural and other disasters.’;
- (A) by redesignating paragraphs (8) and (9) as paragraphs (13) and (14), respectively;
(B) by inserting after paragraph (7) the following:
‘(8) The Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
‘(9) The Secretary of Transportation.
‘(10) The Chief of the Forest Service.
‘(11) The Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
‘(12) The Secretary of Energy.’; and
- (C) in paragraph (13), as so redesignated, by striking ‘industry,’ and inserting ‘public and private organizations,’.
- Section 164 (42 U.S.C. 12624) is amended--
- (1) in the section heading, by striking ‘annual evaluation’ and inserting ‘evaluations’;
(2) by striking ‘an annual evaluation’ and inserting ‘periodic evaluations’;
(3) by striking ‘Civilian Community Corps programs’ and inserting ‘National Civilian Community Corps Program’; and
(4) by adding at the end the following: ‘Upon completing each such evaluation, the Corporation shall transmit to the authorizing committees a report on the evaluation.’.
- Section 165 (42 U.S.C. 12625) is repealed.
- Subtitle E of title I (42 U.S.C. 12611 et seq.), as amended by this subtitle, is further amended--
- (1) by redesignating section 166 as 165; and
(2) in section 165 (as redesignated by paragraph (1))--
- (A) by striking paragraphs (2), (3), and (9);
(B) by redesignating paragraphs (4) through (8) as paragraphs (5) through (9), respectively;
(C) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following:
‘(2) CAMPUS DIRECTOR- The term ‘campus director’, with respect to a Corps campus, means the head of the campus under section 155(d).
‘(3) CORPS- The term ‘Corps’ means the National Civilian Community Corps required under section 155 as part of the National Civilian Community Corps Program.
‘(4) CORPS CAMPUS- The term ‘Corps campus’ means the facility or central location established as the operational headquarters and boarding place for particular Corps units.’;
- (D)
in paragraph (5) (as so redesignated), by striking ‘Civilian Community
Corps Demonstration Program’ and inserting ‘National Civilian Community
Corps Program’;
(E) in paragraph (6) (as so redesignated), by inserting ‘National’ before ‘Civilian Community Corps’;
(F) in paragraph (8) (as so redesignated), by striking ‘The terms’ and all that follows through ‘Demonstration Program’ and inserting ‘The term ‘Program’ means the National Civilian Community Corps Program’; and
(G) in paragraph (9) (as so redesignated)--
- (i) in the paragraph heading, by striking ‘SERVICE LEARNING’ and inserting ‘SERVICE-LEARNING’; and
(ii) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking ‘service learning’ and inserting ‘service-learning’.
- Subtitle
E of title I (as so amended) (42 U.S.C. 12611 et seq.) is further
amended by striking the subtitle heading and inserting the following:
‘Subtitle E--National Civilian Community Corps’.
Subtitle F--Amendments to Subtitle F (Administrative Provisions)
SEC. 1601. FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE.- Section 171(a)(1) (42
U.S.C. 12631(a)(1)) is amended by striking ‘with respect to a project’
and inserting ‘with respect to a project authorized under the national
service laws’.
- Section 172 (42 U.S.C. 12632) is amended--
- (1)
in subsection (b)(1), by striking ‘appropriate authorizing and
appropriations Committees of Congress’ and inserting ‘authorizing
committees, the Committee on Appropriations of the House of
Representatives, and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate’; and
(2) in subsection (c)(2), by striking ‘the appropriate committees of Congress’ and inserting ‘the authorizing committees, the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate’.
- Section 174 (42 U.S.C. 12634) is amended by adding at the end the following:
‘(d) Referrals for Federal Assistance- A program may not receive assistance under the national service laws for the sole purpose of referring individuals to Federal assistance programs or State assistance programs funded in part by the Federal Government.’.
- Section 176 (42 U.S.C. 12636) is amended--
- (1)
in subsection (a)(2)(A), by striking ‘30 days’ and inserting ‘1 or more
periods of 30 days not to exceed a total of 90 days’; and
(2) in subsection (f)--
- (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘A State or local applicant’ and inserting ‘An entity’; and
(B) in paragraph (6)--
- (i) in subparagraph (C), by striking ‘and’;
(ii) by redesignating subparagraph (D) as subparagraph (E); and
(iii) by inserting after subparagraph (C) the following:
‘(D) in a case in which the grievance is filed by an individual applicant or participant--
‘(i) the applicant’s selection or the participant’s reinstatement, as the case may be; and
‘(ii) other changes in the terms and conditions of service applicable to the individual; and’.
- Section 177 (42 U.S.C. 12637) is amended--
- (1)
in subsections (a) and (b), by striking ‘under this title’ each place
it appears and inserting ‘under the national service laws’;
(2) in subsection (b)(1), by striking ‘employee or position’ and inserting ‘employee, position, or volunteer (other than a participant under the national service laws)’; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
‘(f) Parental Involvement-
‘(1) IN GENERAL- Programs that receive assistance under the national service laws shall consult with the parents or legal guardians of children in developing and operating programs that include and serve children.
‘(2) PARENTAL PERMISSION- Programs that receive assistance under the national service laws shall, before transporting minor children, provide the children’s parents with the reason for the transportation and obtain the parents’ written permission for such transportation, consistent with State law.’.
- Section 178 (42 U.S.C. 12638) is amended--
- (1) in subsection (a)(2), by striking ‘sections 117B and 130’ and inserting ‘section 130’;
(2) in subsection (c)(1)--
- (A)
in subparagraph (I), by striking ‘section 122(a)’ and all that follows
through the period at the end and inserting ‘subsection (a), (b), or (c)
of section 122.’; and
(B) by adding at the end the following:
‘(J) A representative of the volunteer sector.’;
(4) in subsection (d)(6)(B), by striking ‘section 193A(b)(11)’ and inserting ‘section 193A(b)(12)’;
(5) in subsection (e)--
- (A) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the following:
‘(1) Preparation of a national service plan for the State that--(6) by redesignating subsections (f) through (j) as subsections (h) through (l), respectively; and
‘(A) is developed, through an open and public process (such as through regional forums, hearings, and other means) that provides for maximum participation and input from the private sector, organizations, and public agencies, using service and volunteerism as strategies to meet critical community needs, including service through programs funded under the national service laws;
‘(B) covers a 3-year period, the beginning of which may be set by the State;
‘(C) is subject to approval by the chief executive officer of the State;
‘(D) includes measurable goals and outcomes for the State national service programs in the State consistent with the performance levels for national service programs as described in section 179(k);
‘(E) ensures outreach to diverse community-based agencies that serve underrepresented populations, through established networks and registries at the State level, or through the development of such networks and registries;
‘(F) provides for effective coordination of funding applications submitted by the State and other organizations within the State under the national service laws;
‘(G) is updated annually, reflecting changes in practices and policies that will improve the coordination and effectiveness of Federal, State, and local resources for service and volunteerism within the State;
‘(H) ensures outreach to, and coordination with, municipalities (including large cities) and county governments regarding the national service laws; and
‘(I) contains such information as the State Commission considers to be appropriate or as the Corporation may require.’; and
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘sections 117B and 130’ and inserting ‘section 130’;
(7) by inserting after subsection (e) the following:
‘(f) Relief From Administrative Requirements- Upon approval of a State plan submitted under subsection (e)(1), the Chief Executive Officer may waive for the State, or specify alternatives for the State to, administrative requirements (other than statutory provisions) otherwise applicable to grants made to States under the national service laws, including those requirements identified by the State as impeding the coordination and effectiveness of Federal, State, and local resources for service and volunteerism within the State.
‘(g) State Service Plan for Adults Age 55 or Older-
‘(1) IN GENERAL- Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, to be eligible to receive a grant or allotment under subtitle B or C or to receive a distribution of approved national service positions under subtitle C, a State shall work with appropriate State agencies and private entities to develop a comprehensive State service plan for service by adults age 55 or older.
‘(2) MATTERS INCLUDED- The State service plan shall include--
‘(A) recommendations for policies to increase service for adults age 55 or older, including how to best use such adults as sources of social capital, and how to utilize their skills and experience to address community needs;
‘(3) KNOWLEDGE BASE- The State service plan shall incorporate the current knowledge base (as of the time of the plan) regarding--
‘(B) recommendations to the State agency (as defined in section 102 of the Older Americans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3002)) on--
‘(i) a marketing outreach plan to businesses; and
‘(C) recommendations for civic engagement and multigenerational activities, such as--
‘(ii) outreach to--
‘(I) nonprofit organizations;
‘(II) the State educational agency;
‘(III) institutions of higher education; and
‘(IV) other State agencies;
‘(i) early childhood education and care, family literacy, and after school programs;
‘(D) recommendations for encouraging the development of Encore service programs in the State.
‘(ii) respite services for adults age 55 or older and caregivers; and
‘(iii) transitions for older adults age 55 or older to purposeful work in their post-career lives; and
‘(A) the economic impact of the roles of workers age 55 or older in the economy;
‘(4) PUBLICATION- The State service plan shall be made available to the public and be transmitted to the Chief Executive Officer.’.
‘(B) the social impact of the roles of such workers in the community; and
‘(C) the health and social benefits of active engagement for adults age 55 or older.
- Section 179 (42 U.S.C. 12639) is amended--
- (1) by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:
‘(a) In General- The Corporation shall provide, directly or through grants or contracts, for the continuing evaluation of programs that receive assistance under the national service laws, including evaluations that measure the impact of such programs, to determine--
‘(1) the effectiveness of programs receiving assistance under the national service laws in achieving stated goals and the costs associated with such programs, including an evaluation of each such program’s performance based on the performance levels established under subsection (k); and
‘(j) Reserved Program Funds for Accountability- Notwithstanding any other provision of law, in addition to amounts appropriated to carry out this section, the Corporation may reserve not more than 1 percent of the total funds appropriated for a fiscal year under section 501 of this Act and sections 501 and 502 of the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 to support program accountability activities under this section.
‘(2) the effectiveness of the structure and mechanisms for delivery of services, such as the effective utilization of the participants’ time, the management of the participants, and the ease with which recipients were able to receive services, to maximize the cost effectiveness and the impact of such programs.’;
(2) in subsection (g)--
(A) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘National Senior Volunteer Corps’ and inserting ‘National Senior Service Corps’; and
(3) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A) of subsection (i)(2), by striking ‘Congress’ and inserting ‘the authorizing committees’; and
(B) in paragraph (9), by striking ‘to public service’ and all that follows through the period at the end and inserting ‘to engage in service that benefits the community.’;
(4) by adding at the end the following:
‘(k) Performance Levels- The Corporation shall, in consultation with each recipient of assistance under the national service laws, establish performance levels for such recipient to meet during the term of the assistance. The performance levels may include, for each national service program carried out by the recipient, performance levels based on the following performance measures:
‘(1) Number of participants enrolled in the program and completing terms of service, as compared to the stated participation and retention goals of the program.
‘(l) Corrective Action Plans-
‘(2) Number of volunteers recruited from the community in which the program was implemented.
‘(3) If applicable based on the program design, the number of individuals receiving or benefitting from the service conducted.
‘(4) Number of disadvantaged and underrepresented youth participants.
‘(5) Measures of the sustainability of the program and the projects supported by the program, including measures to ascertain the level of community support for the program or projects.
‘(6) Measures to ascertain the change in attitude toward civic engagement among the participants and the beneficiaries of the service.
‘(7) Other quantitative and qualitative measures as determined to be appropriate by the recipient of assistance and the Corporation.
‘(1) IN GENERAL- A recipient of assistance under the national service laws that fails, as determined by the Corporation, to meet or exceed the performance levels agreed upon under subsection (k) for a national service program, shall reach an agreement with the Corporation on a corrective action plan to meet such performance levels.
‘(m) Failure To Meet Performance Levels- If, after a period for correction as approved by the Corporation in accordance with subsection (l), a recipient of assistance under the national service laws fails to meet or exceed the performance levels for a national service program, the Corporation shall--
‘(2) ASSISTANCE-
‘(A) NEW PROGRAM- For a program that has received assistance under the national service laws for less than 3 years and for which the recipient is failing to meet or exceed the performance levels agreed upon under subsection (k), the Corporation shall--
‘(i) provide technical assistance to the recipient to address targeted performance problems relating to the performance levels for the program; and
‘(B) ESTABLISHED PROGRAMS- For a program that has received assistance under the national service laws for 3 years or more and for which the recipient is failing to meet or exceed the performance levels agreed upon under subsection (k), the Corporation shall require the recipient to submit quarterly reports on the program’s progress toward the performance levels for the program to--
‘(ii) require the recipient to submit quarterly reports on the program’s progress toward meeting the performance levels for the program to the--
‘(I) appropriate State, territory, or Indian tribe; and
‘(II) the Corporation.
‘(i) the appropriate State, territory, or Indian tribe; and
‘(ii) the Corporation.
‘(1) reduce the annual amount of the assistance received by the underperforming recipient by at least 25 percent, for each remaining year of the grant period for that program; or
‘(n) Reports- The Corporation shall submit to the authorizing committees not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of the Serve America Act, and annually thereafter, a report containing information on the number of--
‘(2) terminate assistance to the underperforming recipient for that program, in accordance with section 176(a).
‘(1) recipients of assistance under the national service laws implementing corrective action plans under subsection (l)(1);
‘(2) recipients for which the Corporation provides technical assistance for a program under subsection (l)(2)(A)(i);
‘(3) recipients for which the Corporation terminates assistance for a program under subsection (m);
‘(4) entities whose application for assistance under a national service law was rejected; and
‘(5) recipients meeting or exceeding their performance levels under subsection (k).’.
- (a)
In General- Subtitle F of title I (42 U.S.C. 12631 et seq.), as amended
by this subtitle, is further amended by inserting after section 179 the
following:
‘SEC. 179A. CIVIC HEALTH ASSESSMENT AND VOLUNTEERING RESEARCH AND EVALUATION.SEC. 1609. CONTINGENT EXTENSION.
‘(a) Definition of Partnership- In this section, the term ‘partnership’ means the Corporation, acting in conjunction with (consistent with the terms of an agreement entered into between the Corporation and the National Conference) the National Conference on Citizenship referred to in section 150701 of title 36, United States Code, to carry out this section.
‘(b) In General- The partnership shall facilitate the establishment of a Civic Health Assessment by--
‘(1) after identifying public and private sources of civic health data, selecting a set of civic health indicators, in accordance with subsection (c), that shall comprise the Civic Health Assessment;
‘(c) Selection of Indicators for Civic Health Assessment-
‘(2) obtaining civic health data relating to the Civic Health Assessment, in accordance with subsection (d); and
‘(3) conducting related analyses, and reporting the data and analyses, as described in paragraphs (4) and (5) of subsection (d) and subsections (e) and (f).
‘(1) IDENTIFYING SOURCES- The partnership shall select a set of civic health indicators that shall comprise the Civic Health Assessment. In making such selection, the partnership--
‘(d) Data on the Indicators-
‘(A) shall identify public and private sources of civic health data;
‘(2) TECHNICAL ADVICE- At the request of the partnership, the Director of the Bureau of the Census and the Commissioner of Labor Statistics shall provide technical advice to the partnership on the selection of the indicators for the Civic Health Assessment.
‘(B) shall explore collaborating with other similar efforts to develop national indicators in the civic health domain; and
‘(C) may sponsor a panel of experts, such as one convened by the National Academy of Sciences, to recommend civic health indicators and data sources for the Civic Health Assessment.
‘(3) UPDATES- The partnership shall periodically evaluate and update the Civic Health Assessment, and may expand or modify the indicators described in subsection (d)(1) as necessary to carry out the purposes of this section.
‘(1) SPONSORED DATA COLLECTION- In identifying the civic health indicators for the Civic Health Assessment, and obtaining data for the Assessment, the partnership may sponsor the collection of data for the Assessment or for the various civic health indicators being considered for inclusion in the Assessment, including indicators related to--
‘(e) Reporting of Data-
‘(A) volunteering and community service;
‘(2) DATA FROM STATISTICAL AGENCIES- The Director of the Bureau of the Census and the Commissioner of Labor Statistics shall collect annually, to the extent practicable, data to inform the Civic Health Assessment, and shall report data from such collection to the partnership. In determining the data to be collected, the Director and the Commissioner shall examine privacy issues, response rates, and other relevant issues.
‘(B) voting and other forms of political and civic engagement;
‘(C) charitable giving;
‘(D) connecting to civic groups and faith-based organizations;
‘(E) interest in employment, and careers, in public service in the nonprofit sector or government;
‘(F) understanding and obtaining knowledge of United States history and government; and
‘(G) social enterprise and innovation.
‘(3) SOURCES OF DATA- To obtain data for the Civic Health Assessment, the partnership shall consider--
‘(A) data collected through public and private sources; and
‘(4) DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS- The partnership shall seek to obtain data for the Civic Health Assessment that will permit the partnership to analyze the data by age group, race and ethnicity, education level, and other demographic characteristics of the individuals involved.
‘(B) data collected by the Bureau of the Census, through the Current Population Survey, or by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in accordance with paragraph (2).
‘(5) OTHER ISSUES- In obtaining data for the Civic Health Assessment, the partnership may also obtain such information as may be necessary to analyze--
‘(A) the role of Internet technology in strengthening and inhibiting civic activities;
‘(B) the role of specific programs in strengthening civic activities;
‘(C) the civic attitudes and activities of new citizens and immigrants; and
‘(D) other areas related to civic activities.
‘(1) IN GENERAL- The partnership shall, not less often than once each year, prepare a report containing--
‘(f) Public Input- The partnership shall--
‘(A) detailed data obtained under subsection (d), including data on the indicators comprising the Civic Health Assessment; and
‘(2) AGGREGATION AND PRESENTATION- The partnership shall, to the extent practicable, aggregate the data on the civic health indicators comprising the Civic Health Assessment by community, by State, and nationally. The report described in paragraph (1) shall present the aggregated data in a form that enables communities and States to assess their civic health, as measured on each of the indicators comprising the Civic Health Assessment, and compare those measures with comparable measures of other communities and States.
‘(B) the analyses described in paragraphs (4) and (5) of subsection (d), to the extent practicable based on the data the partnership is able to obtain.
‘(3) SUBMISSION- The partnership shall submit the report to the authorizing committees, and make the report available to the general public on the Corporation’s website.
‘(1) identify opportunities for public dialogue and input on the Civic Health Assessment; and
‘(g) Volunteering Research and Evaluation-
‘(2) hold conferences and forums to discuss the implications of the data and analyses reported under subsection (e).
‘(1) RESEARCH- The partnership shall provide for baseline research and tracking of domestic and international volunteering, and baseline research and tracking related to relevant data on the indicators described in subsection (d). In providing for the research and tracking under this subsection, the partnership shall consider data from the Supplements to the Current Populations Surveys conducted by the Bureau of the Census for the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and data from other public and private sources, including other data collected by the Bureau of the Census and the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
‘(h) Database Prohibition- Nothing in this Act shall be construed to authorize the development, implementation, or maintenance of a Federal database of personally identifiable information on individuals participating in data collection for sources of information under this section.’.
‘(2) IMPACT RESEARCH AND EVALUATION- The partnership shall sponsor an independent evaluation of the impact of domestic and international volunteering, including an assessment of best practices for such volunteering, and methods of improving such volunteering through enhanced collaboration among--
‘(A) entities that recruit, manage, support, and utilize volunteers;
‘(B) institutions of higher education; and
‘(C) research institutions.
- Section 181 (42 U.S.C. 12641) is amended by striking ‘Section 414’ and inserting ‘Section 422’.
- Section 182(b) (42 U.S.C. 12642(b)) is amended to read as follows:
‘(b) Report-
‘(1) FEDERAL AGENCY SUBMISSION- The head of each Federal agency and department shall prepare and submit to the Corporation a report concerning the implementation of this section, including an evaluation of the agency or department’s performance on performance goals and benchmarks for each partnership program of the agency or department.
‘(2) REPORT TO CONGRESS- The Corporation shall prepare and submit to the authorizing committees a compilation of the information received under paragraph (1).’.
- Section 183 (42 U.S.C. 12643) is amended--
- (1) in subsection (a)--
- (A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking ‘The’ and inserting ‘Consistent with otherwise applicable law, the’; and
(B) in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘territory,’ after ‘local government,’;
- (A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking ‘The’ and inserting ‘Consistent with otherwise applicable law, the’; and
(B) in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘territory’ after ‘local government,’; and
‘(c) Inspector General- Consistent with otherwise applicable law, the Inspector General of the Corporation shall have access to, and the right to examine and copy, any books, documents, papers, records, and other recorded information in any form--
‘(1) within the possession or control of the Corporation or any State or local government, territory, Indian tribe, or public or private nonprofit organization receiving assistance directly or indirectly under the national service laws; and
‘(2) that relates to--
‘(A) such assistance; and
‘(B) the duties of the Inspector General under the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.).’.
- Subtitle F of title I (42 U.S.C. 12631 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
‘SEC. 185. CONSOLIDATED APPLICATION AND REPORTING REQUIREMENTS. ‘(a) In General- To promote efficiency and eliminate duplicative requirements, the Corporation shall consolidate or modify application procedures and reporting requirements for programs, projects, and activities funded under the national service laws.
‘(b) Report to Congress- Not later than 18 months after the effective date of the Serve America Act, the Corporation shall submit to the authorizing committees a report containing information on the actions taken to consolidate or modify the application procedures and reporting requirements for programs, projects, and activities funded under the national service laws, including a description of the procedures for consultation with recipients of the funding.
‘SEC. 186. SUSTAINABILITY. ‘The Corporation, after consultation with State Commissions and recipients of assistance, may set sustainability goals for projects or programs under the national service laws, so that recipients of assistance under the national service laws are carrying out sustainable projects or programs. Such sustainability goals shall be in writing and shall be used--
‘(1) to build the capacity of the projects or programs that receive assistance under the national service laws to meet community needs;
‘(2) in providing technical assistance to recipients of assistance under the national service laws regarding acquiring and leveraging non-Federal funds for support of the projects or programs that receive such assistance; and
‘(3) to determine whether the projects or programs, receiving such assistance, are generating sufficient community support.
‘SEC. 187. GRANT PERIODS. ‘Unless otherwise specifically provided, the Corporation has authority to award a grant or contract, or enter into a cooperative agreement, under the national service laws for a period of 3 years.
‘SEC. 188. GENERATION OF VOLUNTEERS. ‘In making decisions on applications for assistance or approved national service positions under the national service laws, the Corporation shall take into consideration the extent to which the applicant’s proposal will increase the involvement of volunteers in meeting community needs. In reviewing the application for this purpose, the Corporation may take into account the mission of the applicant.
SEC. 1613. AVAILABILITY OF ASSISTANCE.‘SEC. 189. LIMITATION ON PROGRAM GRANT COSTS. ‘(a) Limitation on Grant Amounts- Except as otherwise provided by this section, the amount of funds approved by the Corporation for a grant to operate a program authorized under the national service laws, for supporting individuals serving in approved national service positions, may not exceed $18,000 per full-time equivalent position.
‘SEC. 189A. MATCHING FUNDS FOR SEVERELY ECONOMICALLY DISTRESSED COMMUNITIES.
‘(b) Costs Subject to Limitation- The limitation under subsection (a), and the increased limitation under subsection (e)(1), shall apply to the Corporation’s share of the member support costs, staff costs, and other costs to operate a program authorized under the national service laws incurred, by the recipient of the grant.
‘(c) Costs Not Subject to Limitation- The limitation under subsection (a), and the increased limitation under subsection (e)(1), shall not apply to expenses under a grant authorized under the national service laws to operate a program that are not included in the grant award for operating the program.
‘(d) Adjustments for Inflation- The amounts specified in subsections (a) and (e)(1) shall be adjusted each year after 2008 for inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers published by the Secretary of Labor.
‘(e) Waiver Authority and Reporting Requirement-
‘(1) WAIVER- The Chief Executive Officer may increase the limitation under subsection (a) to not more than $19,500 per full-time equivalent position if necessary to meet the compelling needs of a particular program, such as--
‘(A) exceptional training needs for a program serving disadvantaged youth;
‘(2) REPORTS- The Chief Executive Officer shall report to the authorizing committees annually on all limitations increased under this subsection, with an explanation of the compelling needs justifying such increases.
‘(B) the need to pay for increased costs relating to the participation of individuals with disabilities;
‘(C) the needs of tribal programs or programs located in the territories; and
‘(D) the need to pay for start-up costs associated with a first-time recipient of assistance under a program of the national service laws.
‘(a) In General- Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a severely economically distressed community that receives assistance from the Corporation for any program under the national service laws shall not be subject to any requirements to provide matching funds for any such program, and the Federal share of such assistance for such a community may be 100 percent.
‘SEC. 189B. AUDITS AND REPORTS.
‘(b) Severely Economically Distressed Community- For the purposes of this section, the term ‘severely economically distressed community’ means--
‘(1) an area that has a mortgage foreclosure rate, home price decline, and unemployment rate all of which are above the national average for such rates or level, for the most recent 12 months for which satisfactory data are available; or
‘(2) a residential area that lacks basic living necessities, such as water and sewer systems, electricity, paved roads, and safe, sanitary housing.
‘The Corporation shall comply with applicable audit and reporting requirements as provided in the Chief Financial Officers Act of 1990 (31 U.S.C. 901 note; Public Law 101-576) and chapter 91 of title 31, United States Code (commonly known as the ‘Government Corporation Control Act’). The Corporation shall report to the authorizing committees any failure to comply with such requirements.
‘SEC. 189C. RESTRICTIONS ON FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND USE OF FEDERAL FUNDS.
‘(a) General Prohibition- Nothing in the national service laws shall be construed to authorize an officer or employee of the Federal Government to mandate, direct, or control a State, local educational agency, or school’s curriculum, program of instruction, or allocation of State or local resources, or mandate a State or any subdivision thereof to spend any funds or incur any costs not paid for under this Act.
‘SEC. 189D. CRIMINAL HISTORY CHECKS.
‘(b) Prohibition on Endorsement of Curriculum- Notwithstanding any other prohibition of Federal law, no funds provided to the Corporation under this Act may be used by the Corporation to endorse, approve, or sanction any curriculum designed to be used in an elementary school or secondary school.
‘(c) Prohibition on Requiring Federal Approval or Certification Standards- Notwithstanding any other provision of Federal law, not State shall be required to have academic content or student academic achievement standards approved or certified by the Federal Government, in order to receive assistance under this Act.
‘(a) In General- Each entity selecting individuals to serve in a position in which the individuals receive a living allowance, stipend, national service educational award, or salary through a program receiving assistance under the national service laws, shall, subject to regulations and requirements established by the Corporation, conduct criminal history checks for such individuals.
‘(b) Requirements- A criminal history check under subsection (a) shall, except in cases approved for good cause by the Corporation, include--
‘(1) a name-based search of the National Sex Offender Registry established under the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 (42 U.S.C. 16901 et seq.); and
‘(c) Eligibility Prohibition- An individual shall be ineligible to serve in a position described under subsection (a) if such individual--
‘(2)(A) a search of the State criminal registry or repository in the State in which the program is operating and the State in which the individual resides at the time of application; or
‘(B) submitting fingerprints to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for a national criminal history background check.
‘(1) refuses to consent to the criminal history check described in subsection (b);
‘(2) makes a false statement in connection with such criminal history check;
‘(3) is registered, or is required to be registered, on a State sex offender registry or the National Sex Offender Registry established under the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 (42 U.S.C. 16901 et seq.); or
‘(4) has been convicted of murder, as described in section 1111 of title 18, United States Code.’.
- (a) Amendment- Subtitle F of title I is further amended by inserting after section 184 the following:
‘SEC. 184A. AVAILABILITY OF ASSISTANCE.SEC. 1614. CRIMINAL HISTORY CHECKS FOR INDIVIDUALS WORKING WITH VULNERABLE POPULATIONS.
‘A reference in subtitle C, D, E, or H of title I regarding an entity eligible to receive direct or indirect assistance to carry out a national service program shall include a non-profit organization promoting competitive and non-competitive sporting events involving individuals with disabilities (including the Special Olympics), which enhance the quality of life for individuals with disabilities.’.
- (a) Amendment- Section 189D, as added by section 1612, is further amended by adding at the end the following:
‘(d) Special Rule for Individuals Working With Vulnerable Populations-(b) Feasibility Study for a System of Criminal History Checks for Employees and Volunteers-
‘(1) IN GENERAL- Notwithstanding subsection (b), on and after the date that is 2 years after the date of enactment of the Serve America Act, a criminal history check under subsection (a) for each individual described in paragraph (2) shall, except for an entity described in paragraph (3), include--
‘(A) a name-based search of the National Sex Offender Registry established under the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 (42 U.S.C. 16901 et seq.);
‘(2) INDIVIDUALS WITH ACCESS TO VULNERABLE POPULATIONS- An individual described in this paragraph is an individual age 18 or older who--
‘(B) a search of the State criminal registry or repository in the State in which the program is operating and the State in which the individual resides at the time of application; and
‘(C) submitting fingerprints to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for a national criminal history background check.
‘(A) serves in a position in which the individual receives a living allowance, stipend, national service educational award, or salary through a program receiving assistance under the national service laws; and
‘(3) EXCEPTIONS- The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to an entity--
‘(B) as a result of such individual’s service in such position, has or will have access, on a recurring basis, to--
‘(i) children age 17 years or younger;
‘(ii) individuals age 60 years or older; or
‘(iii) individuals with disabilities.
‘(A) where the service provided by individuals serving with the entity to a vulnerable population described in paragraph (2)(B) is episodic in nature or for a 1-day period;
‘(B) where the cost to the entity of complying with this subsection is prohibitive;
‘(C) where the entity is not authorized, or is otherwise unable, under State law, to access the national criminal history background check system of the Federal Bureau of Investigation;
‘(D) where the entity is not authorized, or is otherwise unable, under Federal law, to access the national criminal history background check system of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; or
‘(E) to which the Corporation otherwise provides an exemption from this subsection for good cause.’.
- (1)
FEASIBILITY STUDY ON EFFICIENCY AND EFFECTIVENESS REGARDING CRIMINAL
HISTORY CHECK- The Attorney General of the United States shall conduct a
study that shall examine, to the extent discernible and as of the date
of the study, the following:
- (A) The state of criminal history checks (including the use of fingerprint collection) at the State and local level, including--
- (i) the available infrastructure for conducting criminal history checks;
(ii) the State system capacities to conduct such criminal history checks; and
(iii) the time required for each State to process an individual’s fingerprints for a national criminal history background check through the Federal Bureau of Investigation, from the time of fingerprint collection to the submission to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
(C) The number of participants that would require a fingerprint-based national criminal history background check under the national service laws.
(D) The impact of the national service laws on the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in terms of capacity and impact on other users of the system, including the effect on the work practices and staffing levels of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
(E) The fees charged by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, States, local agencies, and private companies to collect and process fingerprints and conduct criminal history checks.
(F) The existence of model or best practice programs regarding conducting criminal history checks that could easily be expanded and duplicated in other States.
(G) The extent to which private companies are currently performing criminal history checks, and the possibility of using private companies in the future to perform any of the criminal history check process, including the collection and transmission of fingerprints and fitness determinations.
(H) The cost of development and operation of the technology and the infrastructure necessary to establish a nationwide fingerprint-based and other criminal background check system.
(I) The extent of State participation in the procedures for background checks under the National Child Protection Act of 1993 (42 U.S.C. 5119 et seq.).
(J) The extent to which States provide access to nationwide criminal history checks to organizations that serve children.
(K) The extent to which States permit volunteers and other individuals to appeal adverse fitness determinations, and whether similar procedures are required at the Federal level.
(L) Any privacy concerns that may arise from nationwide criminal background checks for participants.
(M) Any other information determined relevant by the Attorney General.
(3) FINAL REPORT- Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Attorney General shall submit to the Committee on the Judiciary and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and to the Committee on the Judiciary and the Committee on Education and Labor of the House of Representatives, a final report including recommendations regarding criminal history checks for participants under the national service laws, which may include--
- (A) a proposal for grants to States
to develop or improve programs to collect fingerprints and perform
criminal history checks for individuals that seek to volunteer with
organizations that work with children, the elderly, or individuals with
disabilities; and
(B) recommendations for amendments to the National Child Protection Act of 1993 and the Volunteers for Children Act so that entities receiving assistance under the national service laws can promptly and affordably conduct nationwide criminal history background checks on their employees and volunteers.
Subtitle G--Amendments to Subtitle G (Corporation for National and Community Service)
SEC. 1701. TERMS OF OFFICE.- Section 192 (42 U.S.C. 12651a) is amended--
- (1) by striking subsection (c) and inserting the following:
‘(c) Terms- Subject to subsection (e), each appointed member shall serve for a term of 5 years.’; and
- (2) by adding at the end the following:
‘(e) Service Until Appointment of Successor- A voting member of the Board whose term has expired may continue to serve on the Board until the date on which the member’s successor takes office, which period shall not exceed 1 year.’.
- Section 192A(g) (42 U.S.C. 12651b(g)) is amended--
- (1)
in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking ‘shall--’ and
inserting ‘shall have responsibility for setting overall policy for the
Corporation and shall--’;
(2) in paragraph (1), by inserting before the semicolon at the end the following: ‘, and review the budget proposal in advance of submission to the Office of Management and Budget’;
(3) in paragraph (5)--
- (A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘and’ at the end;
(B) in subparagraph (B), by inserting ‘and’ after the semicolon; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
‘(C) review the performance of the Chief Executive Officer annually and forward a report on that review to the President;’;(4) in paragraph (8), by striking ‘the Congress’ each place it appears and inserting ‘the authorizing committees’;
(5) by striking paragraph (10) and inserting the following:
‘(10) notwithstanding any other provision of law--(6) in paragraph (11)--
‘(A) make grants to or contracts with Federal and other public departments or agencies, and private nonprofit organizations, for the assignment or referral of volunteers under the provisions of title I of the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 (42 U.S.C. 4950 et seq.) (except as provided in section 108 of such Act), which may provide that the agency or organization shall pay all or a part of the costs of the program; and
‘(B) enter into agreements with other Federal agencies or private nonprofit organizations for the support of programs under the national service laws, which--
‘(i) may provide that the agency or organization shall pay all or a part of the costs of the program, except as is provided in section 121(b); and
‘(ii) shall provide that the program (including any program operated by another Federal agency) will comply with all requirements related to evaluation, performance, and other goals applicable to similar programs under the national service laws, as determined by the Corporation,’; and
- (A) by striking ‘Congress’ each place it appears and inserting ‘authorizing committees’;
(B) by striking ‘section 193A(b)(10)’ and inserting ‘section 193A(b)(11)’; and
(C) by striking ‘September 30, 1995’ and inserting ‘January 1, 2012’.
- Section 193(b) (42 U.S.C. 12651c(b)) is amended by striking the period and inserting ‘, plus 3 percent.’.
- Section 193A (42 U.S.C. 12651d) is amended--
- (1) in subsection (b)--
- (A)
in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking ‘shall--’ and
inserting ‘, in collaboration with the State Commissions, shall--’;
(B) in paragraph (1), by inserting after ‘a strategic plan’ the following: ‘, including a plan for having 50 percent of all approved national service positions be full-time positions by 2012,’;
(C) in paragraph (2)(B), by inserting ‘, approved summer of service positions, and approved silver scholar positions’ after ‘approved national service positions’;
(D) by redesignating paragraphs (7) through (11) as paragraphs (8) through (12), respectively;
(E) by inserting after paragraph (6) the following:
‘(7) prepare and submit to the authorizing committees and the Board an annual report on actions taken to achieve the goal of having 50 percent of all approved national service positions be full-time positions by 2012 as described in paragraph (1), including an assessment of the progress made toward achieving that goal and the actions to be taken in the coming year toward achieving that goal;’;
- (F)
in the matter preceding subparagraph (A) of paragraph (10) (as so
redesignated), by striking ‘appropriate committees of Congress’ and
inserting ‘authorizing committees’;
(G) in paragraph (11) (as so redesignated)--
- (i) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking ‘by June 30, 1995,’ and inserting ‘periodically,’;
(ii) in subparagraph (A)(i)--
- (I) by striking ‘described in section 122(c)(1)’; and
(II) by striking ‘national priorities designed to meet the’ and inserting ‘national priorities, as described in section 122(f)(1), designed to meet’; and
(I) by adding at the end the following:
‘(13) bolster the public awareness of and recruitment efforts for the wide range of service opportunities for citizens of all ages, regardless of socioeconomic status or geographic location, through a variety of methods, including--(2) in subsection (c)--
‘(A) print media;
‘(14) identify and implement methods of recruitment to--
‘(B) the Internet and related emerging technologies;
‘(C) television;
‘(D) radio;
‘(E) presentations at public or private forums;
‘(F) other innovative methods of communication; and
‘(G) outreach to offices of economic development, State employment security agencies, labor organizations and trade associations, local educational agencies, institutions of higher education, agencies and organizations serving veterans and individuals with disabilities, and other institutions or organizations from which participants for programs receiving assistance from the national service laws can be recruited;
‘(A) increase the diversity of participants in the programs receiving assistance under the national service laws; and
‘(15) coordinate with organizations of former participants of national service programs for service opportunities that may include capacity building, outreach, and recruitment for programs receiving assistance under the national service laws;
‘(B) increase the diversity of service sponsors of programs desiring to receive assistance under the national service laws;
‘(16) collaborate with organizations with demonstrated expertise in supporting and accommodating individuals with disabilities, including institutions of higher education, to identify and implement methods of recruitment to increase the number of participants who are individuals with disabilities in the programs receiving assistance under the national service laws;
‘(17) identify and implement recruitment strategies and training programs for bilingual volunteers in the National Senior Service Corps under title II of the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973;
‘(18) collaborate with organizations that have established volunteer recruitment programs to increase the recruitment capacity of the Corporation;
‘(19) where practicable, provide application materials in languages other than English for individuals with limited English proficiency who wish to participate in a national service program;
‘(20) collaborate with the training and technical assistance programs described in subtitle J with respect to the activities described in section 199N(b));
‘(21) coordinate the clearinghouses described in section 198O;
‘(22) coordinate with entities receiving funds under subtitle C in establishing the National Service Reserve Corps under section 198H, through which alumni of the national service programs and veterans can serve in disasters and emergencies (as such terms are defined in section 198H(a));
‘(23) identify and implement strategies to increase awareness among Indian tribes of the types and availability of assistance under the national service laws, increase Native American participation in programs under the national service laws, collect information on challenges facing Native American communities, and designate a Strategic Advisor for Native American Affairs to be responsible for the execution of those activities under the national service laws;
‘(24) conduct outreach to ensure the inclusion of economically disadvantaged individuals in national service programs and activities authorized under the national service laws; and
‘(25) ensure that outreach, awareness, and recruitment efforts are consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.) and section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794).’;
- (A) in paragraph (9)--
- (i) by striking ‘Congress’ each place the term occurs and inserting ‘the authorizing committees’; and
(ii) by striking ‘and’ at the end;
(C) by inserting after paragraph (9) the following:
‘(10) obtain the opinions of peer reviewers in evaluating applications to the Corporation for assistance under this title; and’;(3) in subsection (f)(2)(B), by striking ‘date specified in subsection (b)(10)’ and inserting ‘the first date that a report is submitted under subsection (b)(11) after the effective date of the Serve America Act’; and
(4) by adding at the end the following:
‘(h) Authority To Contract With Businesses- The Chief Executive Officer may, through contracts or cooperative agreements, carry out the marketing duties described in subsection (b)(13), with priority given to those entities that have established expertise in the recruitment of disadvantaged youth, members of Indian tribes, and older adults.
‘(i) Campaign To Solicit Funds- The Chief Executive Officer may conduct a campaign to solicit funds to conduct outreach and recruitment campaigns to recruit a diverse population of service sponsors of, and participants in, programs and projects receiving assistance under the national service laws.’.
- Section 194(c) (42 U.S.C. 12651e(c)) is amended--
- (1) by striking paragraphs (1) and (2) and inserting the following:
‘(1) IN GENERAL- There shall be in the Corporation a Chief Financial Officer, who shall be appointed by the Chief Executive Officer pursuant to subsections (a) and (b) of section 195.’; and(2) by redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph (2).
- Section 195 (42 U.S.C. 12651f) is amended--
- (1) in subsection (c)--
- (A) in paragraph (2)(B), by inserting after ‘subdivision of a State,’ the following: ‘territory,’; and
(B) in paragraph (3)--
- (i) in the heading, by striking ‘MEMBER’ and inserting ‘NONVOTING MEMBER’; and
(ii) by inserting ‘nonvoting’ before ‘member’; and
‘(g) Personal Services Contracts- The Corporation may enter into personal services contracts to carry out research, evaluation, and public awareness related to the national service laws.’.
- Section 196(a) (42 U.S.C. 12651g(a)) is amended--
- (1) in paragraph (1)--
- (A) by striking subparagraph (A) and inserting the following:
‘(A) ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS- Notwithstanding section 1342 of title 31, United States Code, the Corporation may solicit and accept the services of organizations and individuals (other than participants) to assist the Corporation in carrying out the duties of the Corporation under the national service laws, and may provide to such individuals the travel expenses described in section 192A(d).’;(B) in subparagraph (B)--
- (i)
in the matter preceding clause (i), by striking ‘Such a volunteer’ and
inserting ‘A person who provides assistance, either individually or as a
member of an organization, in accordance with subparagraph (A)’;
(ii) in clause (i), by striking ‘a volunteer under this subtitle’ and inserting ‘such a person’;
(iii) in clause (ii), by striking ‘volunteers under this subtitle’ and inserting ‘such persons’; and
(iv) in clause (iii), by striking ‘such a volunteer’ and inserting ‘such a person’; and
- Subtitle G of title I (42 U.S.C. 12651 et seq.) is further amended by adding at the end the following:
‘SEC. 196B. ASSIGNMENT TO STATE COMMISSIONS.SEC. 1709. STUDY OF INVOLVEMENT OF VETERANS.
‘(a) Assignment- In accordance with section 193A(c)(1), the Chief Executive Officer may assign to State Commissions specific programmatic functions upon a determination that such an assignment will increase efficiency in the operation or oversight of a program under the national service laws. In carrying out this section, and before executing any assignment of authority, the Corporation shall seek input from and consult Corporation employees, State Commissions, State educational agencies, and other interested stakeholders.
‘(b) Report- Not later than 2 years after the effective date of the Serve America Act, the Corporation shall submit a report to the authorizing committees describing the consultation process described in subsection (a), including the stakeholders consulted, the recommendation of stakeholders, and any actions taken by the Corporation under this section.’.
- Subtitle G of title I (42 U.S.C. 12651 et seq.) is further amended by adding at the end the following:
‘SEC. 196C. STUDY OF INVOLVEMENT OF VETERANS.SEC. 1710. STUDY TO EXAMINE AND INCREASE SERVICE PROGRAMS FOR DISPLACED WORKERS IN SERVICES CORPS AND COMMUNITY SERVICE AND TO DEVELOP PILOT PROGRAM PLANNING STUDY.
‘(a) Study and Report- The Corporation shall conduct a study and submit a report to the authorizing committees, not later than 3 years after the effective date of the Serve America Act, on--
‘(1) the number of veterans serving in national service programs historically by year;
‘(b) Consultation- In conducting the studies and preparing the reports required under this subsection, the Corporation shall consult with veterans’ service organizations, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, State veterans agencies, the Secretary of Defense, as appropriate, and other individuals and entities the Corporation considers appropriate.’.
‘(2) strategies being undertaken to identify the specific areas of need of veterans, including any goals set by the Corporation for veterans participating in the service programs;
‘(3) the impact of the strategies described in paragraph (2) and the Veterans Corps on enabling greater participation by veterans in the national service programs carried out under the national service laws;
‘(4) how existing programs and activities carried out under the national service laws could be improved to serve veterans, veterans service organizations, families of active-duty military, including gaps in services to veterans;
‘(5) the extent to which existing programs and activities carried out under the national service laws are coordinated and recommendations to improve such coordination including the methods for ensuring the efficient financial organization of services directed towards veterans; and
‘(6) how to improve utilization of veterans as resources and volunteers.
- (a) Planning Study- The Corporation shall conduct a study to identify--
- (1) specific areas of need for displaced workers;
(2) how existing programs and activities (as of the time of the study) carried out under the national service laws could better serve displaced workers and communities that have been adversely affected by plant closings and job losses;
(3) prospects for better utilization of displaced workers as resources and volunteers; and
(4) methods for ensuring the efficient financial organization of services directed towards displaced workers.
(c) Report- Not later than 1 year after the effective date of this Act, the Corporation shall submit to the authorizing committees a report on the results of the planning study required by subsection (a), together with a plan for implementation of a pilot program using promising strategies and approaches for better targeting and serving displaced workers.
(d) Pilot Program- From amounts made available to carry out this section, the Corporation shall develop and carry out a pilot program based on the findings and plan in the report submitted under subsection (c).
(e) Definitions- In this section, the terms ‘Corporation’, ‘authorizing committees’, and ‘national service laws’ have the meanings given the terms in section 101 of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12511).
(f) Authorization of Appropriations- There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2010 through 2014.
- (a)
Study- In order to reduce administrative burdens and lower costs for
national service programs carried out under the national service laws,
the Corporation shall conduct a study to determine the feasibility and
effectiveness of implementing a data matching system under which the
statements of an individual declaring that such individual is in
compliance with the requirements of section 146(a)(3) of the National
and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12602(a)(3)) shall be
verified by the Corporation by comparing information provided by the
individual with information relevant to such a declaration in the
possession of other Federal agencies. Such study shall--
- (1) review the feasibility of--
- (A)
expanding, and participating in, the data matching conducted by the
Department of Education with the Social Security Administration and the
Department of Homeland Security, pursuant to section 484(g) of the
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1091(g)); or
(B) establishing a comparable system of data matching with the Social Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security; and
- (A)
the costs, for both the Corporation and the other Federal agencies
identified in paragraph (1), associated with expanding or establishing
such a system of data matching;
(B) the benefits or detriments of such an expanded or comparable system both for the Corporation and for the other Federal agencies so identified;
(C) strategies for ensuring the privacy and security of participant information that is shared between Federal agencies and organizations receiving assistance under the national service laws;
(D) the information that needs to be shared in order to fulfill the eligibility requirements of section 146(a)(3) of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12602(a)(3));
(E) an alternative system through which an individual’s compliance with section 146(a)(3) of such Act may be verified, should such an expanded or comparable system fail to verify the individual’s declaration of compliance; and
(F) recommendations for implementation of such an expanded or comparable system.
(c) Report- Not later than 9 months after the effective date of this Act, the Corporation shall submit to the authorizing committees a report on the results of the study required by subsection (a) and a plan for implementation of a pilot data matching program using promising strategies and approaches identified in such study, if the Corporation determines such program to be feasible.
(d) Pilot Program- From amounts made available to carry out this section, the Corporation may develop and carry out a pilot data matching program based on the report submitted under subsection (c).
(e) Definitions- In this section, the terms ‘Corporation’, ‘authorizing committees’, and ‘national service laws’ have the meanings given the terms in section 101 of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12511).
- (a)
In General- Not later than 12 months after the date of enactment of
this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall develop
performance measures for each program receiving Federal assistance under
the national service laws.
(b) Contents- The performance measures developed under subsection (a) shall--
- (1) to the maximum extent practicable draw on research-based, quantitative data;
(2) take into account program purpose and program design;
(3) include criteria to evaluate the cost effectiveness of programs receiving assistance under the national service laws;
(4) include criteria to evaluate the administration and management of programs receiving Federal assistance under the national service laws; and
(5) include criteria to evaluate oversight and accountability of recipients of assistance through such programs under the national service laws.
(d) Definitions- In this section:
- (1) IN
GENERAL- The terms ‘authorizing committees’, ‘Corporation’, and
‘national service laws’ have the meanings given the terms in section 101
of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12511).
(2) PROGRAM- The term ‘program’ means an entire program carried out by the Corporation under the national service laws, such as the entire AmeriCorps program carried out under subtitle C.
- (a) Findings- Congress finds the following:
- (1) Many managers seek opportunities to give back to their communities and address the Nation’s challenges.
(2) Managers possess business and technical skills that make them especially suited to help nonprofit organizations and State and local governments create efficiencies and cost savings and develop programs to serve communities in need.
(3) There are currently a large number of businesses and firms who are seeking to identify savings through sabbatical opportunities for senior employees.
- (1) conduct a study on how best to establish and implement a Volunteer Management Corps program; and
(2) submit a plan regarding the establishment of such program to Congress and to the President.
(d) Effective Date- Notwithstanding section 6101, this section shall take effect on the date of enactment of this Act.
Subtitle H--Amendments to Subtitle H (Investment for Quality and Innovation)
SEC. 1801. TECHNICAL AMENDMENT TO SUBTITLE H.- Subtitle H of
title I (42 U.S.C. 12653 et seq.) is amended by inserting after the
subtitle heading and before section 198 the following:
SEC. 1802. ADDITIONAL CORPORATION ACTIVITIES TO SUPPORT NATIONAL SERVICE.‘PART I--ADDITIONAL CORPORATION ACTIVITIES TO SUPPORT NATIONAL SERVICE’.
- (a) Technical Amendments- Section 198 (42 U.S.C. 12653) is amended--
- (1) in subsection (a), by striking ‘subsection (r)’ and inserting ‘subsection (g)’;
(2) in the matter preceding paragraph (1) of subsection (b), by striking ‘to improve the quality’ and all that follows through ‘including--’ and inserting ‘to address emergent needs through summer programs and other activities, and to support service-learning programs and national service programs, including--’;
(3) by striking subsections (c), (d), (e), (f), (h), (i), (j), (l), (m), and (p) and redesignating subsections (g), (k), (n), (o), (q), (r), and (s) as subsections (c), (d), (e), (f), (g), (h), and (i), respectively.
- (1) in subsection (g) (as redesignated by subsection (a)(3))--
- (A) in the subsection heading, by striking ‘National’ and inserting ‘Global’;
(B) by striking ‘National Youth’ each place it appears and inserting ‘Global Youth’;
(C) in paragraph (1)--
- (i)
by striking the first sentence and inserting ‘April 24, 2009, and April
23, 2010, are each designated as ‘Global Youth Service Days’.’; and
(ii) in the second sentence, by striking ‘appropriate ceremonies and activities’ and inserting ‘appropriate youth-led community improvement and service-learning activities’;
- (i) by inserting ‘and other Federal departments and agencies’ after ‘Corporation’; and
(ii) by striking ‘ceremonies and activities’ and inserting ‘youth-led community improvement and service-learning activities’; and
‘(j) Call to Service Campaign- Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of the Serve America Act, the Corporation shall conduct a nationwide ‘Call To Service’ campaign, to encourage all people of the United States, regardless of age, race, ethnicity, religion, or economic status, to engage in full- or part-time national service, long- or short-term public service in the nonprofit sector or government, or volunteering. In conducting the campaign, the Corporation may collaborate with other Federal agencies and entities, State Commissions, Governors, nonprofit and faith-based organizations, businesses, institutions of higher education, elementary schools, and secondary schools.
‘(k) September 11th Day of Service-
‘(1) FEDERAL ACTIVITIES- The Corporation may organize and carry out appropriate ceremonies and activities, which may include activities that are part of the broader Call to Service Campaign under subsection (j), in order to observe the September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance at the Federal level.
‘(2) ACTIVITIES- The Corporation may make grants and provide other support to community-based organizations to assist in planning and carrying out appropriate service, charity, and remembrance opportunities in conjunction with the September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance.
‘(3) CONSULTATION- The Corporation may consult with and make grants or provide other forms of support to nonprofit organizations with expertise in representing families of victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and other impacted constituencies, and in promoting the establishment of September 11 as an annually recognized National Day of Service and Remembrance.’.
- (a) Repeals- The following provisions are repealed:
- (1) CLEARINGHOUSES- Section 198A (42 U.S.C. 12653a).
(2) MILITARY INSTALLATION CONVERSION DEMONSTRATION PROGRAMS- Section 198C (42 U.S.C. 12653c).
(3) SPECIAL DEMONSTRATION PROJECT- Section 198D (42 U.S.C. 12653d).
- Section
198A(a)(2) (as redesignated by section 1803(b)) (42 U.S.C.
12653b(a)(2)) is further amended by striking ‘section 101(19)’ and
inserting ‘section 101’.
- Part I of subtitle H of title I (42 U.S.C. 12653 et seq.) is further amended by adding at the end the following new sections:
‘SEC. 198B. SERVEAMERICA FELLOWSHIPS.SEC. 1806. NATIONAL SERVICE RESERVE CORPS.
‘(a) Definitions- In this section:
‘SEC. 198C. SILVER SCHOLARSHIPS AND ENCORE FELLOWSHIPS.
‘(1) AREA OF NATIONAL NEED- The term ‘area of national need’ means an area involved in efforts to--
‘(b) Grants-
‘(A) improve education in schools for economically disadvantaged students;
‘(2) ELIGIBLE FELLOWSHIP RECIPIENT- The term ‘eligible fellowship recipient’ means an individual who is selected by a State Commission under subsection (c) and, as a result of such selection, is eligible for a ServeAmerica Fellowship.
‘(B) expand and improve access to health care;
‘(C) improve energy efficiency and conserve natural resources;
‘(D) improve economic opportunities for economically disadvantaged individuals; or
‘(E) improve disaster preparedness and response.
‘(3) FELLOW- The term ‘fellow’ means an eligible fellowship recipient who is awarded a ServeAmerica Fellowship and is designated a fellow under subsection (e)(2).
‘(4) SMALL SERVICE SPONSOR ORGANIZATION- The term ‘small service sponsor organization’ means a service sponsor organization described in subsection (d)(1) that has not more than 10 full-time employees and 10 part-time employees.
‘(1) IN GENERAL- From the amounts appropriated under section 501(a)(4)(B) and allotted under paragraph (2)(A), the Corporation shall make grants (including financial assistance and a corresponding allotment of approved national service positions), to the State Commission of each of the several States, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico with an application approved under this section, to enable such State Commissions to award ServeAmerica Fellowships under subsection (e).
‘(c) Eligible Fellowship Recipients-
‘(2) ALLOTMENT; ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS-
‘(A) ALLOTMENT- The amount allotted to a State Commission for a fiscal year shall be equal to an amount that bears the same ratio to the amount appropriated under section 501(a)(4)(B), as the population of the State bears to the total population of the several States, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
‘(3) NUMBER OF POSITIONS- The Corporation shall--
‘(B) REALLOTMENT- If a State Commission does not apply for an allotment under this subsection for any fiscal year, or if the State Commission’s application is not approved, the Corporation shall reallot the amount of the State Commission’s allotment to the remaining State Commissions in accordance with subparagraph (A).
‘(C) ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS- Of the amount allotted to a State Commission under subparagraph (A), not more than 1.5 percent of such amount may be used for administrative costs.
‘(A) establish or increase the number of approved national service positions under this subsection during each of fiscal years 2010 through 2014;
‘(4) USES OF GRANT FUNDS-
‘(B) establish the number of approved positions at 500 for fiscal year 2010; and
‘(C) increase the number of the approved positions to--
‘(i) 750 for fiscal year 2011;
‘(ii) 1,000 for fiscal year 2012;
‘(iii) 1,250 for fiscal year 2013; and
‘(iv) 1,500 for fiscal year 2014.
‘(A) REQUIRED USES- A grant awarded under this subsection shall be used to enable fellows to carry out service projects in areas of national need.
‘(5) APPLICATIONS- To be eligible to receive a grant under this subsection, a State Commission shall submit an application to the Corporation at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Corporation may require, including information on the criteria and procedures that the State Commission will use for overseeing ServeAmerica Fellowship placements for service projects, under subsection (e).
‘(B) PERMITTED USES- A grant awarded under this subsection may be used for--
‘(i) oversight activities and mechanisms for the service sites of the fellows, as determined necessary by the State Commission or the Corporation, which may include site visits;
‘(ii) activities to augment the experience of fellows, including activities to engage the fellows in networking opportunities with other national service participants; and
‘(iii) recruitment or training activities for fellows.
‘(1) APPLICATION-
‘(d) Service Sponsor Organizations-
‘(A) IN GENERAL- An applicant desiring to become an eligible fellowship recipient shall submit an application to a State Commission that has elected to participate in the program authorized under this section, at such time and in such manner as the Commission may require, and containing the information described in subparagraph (B) and such additional information as the Commission may require. An applicant may submit such application to only 1 State Commission for a fiscal year.
‘(2) SELECTION- Each State Commission shall--
‘(B) CONTENTS- The Corporation shall specify information to be provided in an application submitted under this subsection, which--
‘(i) shall include--
‘(I) a description of the area of national need that the applicant intends to address in the service project;
‘(ii) may include, if the applicant chooses, the size of the registered service sponsor organization with which the applicant hopes to serve.
‘(II) a description of the skills and experience the applicant has to address the area of national need;
‘(III) a description of the type of service the applicant plans to provide as a fellow; and
‘(IV) information identifying the local area within the State served by the Commission in which the applicant plans to serve for the service project; and
‘(A) select, from the applications received by the State Commission for a fiscal year, the number of eligible fellowship recipients that may be supported for that fiscal year based on the amount of the grant received by the State Commission under subsection (b); and
‘(B) make an effort to award one-third of the fellowships available to the State Commission for a fiscal year, based on the amount of the grant received under subsection (b), to applicants who propose to serve the fellowship with small service sponsor organizations registered under subsection (d).
‘(1) IN GENERAL- Each service sponsor organization shall--
‘(e) Fellows-
‘(A) be a nonprofit organization;
‘(2) REGISTRATION-
‘(B) satisfy qualification criteria established by the Corporation or the State Commission, including standards relating to organizational capacity, financial management, and programmatic oversight;
‘(C) not be a recipient of other assistance, approved national service positions, or approved summer of service positions under the national service laws; and
‘(D) at the time of registration with a State Commission, enter into an agreement providing that the service sponsor organization shall--
‘(i) abide by all program requirements;
‘(ii) provide an amount described in subsection (e)(3)(b) for each fellow serving with the organization through the ServeAmerica Fellowship;
‘(iii) be responsible for certifying whether each fellow serving with the organization successfully completed the ServeAmerica Fellowship, and record and certify in a manner specified by the Corporation the number of hours served by a fellow for purposes of determining the fellow’s eligibility for benefits; and
‘(iv) provide timely access to records relating to the ServeAmerica Fellowship to the State Commission, the Corporation, and the Inspector General of the Corporation.
‘(A) REQUIREMENT- No service sponsor organization may receive a fellow under this section until the organization registers with the State Commission.
‘(B) CLEARINGHOUSE- The State Commission shall maintain a list of registered service sponsor organizations on a public website.
‘(C) REVOCATION- If a State Commission determines that a service sponsor organization is in violation of any of the applicable provisions of this section--
‘(i) the State Commission shall revoke the registration of the organization;
‘(ii) the organization shall not be eligible to receive assistance, approved national service positions, or approved summer of service positions under this title for not less than 5 years; and
‘(iii) the State Commission shall have the right to remove a fellow from the organization and relocate the fellow to another site.
‘(1) IN GENERAL- To be eligible to participate in a service project as a fellow and receive a ServeAmerica Fellowship, an eligible fellowship recipient shall--
‘(f) Compliance With Ineligible Service Categories- Service under a ServeAmerica Fellowship shall comply with section 132(a). For purposes of applying that section to this subsection, a reference to assistance shall be considered to be a reference to assistance provided under this section.
‘(A) within 3 months after being selected as an eligible fellowship recipient by a State Commission, select a registered service sponsor organization described in subsection (d)--
‘(2) AWARD- Upon receiving the eligible fellowship recipient’s agreement under paragraph (1), the State Commission shall award a ServeAmerica Fellowship to the recipient and designate the recipient as a fellow.
‘(i) with which the recipient is interested in serving under this section; and
‘(B) enter into an agreement with the organization--
‘(ii) that is located in the State served by the State Commission;
‘(i) that specifies the service the recipient will provide if the placement is approved; and
‘(C) submit such agreement to the State Commission.
‘(ii) in which the recipient agrees to serve for 1 year on a full-time or part-time basis (as determined by the Corporation); and
‘(3) FELLOWSHIP AMOUNT-
‘(A) IN GENERAL- From amounts received under subsection (b), each State Commission shall award each of the State’s fellows a ServeAmerica Fellowship amount that is equal to 50 percent of the amount of the average annual VISTA subsistence allowance.
‘(B) AMOUNT FROM SERVICE SPONSOR ORGANIZATION-
‘(i) IN GENERAL- Except as provided in clause (ii) and subparagraph (E), the service sponsor organization shall award to the fellow serving such organization an amount that will ensure that the total award received by the fellow for service in the service project (consisting of such amount and the ServeAmerica Fellowship amount the fellow receives under subparagraph (A)) is equal to or greater than 70 percent of the average annual VISTA subsistence allowance.
‘(C) MAXIMUM LIVING ALLOWANCE- The total amount that may be provided to a fellow under this subparagraph shall not exceed 100 percent of the average annual VISTA subsistence allowance.
‘(ii) SMALL SERVICE SPONSOR ORGANIZATIONS- In the case of a small service sponsor organization, the small service sponsor organization may decrease the amount of the service sponsor organization award required under clause (i) to not less than an amount that will ensure that the total award received by the fellow for service in the service project (as calculated in clause (i)) is equal to or greater than 60 percent of the average annual VISTA subsistence allowance.
‘(D) PRORATION OF AMOUNT- In the case of a fellow who is authorized to serve a part-time term of service under the agreement described in paragraph (1)(B)(ii), the amount provided to a fellow under this paragraph shall be prorated accordingly.
‘(E) WAIVER- The Corporation may allow a State Commission to waive the amount required under subparagraph (B) from the service sponsor organization for a fellow serving the organization if--
‘(i) such requirement is inconsistent with the objectives of the ServeAmerica Fellowship program; and
‘(F) DEFINITION- In this paragraph, the term ‘average annual VISTA subsistence allowance’ means the total average annual subsistence allowance provided to VISTA volunteers under section 105 of the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 (42 U.S.C. 4955).
‘(ii) the amount provided to the fellow under subparagraph (A) is sufficient to meet the necessary costs of living (including food, housing, and transportation) in the area in which the ServeAmerica Fellowship program is located.
‘(g) Reports- Each service sponsor organization that receives a fellow under this section shall, on a biweekly basis, report to the Corporation on the number of hours served and the services provided by that fellow. The Corporation shall establish a web portal for the organizations to use in reporting the information.
‘(h) Educational Awards- A fellow who serves in a service project under this section shall be considered to have served in an approved national service position and, upon meeting the requirements of section 147 for full-time or part-time national service, shall be eligible for a national service educational award described in such section. The Corporation shall transfer an appropriate amount of funds to the National Service Trust to provide for the national service educational award for such fellow.
‘(a) Silver Scholarship Grant Program-
‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT- The Corporation may award fixed-amount grants (in accordance with section 129(l)) to community-based entities to carry out a Silver Scholarship Grant Program for individuals age 55 or older, in which such individuals complete not less than 350 hours of service in a year carrying out projects of national need and receive a Silver Scholarship in the form of a $1,000 national service educational award. Under such a program, the Corporation shall establish criteria for the types of the service required to be performed to receive such award.
‘(b) Encore Fellowships-
‘(2) TERM- Each program funded under this subsection shall be carried out over a period of 3 years (which may include 1 planning year), with a 1-year extension possible, if the program meets performance levels developed in accordance with section 179(k) and any other criteria determined by the Corporation.
‘(3) APPLICATIONS- To be eligible for a grant under this subsection, a community-based entity shall--
‘(A) submit to the Corporation an application at such time and in such manner as the Chief Executive Officer may reasonably require; and
‘(4) COLLABORATION ENCOURAGED- A community-based entity awarded a grant under this subsection is encouraged to collaborate with programs funded under title II of the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 in carrying out this program.
‘(B) be a listed organization as described in subsection (b)(4).
‘(5) ELIGIBILITY FOR FELLOWSHIP- An individual is eligible to receive a Silver Scholarship if the community-based entity certifies to the Corporation that the individual has completed not less than 350 hours of service under this section in a 1-year period.
‘(6) TRANSFER TO TRUST- The Corporation shall transfer an appropriate amount of funds to the National Service Trust to provide for the national service educational award for each silver scholar under this subsection.
‘(7) SUPPORT SERVICES- A community-based entity receiving a fixed-amount grant under this subsection may use a portion of the grant to provide transportation services to an eligible individual to allow such individual to participate in a service project.
‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT- The Corporation may award 1-year Encore Fellowships to enable individuals age 55 or older to--
‘(c) Evaluations- The Corporation shall conduct an independent evaluation of the programs authorized under subsections (a) and (b) and widely disseminate the results, including recommendations for improvement, to the service community through multiple channels, including the Corporation’s Resource Center or a clearinghouse of effective strategies.’.
‘(A) carry out service projects in areas of national need; and
‘(2) PROGRAM- In carrying out the program, the Corporation shall--
‘(B) receive training and development in order to transition to full- or part-time public service in the nonprofit sector or government.
‘(A) maintain a list of eligible organizations for which Encore Fellows may be placed to carry out service projects through the program and shall provide the list to all Fellowship recipients; and
‘(3) ELIGIBLE RECIPIENTS-
‘(B) at the request of a Fellowship recipient--
‘(i) determine whether the requesting recipient is able to meet the service needs of a listed organization, or another organization that the recipient requests in accordance with paragraph (5)(B), for a service project; and
‘(ii) upon making a favorable determination under clause (i), award the recipient with an Encore Fellowship, and place the recipient with the organization as an Encore Fellow under paragraph (5)(C).
‘(A) IN GENERAL- An individual desiring to be selected as a Fellowship recipient shall--
‘(4) LISTED ORGANIZATIONS- To be listed under paragraph (2)(A), an organization shall--
‘(i) be an individual who--
‘(B) SELECTION BASIS- In determining which individuals to select as Fellowship recipients, the Corporation shall--
‘(I) is age 55 or older as of the time the individual applies for the program; and
‘(ii) submit an application to the Corporation, at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Corporation may require, including--
‘(II) is not engaged in, but who wishes to engage in, full- or part-time public service in the nonprofit sector or government; and
‘(I) a description of the area of national need that the applicant hopes to address through the service project;
‘(II) a description of the skills and experience the applicant has to address an area of national need; and
‘(III) information identifying the region of the United States in which the applicant wishes to serve.
‘(i) select not more than 10 individuals from each State; and
‘(ii) give priority to individuals with skills and experience for which there is an ongoing high demand in the nonprofit sector and government.
‘(A) be a nonprofit organization; and
‘(5) PLACEMENT-
‘(B) submit an application to the Corporation at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Corporation may require, including--
‘(i) a description of--
‘(I) the services and activities the organization carries out generally;
‘(ii) a description of the skills and experience that an eligible Encore Fellowship recipient needs to be placed with the organization as an Encore Fellow for the service project;
‘(II) the area of national need that the organization seeks to address through a service project; and
‘(III) the services and activities the organization seeks to carry out through the proposed service project;
‘(iii) a description of the training and leadership development the organization shall provide an Encore Fellow placed with the organization to assist the Encore Fellow in obtaining a public service job in the nonprofit sector or government after the period of the Encore Fellowship; and
‘(iv) evidence of the organization’s financial stability.
‘(A) REQUEST FOR PLACEMENT WITH LISTED ORGANIZATIONS- To be placed with a listed organization in accordance with paragraph (2)(B) for a service project, an eligible Encore Fellowship recipient shall submit an application for such placement to the Corporation at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Corporation may require.
‘(6) MATCHING FUNDS- An organization that receives an Encore Fellow under this subsection shall agree to provide, for the living expenses of the Encore Fellow during the year of service, non-Federal contributions in an amount equal to not less than $1 for every $1 of Federal funds provided to the organization for the Encore Fellow through the Encore Fellowship.
‘(B) REQUEST FOR PLACEMENT WITH OTHER ORGANIZATION- An eligible Encore Fellowship recipient may apply to the Corporation to serve the recipient’s Encore Fellowship year with a nonprofit organization that is not a listed organization. Such application shall be submitted to the Corporation at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Corporation shall require, and shall include--
‘(i) an identification and description of--
‘(C) PLACEMENT AND AWARD OF FELLOWSHIP- If the Corporation determines that the eligible Encore Fellowship recipient is able to meet the service needs (including skills and experience to address an area of national need) of the organization that the eligible fellowship recipient requests under subparagraph (A) or (B), the Corporation shall--
‘(I) the organization;
‘(ii) a description of the services the eligible Encore Fellowship recipient shall provide for the organization as an Encore Fellow; and
‘(II) the area of national need the organization seeks to address; and
‘(III) the services or activities the organization carries out to address such area of national need;
‘(iii) a letter of support from the leader of the organization, including--
‘(I) a description of the organization’s need for the eligible Encore Fellowship recipient’s services;
‘(II) evidence that the organization is financially sound;
‘(III) an assurance that the organization will provide training and leadership development to the eligible Encore Fellowship recipient if placed with the organization as an Encore Fellow, to assist the Encore Fellow in obtaining a public service job in the nonprofit sector or government after the period of the Encore Fellowship; and
‘(IV) a description of the training and leadership development to be provided to the Encore Fellowship recipient if so placed.
‘(i) approve the placement of the eligible Encore Fellowship recipient with the organization;
‘(ii) award the eligible Encore Fellowship recipient an Encore Fellowship for a period of 1 year and designate the eligible Encore Fellowship recipient as an Encore Fellow; and
‘(iii) in awarding the Encore Fellowship, make a payment, in the amount of $11,000, to the organization to enable the organization to provide living expenses to the Encore Fellow for the year in which the Encore Fellow agrees to serve.
‘(7) TRAINING AND ASSISTANCE- Each organization that receives an Encore Fellow under this subsection shall provide training, leadership development, and assistance to the Encore Fellow, and conduct oversight of the service provided by the Encore Fellow.
‘(8) LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT- Each year, the Corporation shall convene current and former Encore Fellows to discuss the Encore Fellows’ experiences related to service under this subsection and discuss strategies for increasing leadership and careers in public service in the nonprofit sector or government.
- Subtitle H of title I (42 U.S.C. 12653 et seq.) is further amended by adding at the end the following:
SEC. 1807. SOCIAL INNOVATION FUNDS PILOT PROGRAM.‘PART II--NATIONAL SERVICE RESERVE CORPS
‘SEC. 198H. NATIONAL SERVICE RESERVE CORPS.
‘(a) Definitions- In this section--
‘(1) the term ‘National Service Reserve Corps member’ means an individual who--
‘(b) Establishment of National Service Reserve Corps-
‘(A) has completed a term of national service or is a veteran;
‘(2) the term ‘term of national service’ means a term or period of service under section 123.
‘(B) has successfully completed training described in subsection (c) within the previous 2 years;
‘(C) completes not less than 10 hours of volunteering each year (which may include the training session described in subparagraph (B)); and
‘(D) has indicated interest to the Corporation in responding to disasters and emergencies in a timely manner through the National Service Reserve Corps; and
‘(1) IN GENERAL- In consultation with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Corporation shall establish a National Service Reserve Corps to prepare and deploy National Service Reserve Corps members to respond to disasters and emergencies in support of national service programs and other requesting programs and agencies.
‘(c) Annual Training- The Corporation shall conduct or coordinate annual training sessions, consistent with the training requirements of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, for individuals who have completed a term of national service or are veterans, and who wish to join the National Service Reserve Corps.
‘(2) GRANTS OR CONTRACTS- In carrying out this section, the Corporation may enter into a grant or contract with an organization experienced in responding to disasters or in coordinating individuals who have completed a term of national service or are veterans, or may directly deploy National Service Reserve Corps members, as the Corporation determines necessary.
‘(d) Designation of Organizations-
‘(1) IN GENERAL- The Corporation shall designate organizations with demonstrated experience in responding to disasters or emergencies, including through using volunteers, for participation in the program under this section.
‘(e) Databases- The Corporation shall develop or contract with an outside organization to develop--
‘(2) REQUIREMENTS- The Corporation shall ensure that every designated organization is--
‘(A) prepared to respond to disasters or emergencies;
‘(B) prepared and able to utilize National Service Reserve Corps members in responding to disasters or emergencies; and
‘(C) willing to respond in a timely manner when notified by the Corporation of a disaster or emergency.
‘(1) a database of all National Service Reserve Corps members; and
‘(f) Deployment of National Service Reserve Corps-
‘(2) a database of all nonprofit organizations that have been designated by the Corporation under subsection (d).
‘(1) MAJOR DISASTERS OR EMERGENCIES- If a major disaster or emergency is declared by the President pursuant to section 102 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5122), the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, in consultation with the Corporation, may task the National Service Reserve Corps to assist in response.
‘(2) OTHER DISASTERS OR EMERGENCIES- For a disaster or emergency that is not declared a major disaster or emergency under section 102 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5122), the Corporation may directly, or through a grant or contract, deploy the National Service Reserve Corps.
‘(3) DEPLOYMENT- Under paragraph (1) or (2), the Corporation may--
‘(A) deploy interested National Service Reserve Corps members on assignments of not more than 30 days to assist with local needs related to preparing or recovering from the incident in the affected area, either directly or through organizations designated under subsection (d);
‘(4) ALLOWANCE- Any amounts that are utilized by the Corporation from funds appropriated under section 501(a)(4)(D) to carry out paragraph (1) for a fiscal year shall be kept in a separate fund. Any amounts in such fund that are not used during a fiscal year shall remain available to use to pay National Service Reserve Corps members an allowance, determined by the Corporation, for out-of-pocket expenses.
‘(B) make travel arrangements for the deployed National Service Reserve Corps members to the site of the incident; and
‘(C) provide funds to those organizations that are responding to the incident with deployed National Service Reserve Corps members, to enable the organizations to coordinate and provide housing, living stipends, and insurance for those deployed members.
‘(5) INFORMATION-
‘(A) NATIONAL SERVICE PARTICIPANTS- The Corporation, the State Commissions, and entities receiving financial assistance for programs under subtitle C of this Act, or under part A of title I of the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 (42 U.S.C. 4951 et seq.), shall inform participants about the National Service Reserve Corps upon the participants’ completion of their term of national service.
‘(6) COORDINATION- In deploying National Service Reserve Corps members under this subsection, the Corporation shall--
‘(B) VETERANS- The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, shall inform veterans who are recently discharged, released, or separated from the Armed Forces about the National Service Reserve Corps.
‘(A) avoid duplication of activities directed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency; and
‘(B) consult and, as appropriate, partner with Citizen Corps programs and other local disaster agencies, including State and local emergency management agencies, voluntary organizations active in disaster, State Commissions, and similar organizations, in the affected area.’.
- Subtitle H of title I (42 U.S.C. 12653 et seq.) is further amended by adding at the end the following:
SEC. 1808. CLEARINGHOUSES.‘PART III--SOCIAL INNOVATION FUNDS PILOT PROGRAM
‘SEC. 198K. FUNDS.
‘(a) Findings- Congress finds the following:
‘(1) Social entrepreneurs and other nonprofit community organizations are developing innovative and effective solutions to national and local challenges.
‘(b) Purposes- The purposes of this section are--
‘(2) Increased public and private investment in replicating and expanding proven effective solutions, and supporting new solutions, developed by social entrepreneurs and other nonprofit community organizations could allow those entrepreneurs and organizations to replicate and expand proven initiatives, and support new initiatives, in communities.
‘(3) A network of Social Innovation Funds could leverage Federal investments to increase State, local, business, and philanthropic resources to replicate and expand proven solutions and invest in supporting new innovations to tackle specific identified community challenges.
‘(1) to recognize and increase the impact of social entrepreneurs and other nonprofit community organizations in tackling national and local challenges;
‘(c) Definitions- In this section:
‘(2) to stimulate the development of a network of Social Innovation Funds that will increase private and public investment in nonprofit community organizations that are effectively addressing national and local challenges to allow such organizations to replicate and expand proven initiatives or support new initiatives;
‘(3) to assess the effectiveness of such Funds in--
‘(A) leveraging Federal investments to increase State, local, business, and philanthropic resources to address national and local challenges;
‘(4) to strengthen the infrastructure to identify, invest in, replicate, and expand initiatives with effective solutions to national and local challenges.
‘(B) providing resources to replicate and expand effective initiatives; and
‘(C) seeding experimental initiatives focused on improving outcomes in the areas described in subsection (f)(3); and
‘(1) COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION- The term ‘community organization’ means a nonprofit organization that carries out innovative, effective initiatives to address community challenges.
‘(d) Program- From the amounts appropriated to carry out this section that are not reserved under subsections (l) and (m), the Corporation shall establish a Social Innovation Funds grant program to make grants on a competitive basis to eligible entities for Social Innovation Funds.
‘(2) COVERED ENTITY- The term ‘covered entity’ means--
‘(A) an existing grantmaking institution (existing as of the date on which the institution applies for a grant under this section); or
‘(3) ISSUE AREA- The term ‘issue area’ means an area described in subsection (f)(3).
‘(B) a partnership between--
‘(i) such an existing grantmaking institution; and
‘(ii) an additional grantmaking institution, a State Commission, or a chief executive officer of a unit of general local government.
‘(e) Periods; Amounts- The Corporation shall make such grants for periods of 5 years, and may renew the grants for additional periods of 5 years, in amounts of not less than $1,000,000 and not more than $10,000,000 per year.
‘(f) Eligibility- To be eligible to receive a grant under subsection (d), an entity shall--
‘(1) be a covered entity;
‘(g) Application- To be eligible to receive a grant under subsection (d) for national leveraging capital, an eligible entity shall submit an application to the Corporation at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Corporation may specify, including, at a minimum--
‘(2) propose to focus on--
‘(A) serving a specific local geographical area; or
‘(3) propose to focus on improving measurable outcomes relating to--
‘(B) addressing a specific issue area;
‘(A) education for economically disadvantaged elementary or secondary school students;
‘(4) have an evidence-based decisionmaking strategy, including--
‘(B) child and youth development;
‘(C) reductions in poverty or increases in economic opportunity for economically disadvantaged individuals;
‘(D) health, including access to health services and health education;
‘(E) resource conservation and local environmental quality;
‘(F) individual or community energy efficiency;
‘(G) civic engagement; or
‘(H) reductions in crime;
‘(A) use of evidence produced by prior rigorous evaluations of program effectiveness including, where available, well-implemented randomized controlled trials; and
‘(5) have appropriate policies, as determined by the Corporation, that protect against conflict of interest, self-dealing, and other improper practices.
‘(B) a well-articulated plan to--
‘(i)(I) replicate and expand research-proven initiatives that have been shown to produce sizeable, sustained benefits to participants or society; or
‘(II) support new initiatives with a substantial likelihood of significant impact; or
‘(ii) partner with a research organization to carry out rigorous evaluations to assess the effectiveness of such initiatives; and
‘(1) an assurance that the eligible entity will--
‘(h) Selection Criteria- In selecting eligible entities to receive grants under subsection (d), the Corporation shall--
‘(A) use the funds received through that capital in order to make subgrants to community organizations that will use the funds to replicate or expand proven initiatives, or support new initiatives, in low-income communities;
‘(2) an assurance that the eligible entity will not make any subgrants to the parent organizations of the eligible entity, a subsidiary organization of the parent organization, or, if the eligible entity applied for funds under this section as a partnership, any member of the partnership;
‘(B) in making decisions about subgrants for communities, consult with a diverse cross section of community representatives in the decisions, including individuals from the public, nonprofit private, and for-profit private sectors; and
‘(C) make subgrants of a sufficient size and scope to enable the community organizations to build their capacity to manage initiatives, and sustain replication or expansion of the initiatives;
‘(3) an identification of, as appropriate--
‘(A) the specific local geographical area referred to in subsection (f)(2)(A) that the eligible entity is proposing to serve; or
‘(4)(A) information identifying the issue areas in which the eligible entity will work to improve measurable outcomes;
‘(B) the issue area referred to in subsection (f)(2)(B) that the eligible entity will address, and the geographical areas that the eligible entity is likely to serve in addressing such issue area;
‘(B) statistics on the needs related to those issue areas in, as appropriate--
‘(i) the specific local geographical area described in paragraph (3)(A); or
‘(C) information on the specific measurable outcomes related to the issue areas involved that the eligible entity will seek to improve;
‘(ii) the geographical areas described in paragraph (3)(B), including statistics demonstrating that those geographical areas have high need in the specific issue area that the eligible entity is proposing to address; and
‘(5) information describing the process by which the eligible entity selected, or will select, community organizations to receive the subgrants, to ensure that the community organizations--
‘(A) are institutions--
‘(6) information about the eligible entity, including its experience managing collaborative initiatives, or assessing applicants for grants and evaluating the performance of grant recipients for outcome-focused initiatives, and any other relevant information;
‘(i) with proven initiatives and a demonstrated track record of achieving specific outcomes related to the measurable outcomes for the eligible entity; or
‘(B) articulate measurable outcomes for the use of the subgrant funds that are connected to the measurable outcomes for the eligible entity;
‘(ii) that articulate a new solution with a significant likelihood for substantial impact;
‘(C) will use the funds to replicate, expand, or support their initiatives;
‘(D) provide a well-defined plan for replicating, expanding, or supporting the initiatives funded;
‘(E) can sustain the initiatives after the subgrant period concludes through reliable public revenues, earned income, or private sector funding;
‘(F) have strong leadership and financial and management systems;
‘(G) are committed to the use of data collection and evaluation for improvement of the initiatives;
‘(H) will implement and evaluate innovative initiatives, to be important contributors to knowledge in their fields; and
‘(I) will meet the requirements for providing matching funds specified in subsection (k);
‘(7) a commitment to meet the requirements of subsection (i) and a plan for meeting the requirements, including information on any funding that the eligible entity has secured to provide the matching funds required under that subsection;
‘(8) a description of the eligible entity’s plan for providing technical assistance and support, other than financial support, to the community organizations that will increase the ability of the community organizations to achieve their measurable outcomes;
‘(9) information on the commitment, institutional capacity, and expertise of the eligible entity concerning--
‘(A) collecting and analyzing data required for evaluations, compliance efforts, and other purposes;
‘(10) a commitment to use data and evaluations to improve the eligible entity’s own model and to improve the initiatives funded by the eligible entity; and
‘(B) supporting relevant research; and
‘(C) submitting regular reports to the Corporation, including information on the initiatives of the community organizations, and the replication or expansion of such initiatives;
‘(11) a commitment to cooperate with any evaluation activities undertaken by the Corporation.
‘(1) select eligible entities on a competitive basis;
‘(i) Matching Funds for Grants-
‘(2) select eligible entities on the basis of the quality of their selection process, as described in subsection (g)(5), the capacity of the eligible entities to manage Social Innovation Funds, and the potential of the eligible entities to sustain the Funds after the conclusion of the grant period;
‘(3) include among the grant recipients eligible entities that propose to provide subgrants to serve communities (such as rural low-income communities) that the eligible entities can demonstrate are significantly philanthropically underserved;
‘(4) select a geographically diverse set of eligible entities; and
‘(5) take into account broad community perspectives and support.
‘(1) IN GENERAL- The Corporation may not make a grant to an eligible entity under subsection (d) for a Social Innovation Fund unless the entity agrees that, with respect to the cost described in subsection (d) for that Fund, the entity will make available matching funds in an amount equal to not less than $1 for every $1 of funds provided under the grant.
‘(j) Subgrants-
‘(2) ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS-
‘(A) TYPE AND SOURCES- The eligible entity shall provide the matching funds in cash. The eligible entity shall provide the matching funds from State, local, or private sources, which may include State or local agencies, businesses, private philanthropic organizations, or individuals.
‘(3) REDUCTION- The Corporation may reduce by 50 percent the matching funds required by paragraph (1) for an eligible entity serving a community (such as a rural low-income community) that the eligible entity can demonstrate is significantly philanthropically underserved.
‘(B) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES INCLUDING STATE COMMISSIONS OR LOCAL GOVERNMENT OFFICES-
‘(i) IN GENERAL- In a case in which a State Commission, a local government office, or both entities are a part of the eligible entity, the State involved, the local government involved, or both entities, respectively, shall contribute not less than 30 percent and not more than 50 percent of the matching funds.
‘(ii) LOCAL GOVERNMENT OFFICE- In this subparagraph, the term ‘local government office’ means the office of the chief executive officer of a unit of general local government.
‘(1) SUBGRANTS AUTHORIZED- An eligible entity receiving a grant under subsection (d) is authorized to use the funds made available through the grant to award, on a competitive basis, subgrants to expand or replicate proven initiatives, or support new initiatives with a substantial likelihood of success, to--
‘(k) Matching Funds for Subgrants-
‘(A) community organizations serving low-income communities within the specific local geographical area described in the eligible entity’s application in accordance with subsection (g)(3)(A); or
‘(2) PERIODS; AMOUNTS- The eligible entity shall make such subgrants for periods of not less than 3 and not more than 5 years, and may renew the subgrants for such periods, in amounts of not less than $100,000 per year.
‘(B) community organizations addressing a specific issue area described in the eligible entity’s application in accordance with subsection (g)(3)(B), in low-income communities in the geographical areas described in the application.
‘(3) APPLICATIONS- To be eligible to receive a subgrant from an eligible entity under this section, including receiving a payment for that subgrant each year, a community organization shall submit an application to an eligible entity that serves the specific local geographical area, or geographical areas, that the community organization proposes to serve, at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the eligible entity may require, including--
‘(A) a description of the initiative the community organization carries out and plans to replicate or expand, or of the new initiative the community organization intends to support, using funds received from the eligible entity, and how the initiative relates to the issue areas in which the eligible entity has committed to work in the eligible entity’s application, in accordance with subsection (g)(4)(A);
‘(B) data on the measurable outcomes the community organization has improved, and information on the measurable outcomes the community organization seeks to improve by replicating or expanding a proven initiative or supporting a new initiative, which shall be among the measurable outcomes that the eligible entity identified in the eligible entity’s application, in accordance with subsection (g)(4)(C);
‘(C) an identification of the community in which the community organization proposes to carry out an initiative, which shall be within a local geographical area described in the eligible entity’s application in accordance with subparagraph (A) or (B) of subsection (g)(3), as applicable;
‘(D) a description of the evidence-based decisionmaking strategies the community organization uses to improve the measurable outcomes, including--
‘(i) use of evidence produced by prior rigorous evaluations of program effectiveness including, where available, well-implemented randomized controlled trials; or
‘(E) a description of how the community organization uses data to analyze and improve its initiatives;
‘(ii) a well-articulated plan to conduct, or partner with a research organization to conduct, rigorous evaluations to assess the effectiveness of initiatives addressing national or local challenges;
‘(F) specific evidence of how the community organization will meet the requirements for providing matching funds specified in subsection (k);
‘(G) a description of how the community organization will sustain the replicated or expanded initiative after the conclusion of the subgrant period; and
‘(H) any other information the eligible entity may require, including information necessary for the eligible entity to fulfill the requirements of subsection (g)(5).
‘(1) IN GENERAL- An eligible entity may not make a subgrant to a community organization under this section for an initiative described in subsection (j)(3)(A) unless the organization agrees that, with respect to the cost of carrying out that initiative, the organization will make available, on an annual basis, matching funds in an amount equal to not less than $1 for every $1 of funds provided under the subgrant. If the community organization fails to make such matching funds available for a fiscal year, the eligible entity shall not make payments for the remaining fiscal years of the subgrant period, notwithstanding any other provision of this part.
‘(l) Direct Support-
‘(2) TYPES AND SOURCES- The community organization shall provide the matching funds in cash. The community organization shall provide the matching funds from State, local, or private sources, which may include funds from State or local agencies or private sector funding.
‘(1) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED- The Corporation may use not more than 10 percent of the funds appropriated for this section to award grants to community organizations serving low-income communities or addressing a specific issue area in geographical areas that have the highest need in that issue area, to enable such community organizations to replicate or expand proven initiatives or support new initiatives.
‘(m) Research and Evaluation-
‘(2) TERMS AND CONDITIONS- A grant awarded under this subsection shall be subject to the same terms and conditions as a subgrant awarded under subsection (j).
‘(3) APPLICATION; MATCHING FUNDS- Paragraphs (2) and (3) of subsection (j) and subsection (k) shall apply to a community organization receiving or applying for a grant under this subsection in the same manner as such subsections apply to a community organization receiving or applying for a subgrant under subsection (j), except that references to a subgrant shall mean a grant and references to an eligible entity shall mean the Corporation.
‘(1) IN GENERAL- The Corporation may reserve not more than 5 percent of the funds appropriated for this section for a fiscal year to support, directly or through contract with an independent entity, research and evaluation activities to evaluate the eligible entities and community organizations receiving grants under subsections (d) and (l) and the initiatives supported by the grants.
‘(2) RESEARCH AND EVALUATION ACTIVITIES-
‘(A) RESEARCH AND REPORTS-
‘(i) IN GENERAL- The entity carrying out this subsection shall collect data and conduct or support research with respect to the eligible entities and community organizations receiving grants under subsections (d) and (l), and the initiatives supported by such eligible entities and community organizations, to determine the success of the program carried out under this section in replicating, expanding, and supporting initiatives, including--
‘(B) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE- The Corporation shall, directly or through contract, provide technical assistance to the eligible entities and community organizations that receive grants under subsections (d) and (l).
‘(I) the success of the initiatives in improving measurable outcomes; and
‘(ii) REPORTS- The Corporation shall submit periodic reports to the authorizing committees including--
‘(II) the success of the program in increasing philanthropic investments in philanthropically underserved communities.
‘(I) the data collected and the results of the research under this subsection;
‘(iii) PUBLIC INFORMATION- The Corporation shall annually post the list described in clause (ii)(III) on the Corporation’s website.
‘(II) information on lessons learned about best practices from the activities carried out under this section, to improve those activities; and
‘(III) a list of all eligible entities and community organizations receiving funds under this section.
‘(C) KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT- The Corporation shall, directly or through contract, maintain a clearinghouse for information on best practices resulting from initiatives supported by the eligible entities and community organizations.
‘(D) RESERVATION- Of the funds appropriated under section 501(a)(4)(E) for a fiscal year, not more than 5 percent may be used to carry out this subsection.’.
- Subtitle H of title I (42 U.S.C. 12653 et seq.) is further amended by adding at the end the following:
SEC. 1809. NONPROFIT CAPACITY BUILDING PROGRAM.‘PART IV--NATIONAL SERVICE PROGRAMS CLEARINGHOUSES; VOLUNTEER GENERATION FUND
‘SEC. 198O. NATIONAL SERVICE PROGRAMS CLEARINGHOUSES.
‘(a) In General- The Corporation shall provide assistance, by grant, contract, or cooperative agreement, to entities with expertise in the dissemination of information through clearinghouses to establish 1 or more clearinghouses for information regarding the national service laws, which shall include information on service-learning and on service through other programs receiving assistance under the national service laws.
‘SEC. 198P. VOLUNTEER GENERATION FUND.
‘(b) Function of Clearinghouse- Such a clearinghouse may--
‘(1) assist entities carrying out State or local service-learning and national service programs with needs assessments and planning;
‘(2) conduct research and evaluations concerning service-learning or programs receiving assistance under the national service laws, except that such clearinghouse may not conduct such research and evaluations if the recipient of the grant, contract, or cooperative agreement establishing the clearinghouse under this section is receiving funds for such purpose under part III of subtitle B or under this subtitle (not including this section);
‘(3)(A) provide leadership development and training to State and local service-learning program administrators, supervisors, service sponsors, and participants; and
‘(B) provide training to persons who can provide the leadership development and training described in subparagraph (A);
‘(4) facilitate communication among--
‘(A) entities carrying out service-learning programs and programs offered under the national service laws; and
‘(5) provide and disseminate information and curriculum materials relating to planning and operating service-learning programs and programs offered under the national service laws, to States, territories, Indian tribes, and local entities eligible to receive financial assistance under the national service laws;
‘(B) participants in such programs;
‘(6) provide and disseminate information regarding methods to make service-learning programs and programs offered under the national service laws accessible to individuals with disabilities;
‘(7) disseminate applications in languages other than English;
‘(8)(A) gather and disseminate information on successful service-learning programs and programs offered under the national service laws, components of such successful programs, innovative curricula related to service-learning, and service-learning projects; and
‘(B) coordinate the activities of the clearinghouse with appropriate entities to avoid duplication of effort;
‘(9) make recommendations to State and local entities on quality controls to improve the quality of service-learning programs and programs offered under the national service laws;
‘(10) assist organizations in recruiting, screening, and placing a diverse population of service-learning coordinators and program sponsors;
‘(11) disseminate effective strategies for working with disadvantaged youth in national service programs, as determined by organizations with an established expertise in working with such youth; and
‘(12) carry out such other activities as the Chief Executive Officer determines to be appropriate.
‘(a) Grants Authorized- Subject to the availability of appropriations for this section, the Corporation may make grants to State Commissions and nonprofit organizations for the purpose of assisting the State Commissions and nonprofit organizations to--
‘(1) develop and carry out volunteer programs described in subsection (c); and
‘(b) Application-
‘(2) make subgrants to support and create new local community-based entities that recruit, manage, or support volunteers as described in such subsection.
‘(1) IN GENERAL- Each State Commission or nonprofit organization desiring a grant under this section shall submit an application to the Corporation at such time, in such manner, and accompanied by such information as the Corporation may reasonably require.
‘(c) Eligible Volunteer Programs- A State Commission or nonprofit organization receiving a grant under this section shall use the assistance--
‘(2) CONTENTS- Each application submitted pursuant to paragraph (1) shall contain--
‘(A)(i) a description of the program that the applicant will provide;
‘(B) an assurance that the applicant will annually collect information on--
‘(i) the number of volunteers recruited for activities carried out under this section, using funds received under this section, and the type and amount of activities carried out by such volunteers; and
‘(C) a description of the outcomes the applicant will use to annually measure and track performance with regard to--
‘(ii) the number of volunteers managed or supported using funds received under this section, and the type and amount of activities carried out by such volunteers;
‘(i) activities carried out by volunteers; and
‘(D) such additional assurances as the Corporation determines to be essential to ensure compliance with the requirements of this section.
‘(ii) volunteers recruited, managed, or supported; and
‘(1) directly to carry out volunteer programs or to develop and support community-based entities that recruit, manage, or support volunteers, by carrying out activities consistent with the goals of the subgrants described in paragraph (2); or
‘(d) Allocation of Funds-
‘(2) through subgrants to community-based entities to carry out volunteer programs or develop and support such entities that recruit, manage, or support volunteers, through 1 or more of the following types of subgrants:
‘(A) A subgrant to a community-based entity for activities that are consistent with the priorities set by the State’s national service plan as described in section 178(e), or by the Corporation.
‘(B) A subgrant to recruit, manage, or support volunteers to a community-based entity such as a volunteer coordinating agency, a nonprofit resource center, a volunteer training clearinghouse, an institution of higher education, or a collaborative partnership of faith-based and community-based organizations.
‘(C) A subgrant to a community-based entity that provides technical assistance and support to--
‘(i) strengthen the capacity of local volunteer infrastructure organizations;
‘(ii) address areas of national need (as defined in section 198B(a)); and
‘(iii) expand the number of volunteers nationally.
‘(1) IN GENERAL- Of the funds allocated by the Corporation for provision of assistance under this section for a fiscal year--
‘(e) Limitation on Administrative Costs- Not more than 5 percent of the amount of any grant provided under this section for a fiscal year may be used to pay for administrative costs incurred by either the recipient of the grant or any community-based entity receiving assistance or a subgrant under such grant.
‘(A) the Corporation shall use 50 percent of such funds to award grants, on a competitive basis, to State Commissions and nonprofit organizations for such fiscal year; and
‘(2) MINIMUM GRANT AMOUNT- In order to ensure that each State Commission is able to improve efforts to recruit, manage, or support volunteers, the Corporation may determine a minimum grant amount for allotments under paragraph (1)(B).
‘(B) the Corporation shall use 50 percent of such funds make an allotment to the State Commissions of each of the several States, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico based on the formula described in subsections (e) and (f) of section 129, subject to paragraph (2).
‘(f) Matching Fund Requirements- The Corporation share of the cost of carrying out a program that receives assistance under this section, whether the assistance is provided directly or as a subgrant from the original recipient of the assistance, may not exceed--
‘(1) 80 percent of such cost for the first year in which the recipient receives such assistance;
‘(2) 70 percent of such cost for the second year in which the recipient receives such assistance;
‘(3) 60 percent of such cost for the third year in which the recipient receives such assistance; and
‘(4) 50 percent of such cost for the fourth year in which the recipient receives such assistance and each year thereafter.’.
- Subtitle H of title I (42 U.S.C. 12653 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
‘PART V--NONPROFIT CAPACITY BUILDING PROGRAM
‘SEC. 198S. NONPROFIT CAPACITY BUILDING.
‘(a) Definitions- In this section:
‘(1) INTERMEDIARY NONPROFIT GRANTEE- The term ‘intermediary nonprofit grantee’ means an intermediary nonprofit organization that receives a grant under subsection (b).
‘(b) Grants- The Corporation shall establish a Nonprofit Capacity Building Program to make grants to intermediary nonprofit organizations to serve as intermediary nonprofit grantees. The Corporation shall make the grants to enable the intermediary nonprofit grantees to pay for the Federal share of the cost of delivering organizational development assistance, including training on best practices, financial planning, grantwriting, and compliance with the applicable tax laws, for small and midsize nonprofit organizations, especially those nonprofit organizations facing resource hardship challenges. Each of the grantees shall match the grant funds by providing a non-Federal share as described in subsection (f).
‘(2) INTERMEDIARY NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION- The term ‘intermediary nonprofit organization’ means an experienced and capable nonprofit entity with meaningful prior experience in providing organizational development assistance, or capacity building assistance, focused on small and midsize nonprofit organizations.
‘(3) NONPROFIT- The term ‘nonprofit’, used with respect to an entity or organization, means--
‘(A) an entity or organization described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from taxation under section 501(a) of such Code; and
‘(4) STATE- The term ‘State’ means each of the several States, and the District of Columbia.
‘(B) an entity or organization described in paragraph (1) or (2) of section 170(c) of such Code.
‘(c) Amount- To the extent practicable, the Corporation shall make such a grant to an intermediary nonprofit organization in each State, and shall make such grant in an amount of not less than $200,000.
‘(d) Application- To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, an intermediary nonprofit organization shall submit an application to the Corporation at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Corporation may require. The intermediary nonprofit organization shall submit in the application information demonstrating that the organization has secured sufficient resources to meet the requirements of subsection (f).
‘(e) Preference and Considerations-
‘(1) PREFERENCE- In making such grants, the Corporation shall give preference to intermediary nonprofit organizations seeking to become intermediary nonprofit grantees in areas where nonprofit organizations face significant resource hardship challenges.
‘(f) Federal Share-
‘(2) CONSIDERATIONS- In determining whether to make a grant the Corporation shall consider--
‘(A) the number of small and midsize nonprofit organizations that will be served by the grant;
‘(B) the degree to which the activities proposed to be provided through the grant will assist a wide number of nonprofit organizations within a State, relative to the proposed amount of the grant; and
‘(C) the quality of the organizational development assistance to be delivered by the intermediary nonprofit grantee, including the qualifications of its administrators and representatives, and its record in providing services to small and midsize nonprofit organizations.
‘(1) IN GENERAL- The Federal share of the cost as referenced in subsection (b) shall be 50 percent.
‘(g) Reservation- Of the amount authorized to provide financial assistance under this subtitle, there shall be made available to carry out this section $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2010 through 2014.’.
‘(2) NON-FEDERAL SHARE-
‘(A) IN GENERAL- The non-Federal share of the cost as referenced in subsection (b) shall be 50 percent and shall be provided in cash.
‘(B) THIRD PARTY CONTRIBUTIONS-
‘(i) IN GENERAL- Except as provided in clause (ii), an intermediary nonprofit grantee shall provide the non-Federal share of the cost through contributions from third parties. The third parties may include charitable grantmaking entities and grantmaking vehicles within existing organizations, entities of corporate philanthropy, corporations, individual donors, and regional, State, or local government agencies, or other non-Federal sources.
‘(ii) EXCEPTION- If the intermediary nonprofit grantee is a private foundation (as defined in section 509(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986), a donor advised fund (as defined in section 4966(d)(2) of such Code), an organization which is described in section 4966(d)(4)(A)(i) of such Code, or an organization which is described in section 4966(d)(4)(B) of such Code, the grantee shall provide the non-Federal share from within that grantee’s own funds.
‘(iii) MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT, PRIOR YEAR THIRD-PARTY FUNDING LEVELS- For purposes of maintaining private sector support levels for the activities specified by this program, a non-Federal share that includes donations by third parties shall be composed in a way that does not decrease prior levels of funding from the same third parties granted to the nonprofit intermediary grantee in the preceding year.
Subtitle I--Training and Technical Assistance
SEC. 1821. TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.- Title I is further amended by adding at the end the following new subtitle:
‘SEC. 199N. TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.
‘Subtitle J--Training and Technical Assistance
‘(a) In General- The Corporation shall, directly or through grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements (including through State Commissions), conduct appropriate training for and provide technical assistance to--
‘(1) programs receiving assistance under the national service laws; and
‘(b) Activities Included- Such training and technical assistance activities may include--
‘(2) entities (particularly entities in rural areas and underserved communities) that desire to--
‘(A) carry out or establish national service programs; or
‘(B) apply for assistance (including subgrants) under the national service laws.
‘(1) providing technical assistance to entities applying to carry out national service programs or entities carrying out national service programs;
‘(c) Priority- In carrying out this section, the Corporation shall give priority to programs under the national service laws and entities eligible to establish such programs that seek training or technical assistance and that--
‘(2) promoting leadership development in national service programs;
‘(3) improving the instructional and programmatic quality of national service programs;
‘(4) developing the management and budgetary skills of individuals operating or overseeing national service programs, including developing skills to increase the cost effectiveness of the programs under the national service laws;
‘(5) providing for or improving the training provided to the participants in programs under the national service laws;
‘(6) facilitating the education of individuals participating in national service programs in risk management procedures, including the training of participants in appropriate risk management practices;
‘(7) training individuals operating or overseeing national service programs--
‘(A) in volunteer recruitment, management, and retention to improve the abilities of such individuals to use participants and other volunteers in an effective manner, which training results in high-quality service and the desire of participants and volunteers to continue to serve in other capacities after the program is completed;
‘(8) establishing networks and collaboration among employers, educators, and other key stakeholders in the community to further leverage resources to increase local participation in national service programs, and to coordinate community-wide planning and service with respect to national service programs;
‘(B) in program evaluation and performance measures to inform practices to augment the capacity and sustainability of the national service programs; or
‘(C) to effectively accommodate individuals with disabilities to increase the participation of individuals with disabilities in national service programs, which training may utilize funding from the reservation of funds under section 129(k) to increase the participation of individuals with disabilities;
‘(9) providing training and technical assistance for the National Senior Service Corps, including providing such training and technical assistance to programs receiving assistance under section 201 of the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 (42 U.S.C. 5001); and
‘(10) carrying out such other activities as the Chief Executive Officer determines to be appropriate.
‘(1) seek to carry out high-quality programs where the services are needed most;
‘(2) seek to carry out high-quality programs where national service programs do not exist or where the programs are too limited to meet community needs;
‘(3) seek to carry out high-quality programs that focus on and provide service opportunities for underserved rural and urban areas and populations; and
‘(4) seek to assist programs in developing a service component that combines students, out-of-school youths, and older adults as participants to provide needed community services.’.
Subtitle J--Repeal of Title III (Points of Light Foundation)
SEC. 1831. REPEAL.- (a) In General- Title III (42 U.S.C. 12661 et seq.) is repealed.
(b) Conforming Amendments- Section 401 (42 U.S.C. 12671) is amended--
- (1)
in subsection (a), by striking ‘term’ and all that follows through the
period and inserting the following: ‘term ‘administrative organization’
means a nonprofit private organization that enters into an agreement
with the Corporation to carry out this section.’; and
(2) by striking ‘Foundation’ each place it appears and inserting ‘administrative organization’.
Subtitle K--Amendments to Title V (Authorization of Appropriations)
SEC. 1841. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.- Section 501 (42 U.S.C. 12681) is amended--
- (1) by striking subsection (a) and inserting the following:
‘(a) Title I-
‘(1) SUBTITLE B-
‘(A) IN GENERAL- There are authorized to be appropriated to provide financial assistance under subtitle B of title I--
‘(2) SUBTITLES C AND D- There are authorized to be appropriated, for each of fiscal years 2010 through 2014, such sums as may be necessary to provide financial assistance under subtitle C of title I and to provide national service educational awards under subtitle D of title I for the number of participants described in section 121(f)(1) for each such fiscal year.
‘(i) $97,000,000 for fiscal year 2010; and
‘(B) PART IV RESERVATION- Of the amount appropriated under subparagraph (A) for a fiscal year, the Corporation may reserve such sums as may be necessary to carry out part IV of subtitle B of title I.
‘(ii) such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2011 through 2014.
‘(C) SECTION 118A- Of the amount appropriated under subparagraph (A) and not reserved under subparagraph (B) for a fiscal year, not more than $7,000,000 shall be made available for awards to Campuses of Service under section 118A.
‘(D) SECTION 119(C)(8)- Of the amount appropriated under subparagraph (A) and not reserved under subparagraph (B) for a fiscal year, not more than $10,000,000 shall be made available for summer of service program grants under section 119(c)(8), and not more than $10,000,000 shall be deposited in the National Service Trust to support summer of service educational awards, consistent with section 119(c)(8).
‘(E) SECTION 119(C)(9)- Of the amount appropriated under subparagraph (A) and not reserved under subparagraph (B) for a fiscal year, not more than $20,000,000 shall be made available for youth engagement zone programs under section 119(c)(9).
‘(F) GENERAL PROGRAMS- Of the amount remaining after the application of subparagraphs (A) through (E) for a fiscal year--
‘(i) not more than 60 percent shall be available to provide financial assistance under part I of subtitle B of title I;
‘(ii) not more than 25 percent shall be available to provide financial assistance under part II of such subtitle; and
‘(iii) not less than 15 percent shall be available to provide financial assistance under part III of such subtitle.
‘(3) SUBTITLE E-
‘(A) IN GENERAL- There are authorized to be appropriated to operate the National Civilian Community Corps and provide financial assistance under subtitle E of title I, such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2010 through 2014.
‘(4) SUBTITLE H-
‘(B) PRIORITY- Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, in obligating the amounts made available pursuant to the authorization of appropriations in this paragraph, priority shall be given to programs carrying out activities in areas for which the President has declared the existence of a major disaster, in accordance with section 401 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170), including a major disaster as a consequence of Hurricane Katrina or Rita.
‘(A) AUTHORIZATION- There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2010 through 2014 to provide financial assistance under subtitle H of title I.
‘(5) ADMINISTRATION-
‘(B) SECTION 198B- Of the amount authorized under subparagraph (A) for a fiscal year, such sums as may be necessary shall be made available to provide financial assistance under section 198B and to provide national service educational awards under subtitle D of title I to the number of participants in national service positions established or increased as provided in section 198B(b)(3) for such year.
‘(C) SECTION 198C- Of the amount authorized under subparagraph (A) for a fiscal year, $12,000,000 shall be made available to provide financial assistance under section 198C.
‘(D) SECTION 198H- Of the amount authorized under subparagraph (A) for a fiscal year, such sums as may be necessary shall be made available to provide financial assistance under section 198H.
‘(E) SECTION 198K- Of the amount authorized under subparagraph (A), there shall be made available to carry out section 198K--
‘(i) $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2010;
‘(F) SECTION 198P- Of the amount authorized under subparagraph (A), there shall be made available to carry out section 198P--
‘(ii) $60,000,000 for fiscal year 2011;
‘(iii) $70,000,000 for fiscal year 2012;
‘(iv) $80,000,000 for fiscal year 2013; and
‘(v) $100,000,000 for fiscal year 2014.
‘(i) $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2010;
‘(ii) $60,000,000 for fiscal year 2011;
‘(iii) $70,000,000 for fiscal year 2012;
‘(iv) $80,000,000 for fiscal year 2013; and
‘(v) $100,000,000 for fiscal year 2014.
‘(A) IN GENERAL- There are authorized to be appropriated for the administration of this Act, including financial assistance under section 126(a), such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2010 through 2014.
‘(6) EVALUATION, TRAINING, AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE- Notwithstanding paragraphs (1), (2), and (4) and any other provision of law, of the amounts appropriated for a fiscal year under subtitles B, C, and H of title I of this Act and under titles I and II of the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973, the Corporation shall reserve not more than 2.5 percent to carry out sections 112(e) and 179A and subtitle J, of which $1,000,000 shall be used by the Corporation to carry out section 179A. Notwithstanding subsection (b), amounts so reserved shall be available only for the fiscal year for which the amounts are reserved.’;
‘(B) CORPORATION- Of the amounts appropriated under subparagraph (A) for a fiscal year, a portion shall be made available to provide financial assistance under section 126(a).
(2) by striking subsections (b) and (d); and
(3) by redesignating subsection (c) as subsection (b).
TITLE II--DOMESTIC VOLUNTEER SERVICE ACT OF 1973
SEC. 2001. REFERENCES.- Except as otherwise expressly
provided, whenever in this title an amendment or repeal is expressed in
terms of an amendment to, or repeal of, a section or other provision,
the reference shall be considered to be made to a section or other
provision of the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 (42 U.S.C. 4950
et seq.).
- Section 2 (42 U.S.C. 4950) is amended--
- (1)
in subsection (a), by striking ‘both young’ and all that follows
through the period and inserting ‘individuals of all ages and
backgrounds.’; and
(2) in subsection (b), by inserting after ‘State, and local agencies’ the following: ‘, expand relationships with, and support for, the efforts of civic, community, and educational organizations,’.
Subtitle A--National Volunteer Antipoverty Programs
CHAPTER 1--VOLUNTEERS IN SERVICE TO AMERICA
SEC. 2101. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE.- Section 101 (42 U.S.C. 4951) is amended--
- (1)
in the second sentence, by striking ‘exploit’ and all that follows
through the period and inserting ‘increase opportunities for
self-advancement by persons affected by such problems.’; and
(2) in the third sentence, by striking ‘at the local level’ and all that follows through the period and inserting ‘at the local level, to support efforts by local agencies and community organizations to achieve long-term sustainability of projects, and to strengthen local agencies and community organizations to carry out the objectives of this part.’.
- Section 103 (42 U.S.C. 4953) is amended--
- (1) in subsection (a)--
- (A) in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands,’ after ‘American Samoa,’;
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘handicapped individuals’ and all that follows through the semicolon and inserting ‘individuals with disabilities, especially individuals with severe disabilities;’;
(C) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘the jobless, the hungry,’ and inserting ‘unemployed individuals,’;
(D) in paragraph (4), by striking ‘prevention, education,’ and inserting ‘through prevention, education, rehabilitation, treatment,’;
(E) in paragraph (5), by striking ‘chronic and life-threatening illnesses’ and inserting ‘mental illness, chronic and life-threatening illnesses,’;
(F) in paragraph (6)--
- (i) by striking ‘Headstart act’ and inserting ‘Head Start Act’; and
(ii) by striking ‘and’ after the semicolon at the end;
(H) by adding at the end the following:
‘(8) in assisting with the reentry and reintegration of formerly incarcerated youth and adults into society, including providing training and counseling in education, employment, and life skills;(2) in subsection (b)--
‘(9) in developing and carrying out financial literacy, financial planning, budgeting, saving, and reputable credit accessibility programs in low-income communities, including those programs that educate individuals about financing home ownership and higher education;
‘(10) in initiating and supporting before-school and after-school programs, serving children in low-income communities, that may engage participants in mentoring, tutoring, life skills and study skills programs, service-learning, physical, nutrition, and health education programs, and other activities addressing the needs of the children;
‘(11) in establishing and supporting community economic development initiatives, with a priority on work on such initiatives in rural areas and the other areas where such initiatives are needed most;
‘(12) in assisting veterans and their family members through establishing or augmenting programs that assist such persons with access to legal assistance, health care (including mental health care), employment counseling or training, education counseling or training, affordable housing, and other support services; and
‘(13) in addressing the health and wellness of individuals in low-income communities and individuals in underserved communities, including programs to increase access to preventive services, insurance, and health services.’;
- (A)
in paragraph (1), by striking ‘recruitment and placement procedures’
and inserting ‘placement procedures that involve sponsoring
organizations and’;
(B) in paragraph (2)--
- (i) in
subparagraph (A), by striking ‘Community Service Trust Act of 1993’ and
all that follows through the period at the end of the fourth sentence
and inserting ‘Community Service Act of 1990.’;
(ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘central information system that shall, on request, promptly provide’ and inserting ‘database that provides’; and
(iii) in subparagraph (C), in the second sentence, by inserting ‘and management’ after ‘the recruitment’; and
- (A) in paragraph (1)--
- (i) in subparagraph (A), by inserting ‘the Internet and related technologies,’ before ‘radio,’;
(ii) in subparagraph (B), by inserting ‘Internet and related technologies,’ before ‘print media,’;
(iii) in subparagraph (C), by inserting ‘State or local offices of economic development, State employment security agencies, employment offices,’ before ‘and other institutions’; and
(iv) in subparagraph (F), by striking ‘Community Service Trust Act of 1993’ and inserting ‘Community Service Act of 1990’; and
(5) in subsection (g), in the first sentence, by striking ‘, and such’ and all that follows through the period and inserting a period; and
(6) by adding at the end the following:
‘(i) The Director may enter into agreements under which public and private nonprofit organizations, with sufficient financial capacity and size, pay for all or a portion of the costs of supporting the service of volunteers under this part.’.
- Section 105(a)(1)(B) (42 U.S.C. 4955(a)(1)(B)) is amended--
- (1)
by striking the first sentence and inserting the following: ‘Such
stipend shall be set at a rate that is not less than a minimum of $125
per month and not more than a maximum of $150 per month, subject to the
availability of funds to provide such a maximum rate.’; and
(2) in the second sentence, by striking ‘stipend of a maximum of $200 per month’ and inserting ‘stipend set at a rate that is not more than a maximum of $250 per month’.
- Section 109 (42 U.S.C. 4959) is repealed.
- Section 110 (42 U.S.C. 4960) is redesignated as section 109.
CHAPTER 2--UNIVERSITY YEAR FOR VISTA
SEC. 2121. UNIVERSITY YEAR FOR VISTA.- Part B of title I (42 U.S.C. 4971 et seq.) is repealed.
CHAPTER 3--SPECIAL VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS
SEC. 2131. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE.- Section 121 (42 U.S.C. 4991) is amended in the second sentence by striking ‘situations’ and inserting ‘organizations’.
- Section 124 (42 U.S.C. 4995) is repealed.
Subtitle B--National Senior Service Corps
SEC. 2141. TITLE.- Title II (42 U.S.C. 5000 et seq.) is amended by striking the title heading and inserting the following:
SEC. 2142. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE.‘TITLE II--NATIONAL SENIOR SERVICE CORPS’.
- Section 200 (42 U.S.C. 5000) is amended to read as follows:
SEC. 2143. RETIRED AND SENIOR VOLUNTEER PROGRAM.‘SEC. 200. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE. ‘It is the purpose of this title to provide--
‘(1) opportunities for senior service to meet unmet local, State, and national needs in the areas of education, public safety, emergency and disaster preparedness, relief, and recovery, health and human needs, and the environment;
‘(2) for the National Senior Service Corps, comprised of the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program, the Foster Grandparent Program, and the Senior Companion Program, and demonstration and other programs, to empower people 55 years of age or older to contribute to their communities through service, enhance the lives of those who serve and those whom they serve, and provide communities with valuable services;
‘(3) opportunities for people 55 years of age or older, through the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program, to share their knowledge, experiences, abilities, and skills for the betterment of their communities and themselves;
‘(4) opportunities for low-income people 55 years of age or older, through the Foster Grandparents Program, to have a positive impact on the lives of children in need; and
‘(5) opportunities for low-income people 55 years of age or older, through the Senior Companion Program, to provide support services and companionship to other older individuals through volunteer service.’.
- Section 201 (42 U.S.C. 5001(a)) is amended--
- (1) in subsection (a)--
- (A)
in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking ‘avail’ and all that
follows through ‘community,’ and inserting ‘share their experiences,
abilities, and skills to improve their communities and themselves
through service in their communities,’;
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘, and individuals 60 years of age or older will be given priority for enrollment,’; and
(C) in paragraph (4)--
- (i) by striking ‘established and will be carried out’ and inserting ‘designed and implemented’; and
(ii) by striking ‘field of service’ and all that follows through the period at the end and inserting ‘field of service to be provided, as well as persons who have expertise in the management of volunteers and the needs of older individuals.’; and
‘(e)(1) Beginning with fiscal year 2013 and for each fiscal year thereafter, each grant or contract awarded under this section, for such a year, shall be--
‘(A) awarded for a period of 3 years, with an option for a grant renewal of 3 years if the grantee meets the performances measures established under subsection (g); and
‘(2)(A) The Corporation shall promulgate regulations establishing the competitive process required under paragraph (1)(B), and make such regulations available to the public, not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of the Serve America Act. The Corporation shall consult with the directors of programs receiving grants under this section during the development and implementation of the competitive process.
‘(B) awarded through a competitive process described in paragraph (2).
‘(B) The competitive process required by subparagraph (A) shall--
‘(i) include the use of a peer review panel, including members with expertise in senior service and aging, to review applications;
‘(f)(1) Notwithstanding section 412, and effective beginning 180 days after the date of enactment of the Serve America Act, each grant or contract under this section that expires in fiscal year 2011, 2012, or 2013 shall be subject to an evaluation process conducted by a review team described in paragraph (4). The evaluation process shall be carried out, to the maximum extent practicable, in fiscal year 2010, 2011, and 2012, respectively.
‘(ii) include site inspections of programs assisted under this section, as appropriate;
‘(iii) in the case of an applicant who has previously received a grant or contract for a program under this section, include an evaluation of the program conducted by a review team, as described in subsection (f);
‘(iv) ensure that--
‘(I) the grants or contracts awarded under this section through the competitive process for a grant or contract cycle support an aggregate number of volunteer service years for a given geographic service area that is not less than the aggregate number of volunteer service years supported under this section for such service area for the previous grant or contract cycle;
‘(v) include the use of performance measures, outcomes, and other criteria established under subsection (g).
‘(II) the grants or contracts awarded under this section through the competitive process for a grant or contract cycle maintain a similar program distribution, as compared to the program distribution for the previous grant or contract cycle; and
‘(III) every effort is made to minimize the disruption to volunteers; and
‘(2) The Corporation shall promulgate regulations establishing the evaluation process required under paragraph (1), and make such regulations available to the public, not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of the Serve America Act. The Corporation shall consult with the directors of programs receiving grants under this section during the development and implementation of the evaluation process.
‘(3) The evaluation process required under paragraph (1) shall--
‘(A) include performance measures, outcomes, and other criteria established under subsection (g); and
‘(4) To the maximum extent practicable, the Corporation shall provide that each evaluation required by this subsection is conducted by a review team that--
‘(B) evaluate the extent to which the recipient of the grant or contract meets or exceeds such performance measures, outcomes, and other criteria through a review of the recipient.
‘(A) includes individuals who are knowledgeable about programs assisted under this section;
‘(5) The findings of an evaluation described in this subsection of a program described in paragraph (1) shall--
‘(B) includes current or former employees of the Corporation who are knowledgeable about programs assisted under this section;
‘(C) includes representatives of communities served by volunteers of programs assisted under this section; and
‘(D) shall receive periodic training to ensure quality and consistency across evaluations.
‘(A) be presented to the recipient of the grant or contract for such program in a timely, transparent, and uniform manner that conveys information of program strengths and weaknesses and assists with program improvement; and
‘(g)(1) The Corporation shall, with particular attention to the different needs of rural and urban programs assisted under this section, develop performance measures, outcomes, and other criteria for programs assisted under this section that--
‘(B) be used as the basis for program improvement, and for the provision of training and technical assistance.
‘(A) include an assessment of the strengths and areas in need of improvement of a program assisted under this section;
‘(2)(A) The performance measures, outcomes, and other criteria established under this subsection may be updated or modified as necessary, in consultation with directors of programs under this section, but not earlier than fiscal year 2014.
‘(B) include an assessment of whether such program has adequately addressed population and community-wide needs;
‘(C) include an assessment of the efforts of such program to collaborate with other community-based organizations, units of government, and entities providing services to seniors, taking into account barriers to such collaboration that such program may encounter;
‘(D) include a protocol for fiscal management that shall be used to assess such program’s compliance with the program requirements for the appropriate use of Federal funds;
‘(E) include an assessment of whether the program is in conformity with the eligibility, outreach, enrollment, and other requirements for programs assisted under this section; and
‘(F) contain other measures of performance developed by the Corporation, in consultation with the review teams described in subsection (f)(4).
‘(B) For each fiscal year preceding fiscal year 2014, the Corporation may, after consulting with directors of the programs under this section, determine that a performance measure, outcome, or criterion established under this subsection is operationally problematic, and may, in consultation with such directors and after notifying the authorizing committees--
‘(i) eliminate the use of that performance measure, outcome or criterion; or
‘(3) In the event that a program does not meet one or more of the performance measures, outcome, or criteria established under this subsection, the Corporation shall initiate procedures to terminate the program in accordance with section 412.
‘(ii) modify that performance measure, outcome, or criterion as necessary to render it no longer operationally problematic.
‘(h) The Chief Executive Officer shall develop procedures by which programs assisted under this section may receive training and technical assistance, which may include regular monitoring visits to assist programs in meeting the performance measures, outcomes, and criteria.
‘(i)(1) Notwithstanding subsection (g)(3) or section 412, the Corporation shall continue to fund a program assisted under this section that has failed to meet or exceed the performance measures, outcomes, and other criteria established under this subsection for not more than 12 months if the competitive process established under subsection (e) does not result in a successor grant or contract for such program, in order to minimize the disruption to volunteers and the disruption of services.
‘(2) In the case where a program is continued under paragraph (1), the Corporation shall conduct outreach regarding the availability of a grant under this section for the area served by such program and establish a new competition for awarding the successor program to the continued program. The recipient operating the continued program shall remain eligible for the new competition.
‘(3) The Corporation may monitor the recipient of a grant or contract supporting a program continued under paragraph (1) during this period and may provide training and technical assistance to assist such recipient in meeting the performance measures for such program.
‘(j) The Corporation shall develop and disseminate an online resource guide for programs under this section not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of the Serve America Act, which shall include--
‘(1) examples of high-performing programs assisted under this section;
‘(2) corrective actions for underperforming programs; and
‘(3) examples of meaningful outcome-based performance measures, outcomes, and criteria that capture a program’s mission and priorities.’.
- Section 211 (42 U.S.C. 5011) is amended--
- (1) in subsection (a)--
- (A) in the first sentence--
- (i) by striking ‘aged sixty’ and inserting ‘age 55’; and
(ii) by striking ‘children having exceptional needs’ and inserting ‘children having special or exceptional needs or circumstances identified as limiting their academic, social, or emotional development’; and
- (i) by striking ‘any of a variety of’; and
(ii) by striking ‘children with special or exceptional needs’ and inserting ‘children having special or exceptional needs or circumstances identified as limiting their academic, social, or emotional development’;
- (A) in paragraph (1)--
- (i)
in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking ‘shall have’ and
all that follows through ‘(2) of the subsection’ and inserting ‘may
determine’;
(ii) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘and’ after the semicolon at the end;
(iii) in subparagraph (B), by striking the period at the end and inserting ‘; and’; and
(iv) by adding at the end the following:
‘(C) whether it is in the best interest of the child receiving, and the particular foster grandparent providing, services in such a project, to continue the relationship between the child and the grandparent under this part after the child reaches the age of 21, if such child is an individual with a disability who was receiving such services prior to attaining the age of 21.’; and
- (B) by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the following:
‘(2) If an assignment of a foster grandparent under this part is suspended or discontinued, the replacement of that foster grandparent shall be determined in a manner consistent with paragraph (3).’;
- (3)
in subsection (d), by striking ‘$2.45 per hour’ and all that follows
through ‘five cents, except’ and inserting ‘$3.00 per hour, except’;
(4) in subsection (e)--
- (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘125 per centum’ and inserting ‘200 percent’; and
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘per centum’ and inserting ‘percent’; and
- (A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘subparagraphs (B) and (C)’ and inserting ‘subparagraph (B)’; and
(B) by striking subparagraph (C).
- Section 213(a) (42 U.S.C. 5013(a)) is amended by striking ‘aged 60 or over’ and inserting ‘age 55 or older’.
- (a) Promotion of National Senior Service Corps- Section 221 (42 U.S.C. 5021) is amended--
- (1) in the section heading, by striking ‘VOLUNTEER’ and inserting ‘SERVICE’; and
(2) in subsection (b)(2), by striking ‘participation of volunteers’ and inserting ‘participation of volunteers of all ages and backgrounds, living in urban or rural communities’.
- (1) in the section heading, by striking ‘GROUP’ and inserting ‘POPULATION’; and
(2) by striking ‘sixty years and older from minority groups’ and inserting ‘age 55 years or older from minority populations’.
- (1) in the section heading, by striking ‘VOLUNTEER’ and inserting ‘SERVICE’; and
(2) by striking ‘Volunteer Corps’ and inserting ‘Service Corps’.
- (1) in subsection (a)--
- (A) in paragraph (1)--
- (i) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘(10), (12), (15), and (16)’ and inserting ‘(9), (11), and (14)’; and
(ii) in subparagraph (C), by striking ‘(10)’ and inserting ‘(9)’;
‘(2) An applicant for a grant under paragraph (1) shall determine whether the program to be supported by the grant is a program under part A, B, or C, and shall submit an application as required for such program.’; and
- (C) by adding at the end the following:
‘(4) To the maximum extent practicable, the Director shall ensure that not less than 25 percent of the funds appropriated under this section are used to award grants--
‘(A) to applicants for grants under this section that are not receiving assistance from the Corporation at the time of such grant award; or
‘(5) Notwithstanding paragraph (4), if, for a fiscal year, less than 25 percent of the applicants for grants under this section are applicants described in paragraph (4), the Director may use an amount that is greater than 75 percent of the funds appropriated under this subsection to award grants to applicants that are already receiving assistance from the Corporation at the time of such grant award.’;
‘(B) to applicants from locations where no programs supported under part A, B, or C are in effect at the time of such grant award.
- (2) in subsection (b)--
- (A) in paragraph (2), by inserting ‘through education, prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation’ before the period at the end;
(B) by striking paragraph (4) and inserting the following:
‘(4) Programs that establish and support mentoring programs for low-income youth, including mentoring programs that match such youth with mentors and match such youth with employment and training programs, including apprenticeship programs.’;
- (C) in paragraph (5),
by inserting ‘, including literacy programs that serve youth, and
adults, with limited English proficiency’ before the period at the end;
(D) by striking paragraphs (6) and (7) and inserting the following:
‘(6) Programs that provide respite care, including care for elderly individuals and for children and individuals with disabilities or chronic illnesses who are living at home.
‘(7) Programs that provide before-school and after-school activities, serving children in low-income communities, that may engage participants in mentoring relationships, tutoring, life skills, and study skills programs, service-learning, physical, nutrition, and health education programs, and other activities addressing the needs of the children in the communities, including children of working parents.’;
- (E) by striking paragraph (8);
(F) by redesignating paragraphs (9) through (15) as paragraphs (8) through (14), respectively;
(G) in paragraph (10) (as redesignated by subparagraph (F))--
- (i) by striking ‘educationally disadvantaged children’ and inserting ‘students’; and
(ii) by striking ‘the basic skills of such children’ and inserting ‘the academic achievement of such students’;
‘(11) Programs that engage older individuals with children and youth to complete service in energy conservation, environmental stewardship, or other environmental needs of a community, including service relating to conducting energy audits, insulating homes, or conducting other activities to promote energy efficiency.’;
- (I) by striking paragraph (14) (as redesignated by subparagraph (F)) and inserting the following:
‘(14) Programs in which the grant recipients involved collaborate with criminal justice professionals and organizations in order to provide prevention programs that serve low-income youth or youth reentering society after incarceration and their families, which prevention programs may include mentoring, counseling, or employment counseling.’;
- (J) by striking paragraph (16); and
(K) by redesignating paragraphs (17) and (18) as paragraphs (15) and (16), respectively;
(4) in subsection (e), by inserting ‘widely’ after ‘shall’.
‘SEC. 228. ACCEPTANCE OF DONATIONS. ‘(a) In General- Except as provided in subsection (b), an entity receiving assistance under this title may accept donations, including donations in cash or in kind fairly evaluated, including plant, equipment, or services.
‘(b) Exception- An entity receiving assistance under this title to carry out an activity shall not accept donations from the beneficiaries of the activity.’.
Subtitle C--Administration and Coordination
SEC. 2151. SPECIAL LIMITATIONS.- Section 404(a) (42 U.S.C.
5044(a)) is amended by inserting ‘or other volunteers (not including
participants under this Act and the National and Community Service Act
of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12501 et seq.)),’ after ‘employed workers’ both
places such term appears.
- Section 415 (42 U.S.C. 5055) is amended--
- (1)
in subsection (c), by inserting ‘(as such part was in effect on the day
before the date of enactment of the Serve America Act)’ after ‘part B’;
and
(2) in subsection (e), by inserting ‘(as such part was in effect on the day before the date of enactment of the Serve America Act)’ after ‘A, B’.
- Section 416 (42 U.S.C. 5056) is amended--
- (1) in subsection (a), in the first sentence, by striking ‘(including’ and all that follows through ‘3 years)’; and
(2) in subsection (f)(3), by striking ‘Committee on Education and Labor of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Labor and Human Resources of the Senate’ and inserting ‘authorizing committees’.
- Section 421 (42 U.S.C. 5061) is amended--
- (1) in paragraph (2), by inserting ‘, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands,’ after ‘American Samoa’;
(2) by striking paragraph (7);
(3) in paragraph (13), by striking ‘Volunteer Corps’ and inserting ‘Service Corps’;
(4) in paragraph (14), by striking ‘Volunteer Corps’ and inserting ‘Service Corps’;
(5) by redesignating paragraphs (8) through (20) as paragraphs (7) through (19), respectively;
(6) in paragraph (18) (as redesignated by paragraph (5)), by striking ‘and’ after the semicolon at the end;
(7) in paragraph (19) (as redesignated by paragraph (5)), by striking the period at the end and inserting ‘; and’; and
(8) by adding at the end the following:
‘(20) the term ‘authorizing committees’ means the Committee on Education and Labor of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate.’.
- Section
425 (42 U.S.C. 5065) is amended, in the matter following paragraph (2),
by striking ‘Volunteer Corps’ and inserting ‘Service Corps’.
- Title IV (42 U.S.C. 5043 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
‘SEC. 426. PROVISIONS UNDER THE NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE ACT OF 1990. ‘The Corporation shall carry out this Act in accordance with the provisions of this Act and the relevant provisions of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12501 et seq.), particularly the provisions of section 122 and subtitle F of title I of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12572, 12631 et seq.) relating to the national service laws.’.
Subtitle D--Authorization of Appropriations
SEC. 2161. AUTHORIZATIONS OF APPROPRIATIONS.- (a) National Volunteer Antipoverty Programs- Section 501 (42 U.S.C. 5081) is amended--
- (1) in subsection (a)--
- (A) by striking paragraphs (1) through (4) and inserting the following:
‘(1) VOLUNTEERS IN SERVICE TO AMERICA- There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out part A of title I $100,000,000 for fiscal year 2010 and such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 2011 through 2014.
‘(2) SPECIAL VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS- There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out part C of title I such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2010 through 2014.’; and
- (B) by redesignating paragraph (5) as paragraph (3);
(3) by striking subsection (e).
‘SEC. 502. NATIONAL SENIOR SERVICE CORPS. ‘(a) Retired and Senior Volunteer Program- There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out part A of title II, $70,000,000 for fiscal year 2010, and such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 2011 through 2014.
‘(b) Foster Grandparent Program- There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out part B of title II, $115,000,000 for fiscal year 2010, and such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 2011 through 2014.
‘(c) Senior Companion Program- There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out part C of title II, $55,000,000 for fiscal year 2010, and such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 2011 through 2014.
‘(d) Demonstration Programs- There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out part E of title II, such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 2010 through 2014.’.
(c) Administration and Coordination- Section 504 (42 U.S.C. 5084) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a), by striking ‘fiscal years 1994 through 1996’ and inserting ‘fiscal years 2010 through 2014’; and
(2) in subsection (b), by striking ‘fiscal years 1994 through 1996’ and inserting ‘fiscal years 2010 through 2014’.
TITLE III--TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS TO TABLES OF CONTENTS
SEC. 3101. TABLE OF CONTENTS OF THE NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE ACT OF 1990.- Section 1(b) of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 is amended to read as follows:
‘(b) Table of Contents- The table of contents of this Act is as follows:
‘Sec. 1. Short title and table of contents.
‘Sec. 2. Findings and purpose.
‘TITLE I--NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE STATE GRANT PROGRAM
‘Subtitle A--General Provisions
‘Sec. 101. Definitions.
‘Sec. 102. Authority to make State grants.
‘Subtitle B--School-Based and Community-Based Service-Learning Programs
‘Part I--Programs for Elementary and Secondary School Students
‘Sec. 111. Purpose.
‘Sec. 111A. Definitions.
‘Sec. 112. Assistance to States, territories, and Indian tribes.
‘Sec. 112A. Allotments.
‘Sec. 113. Applications.
‘Sec. 114. Consideration of applications.
‘Sec. 115. Participation of students and teachers from private schools.
‘Sec. 116. Federal, State, and local contributions.
‘Sec. 117. Limitations on uses of funds.
‘Part II--Higher Education Innovative Programs for Community Service
‘Sec. 118. Higher education innovative programs for community service.
‘Sec. 118A. Campuses of Service.
‘Part III--Innovative and Community-Based Service-Learning Programs and Research
‘Sec. 119. Innovative and community-based service-learning programs and research.
‘Part IV--Service-Learning Impact Study
‘Sec. 120. Study and report.
‘Subtitle C--National Service Trust Program
‘Part I--Investment in National Service
‘Sec. 121. Authority to provide assistance and approved national service positions.
‘Sec. 122. National service programs eligible for program assistance.
‘Sec. 123. Types of national service positions eligible for approval for national service educational awards.
‘Sec. 124. Types of program assistance.
‘Sec. 126. Other special assistance.
‘Part II--Application and Approval Process
‘Sec. 129. Provision of assistance and approved national service positions.
‘Sec. 129A. Educational awards only program.
‘Sec. 130. Application for assistance and approved national service positions.
‘Sec. 131. National service program assistance requirements.
‘Sec. 132. Ineligible service categories.
‘Sec. 132A. Prohibited activities and ineligible organizations.
‘Sec. 133. Consideration of applications.
‘Part III--National Service Participants
‘Sec. 137. Description of participants.
‘Sec. 138. Selection of national service participants.
‘Sec. 139. Terms of service.
‘Sec. 140. Living allowances for national service participants.
‘Sec. 141. National service educational awards.
‘Subtitle D--National Service Trust and Provision of Educational Awards
‘Sec. 145. Establishment of the National Service Trust.
‘Sec. 146. Individuals eligible to receive an educational award from the Trust.
‘Sec. 146A. Certifications of successful completion of terms of service.
‘Sec. 147. Determination of the amount of the educational award.
‘Sec. 148. Disbursement of educational awards.
‘Sec. 149. Approval process for approved positions.
‘Subtitle E--National Civilian Community Corps
‘Sec. 151. Purpose.
‘Sec. 152. Establishment of National Civilian Community Corps Program.
‘Sec. 153. National service program.
‘Sec. 154. Summer national service program.
‘Sec. 155. National Civilian Community Corps.
‘Sec. 156. Training.
‘Sec. 157. Service projects.
‘Sec. 158. Authorized benefits for Corps members.
‘Sec. 159. Administrative provisions.
‘Sec. 160. Status of Corps members and Corps personnel under Federal law.
‘Sec. 161. Contract and grant authority.
‘Sec. 162. Responsibilities of Department of Defense.
‘Sec. 163. Advisory board.
‘Sec. 164. Evaluations.
‘Sec. 165. Definitions.
‘Subtitle F--Administrative Provisions
‘Sec. 171. Family and medical leave.
‘Sec. 172. Reports.
‘Sec. 173. Supplementation.
‘Sec. 174. Prohibition on use of funds.
‘Sec. 175. Nondiscrimination.
‘Sec. 176. Notice, hearing, and grievance procedures.
‘Sec. 177. Nonduplication and nondisplacement.
‘Sec. 178. State Commissions on National and Community Service.
‘Sec. 179. Evaluation.
‘Sec. 179A. Civic Health Assessment and volunteering research and evaluation.
‘Sec. 180. Engagement of participants.
‘Sec. 181. Contingent extension.
‘Sec. 182. Partnerships with schools.
‘Sec. 183. Rights of access, examination, and copying.
‘Sec. 184. Drug-free workplace requirements.
‘Sec. 184A. Availability of assistance.
‘Sec. 185. Consolidated application and reporting requirements.
‘Sec. 186. Sustainability.
‘Sec. 187. Grant periods.
‘Sec. 188. Generation of volunteers.
‘Sec. 189. Limitation on program grant costs.
‘Sec. 189A. Matching requirements for severely economically distressed communities.
‘Sec. 189B. Audits and reports.
‘Sec. 189C. Restrictions on Federal Government and uses of Federal funds.
‘Sec. 189D. Criminal history checks.
‘Subtitle G--Corporation for National and Community Service
‘Sec. 191. Corporation for National and Community Service.
‘Sec. 192. Board of Directors.
‘Sec. 192A. Authorities and duties of the Board of Directors.
‘Sec. 193. Chief Executive Officer.
‘Sec. 193A. Authorities and duties of the Chief Executive Officer.
‘Sec. 194. Officers.
‘Sec. 195. Employees, consultants, and other personnel.
‘Sec. 196. Administration.
‘Sec. 196A. Corporation State offices.
‘Sec. 196B. Assignment to State Commissions.
‘Sec. 196C. Study of involvement of veterans.
‘Subtitle H--Investment for Quality and Innovation
‘Part I--Additional Corporation Activities To Support National Service
‘Sec. 198. Additional corporation activities to support national service.
‘Sec. 198A. Presidential awards for service.
‘Sec. 198B. ServeAmerica Fellowships.
‘Sec. 198C. Silver Scholarships and Encore Fellowships.
‘Part II--National Service Reserve Corps
‘Sec. 198H. National Service Reserve Corps.
‘Part III--Social Innovation Funds Pilot Program
‘Sec. 198K. Funds.
‘Part IV--National Service Programs Clearinghouses; Volunteer Generation Fund
‘Sec. 198O. National service programs clearinghouses.
‘Sec. 198P. Volunteer generation fund.
‘PART V--Nonprofit Capacity Building Program
‘Sec. 198S. Nonprofit capacity building.
‘Subtitle I--American Conservation and Youth Corps
‘Sec. 199. Short title.
‘Sec. 199A. General authority.
‘Sec. 199B. Limitation on purchase of capital equipment.
‘Sec. 199C. State application.
‘Sec. 199D. Focus of programs.
‘Sec. 199E. Related programs.
‘Sec. 199F. Public lands or Indian lands.
‘Sec. 199G. Training and education services.
‘Sec. 199H. Preference for certain projects.
‘Sec. 199I. Age and citizenship criteria for enrollment.
‘Sec. 199J. Use of volunteers.
‘Sec. 199K. Living allowance.
‘Sec. 199L. Joint programs.
‘Sec. 199M. Federal and State employee status.
‘Subtitle J--Training and Technical Assistance
‘Sec. 199N. Training and technical assistance.
‘TITLE II--MODIFICATIONS OF EXISTING PROGRAMS
‘Subtitle A--Publication
‘Sec. 201. Information for students.
‘Sec. 202. Exit counseling for borrowers.
‘Sec. 203. Department information on deferments and cancellations.
‘Sec. 204. Data on deferments and cancellations.
‘Subtitle B--Youthbuild Projects
‘Sec. 211. Youthbuild projects.
‘Subtitle C--Amendments to Student Literacy Corps
‘Sec. 221. Amendments to Student Literacy Corps.
‘TITLE IV--PROJECTS HONORING VICTIMS OF TERRORIST ATTACKS
‘Sec. 401. Projects.
‘TITLE V--AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS
‘Sec. 501. Authorization of appropriations.
SEC. 3102. TABLE OF CONTENTS OF THE DOMESTIC VOLUNTEER SERVICE ACT OF 1973.‘TITLE VI--MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
‘Sec. 601. Amtrak waste disposal.
‘Sec. 602. Exchange program with countries in transition from totalitarianism to democracy.’.
- Section 1(b) of the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 is amended to read as follows:
‘(b) Table of Contents- The table of contents of this Act is as follows:
‘Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
‘Sec. 2. Volunteerism policy.
‘TITLE I--NATIONAL VOLUNTEER ANTIPOVERTY PROGRAMS
‘Part A--Volunteers in Service to America
‘Sec. 101. Statement of purpose.
‘Sec. 102. Authority to operate VISTA program.
‘Sec. 103. Selection and assignment of volunteers.
‘Sec. 104. Terms and periods of service.
‘Sec. 105. Support service.
‘Sec. 106. Participation of beneficiaries.
‘Sec. 107. Participation of younger and older persons.
‘Sec. 108. Limitation.
‘Sec. 109. Applications for assistance.
‘Part C--Special Volunteer Programs
‘Sec. 121. Statement of purpose.
‘Sec. 122. Authority to establish and operate special volunteer and demonstration programs.
‘Sec. 123. Technical and financial assistance.
‘TITLE II--NATIONAL SENIOR SERVICE CORPS
‘Sec. 200. Statement of purpose.
‘Part A--Retired and Senior Volunteer Program
‘Sec. 201. Grants and contracts for volunteer service projects.
‘Part B--Foster Grandparent Program
‘Sec. 211. Grants and contracts for volunteer service projects.
‘Part C--Senior Companion Program
‘Sec. 213. Grants and contracts for volunteer service projects.
‘Part D--General Provisions
‘Sec. 221. Promotion of National Senior Service Corps.
‘Sec. 222. Payments.
‘Sec. 223. Minority population participation.
‘Sec. 224. Use of locally generated contributions in National Senior Service Corps.
‘Sec. 225. Programs of national significance.
‘Sec. 226. Adjustments to Federal financial assistance.
‘Sec. 227. Multiyear grants or contracts.
‘Sec. 228. Acceptance of donations.
‘Part E--Demonstration Programs
‘Sec. 231. Authority of Director.
‘TITLE IV--ADMINISTRATION AND COORDINATION
‘Sec. 403. Political activities.
‘Sec. 404. Special limitations.
‘Sec. 406. Labor standards.
‘Sec. 408. Joint funding.
‘Sec. 409. Prohibition of Federal control.
‘Sec. 410. Coordination with other programs.
‘Sec. 411. Prohibition.
‘Sec. 412. Notice and hearing procedures for suspension and termination of financial assistance.
‘Sec. 414. Distribution of benefits between rural and urban areas.
‘Sec. 415. Application of Federal law.
‘Sec. 416. Evaluation.
‘Sec. 417. Nondiscrimination provisions.
‘Sec. 418. Eligibility for other benefits.
‘Sec. 419. Legal expenses.
‘Sec. 421. Definitions.
‘Sec. 422. Audit.
‘Sec. 423. Reduction of paperwork.
‘Sec. 424. Review of project renewals.
‘Sec. 425. Protection against improper use.
‘Sec. 426. Provisions under the National and Community Service Act of 1990.
‘TITLE V--AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS
‘Sec. 501. National volunteer antipoverty programs.
‘Sec. 502. National Senior Service Corps.
‘Sec. 504. Administration and coordination.
‘Sec. 505. Availability of appropriations.
‘TITLE VI--AMENDMENTS TO OTHER LAWS AND REPEALERS
‘Sec. 601. Supersedence of Reorganization Plan No. 1 of July 1, 1971.
‘Sec. 602. Creditable service for civil service retirement.
‘Sec. 603. Repeal of title VIII of the Economic Opportunity Act.
‘Sec. 604. Repeal of title VI of the Older Americans Act.’.
TITLE IV--AMENDMENTS TO OTHER LAWS
SEC. 4101. INSPECTOR GENERAL ACT OF 1978.- Section 8F(a)(1)
of the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.) is amended by
striking ‘National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993’ and
inserting ‘National and Community Service Act of 1990’.
TITLE V--VOLUNTEERS FOR PROSPERITY PROGRAM
SEC. 5101. FINDINGS.- Congress makes the following findings:
- (1) Americans engaged in international volunteer service, and the organizations deploying them--
- (A) play critical roles in responding to the needs of people living throughout the developing world; and
(B) advance the international public diplomacy of the United States.
(3) In its first 4 years, the VfP Program helped to mobilize 74,000 skilled Americans, including doctors, nurses, engineers, businesspeople, and teachers, through a network of 250 nonprofit organizations and companies in the United States, to carry out development and humanitarian efforts for those affected by great global challenges in health, the environment, poverty, illiteracy, financial literacy, disaster relief, and other challenges.
(4) The VfP Program has undertaken activities, including--
- (A) direct outreach to leading nonprofit organizations and companies in the United States;
(B) promotion of the work of skilled Americans and nonprofit organizations and companies in the United States as it relates to international volunteer service;
(C) public recognition of skilled American volunteers;
(D) support for organizations that utilize skilled Americans as volunteers;
(E) participation in the development of special initiatives to further opportunities for skilled Americans; and
(F) leadership of an innovative public-private partnership to provide eligible skilled with financial assistance for volunteer assignments.
- In this title:
- (1)
VFP OFFICE- The term ‘VfP Office’ means the Office of Volunteers for
Prosperity of the United States Agency for International Development.
(2) VFP PROGRAM- The term ‘VfP Program’ means the Volunteers for Prosperity Program established through Executive Order 13317.
(3) VFPSERVE- The term ‘VfPServe’ means a program established by the VfP Office, in cooperation with the USA Freedom Corps, to provide eligible skilled professionals with fixed amount stipends to offset the travel and living costs of volunteering abroad.
- (a) Functions- The VfP Office shall pursue the objectives of the VfP Program described in subsection (b) by--
- (1)
implementing the VfPServe Program to provide eligible skilled
professionals with matching grants to offset the travel and living
expenses of volunteering abroad with nonprofit organizations;
(2) otherwise promoting short- and long-term international volunteer service by skilled American professionals, including connecting such professionals with nonprofit organizations, to achieve such objectives;
(3) helping nonprofit organizations in the United States recruit and effectively manage additional skilled American professionals for volunteer assignments throughout the developing world;
(4) providing recognition for skilled American volunteers and the organizations deploying them;
(5) helping nonprofit organizations and corporations in the United States to identify resources and opportunities in international volunteer service utilizing skilled Americans;
(6) encouraging the establishment of international volunteer programs for employees of United States corporations; and
(7) encouraging international voluntary service by highly skilled Americans to promote health and prosperity throughout the world.
- (1) eliminating extreme poverty;
(2) reducing world hunger and malnutrition;
(3) increasing access to safe potable water;
(4) enacting universal education;
(5) reducing child mortality and childhood diseases;
(6) combating the spread of preventable diseases, including HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis;
(7) providing educational and work skill support for girls and empowering women to achieve independence;
(8) creating sustainable business and entrepreneurial opportunities; and
(9) increasing access to information technology.
- (1)
IN GENERAL- The VfP Office may provide matching grants to offset the
travel and living costs of volunteering abroad to any eligible
organization that--
- (A) has members who possess skills relevant to addressing any objective described in subsection (b); and
(B) provides a dollar-for-dollar match for such grant--
- (i) through the organization with which the individual is serving; or
(ii) by raising private funds.
(3) COMPLIANCE WITH INELIGIBLE SERVICE CATEGORIES- Service carried out by a volunteer receiving funds under this section may not provide a direct benefit to any--
- (A) business organized for profit;
(B) labor union;
(C) partisan political organization; or
(D) religious or faith-based organization for the purpose of proselytization, worship or any other explicitly religious activity.
- (1)
IN GENERAL- The Administrator of the United States Agency for
International Development shall make available the amounts appropriated
pursuant to section 5104 to the VfP Office to pursue the objectives
described in subsection (b) by carrying out the functions described in
subsection (a).
(2) USE OF FUNDS- Amounts made available under paragraph (1) may be used by the VfP Office to provide personnel and other resources to develop, manage, and expand the VfP Program, under the supervision of the United States Agency for International Development.
(f) Report- The VfP Office shall submit an annual report to Congress on the activities of the VfP Office.
- (a)
In General- There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this
title $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2010, and such sums as may be
necessary for each of the fiscal years 2011 through 2014.
(b) Allocation of Funds- Not more than 10 percent of the amounts appropriated pursuant to subsection (a) may be expended for the administrative costs of the United States Agency for International Development to manage the VfP Program.
TITLE VI--EFFECTIVE DATE
SEC. 6101. EFFECTIVE DATE.- (a) In General- This Act, and the amendments made by this Act, take effect on October 1, 2009.
(b) Regulations- Effective on the date of enactment of this Act, the Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation for National and Community Service may issue such regulations as may be necessary to carry out this Act and the amendments made by this Act.
- (a) Findings- The Senate finds the following:
- (1)
President John F. Kennedy said, ‘The raising of extraordinarily large
sums of money, given voluntarily and freely by millions of our fellow
Americans, is a unique American tradition . . . Philanthropy, charity,
giving voluntarily and freely . . . call it what you like, but it is
truly a jewel of an American tradition’.
(2) Americans gave more than $300,000,000,000 to charitable causes in 2007, an amount equal to roughly 2 percent of the gross domestic product.
(3) The vast majority of those donations, roughly 75 percent or $229,000,000,000, came from individuals.
(4) Studies have shown that Americans give far more to charity than the people of any other industrialized nation--more than twice as much, measured as a share of gross domestic product, than the citizens of Great Britain, and 10 times more than the citizens of France.
(5) 7 out of 10 American households donate to charities to support a wide range of religious, educational, cultural, health care, and environmental goals.
(6) These charities provide innumerable valuable public services to society’s most vulnerable citizens during difficult economic times.
(7) Congress has provided incentives through the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to encourage charitable giving by allowing individuals to deduct contributions made to tax-exempt charities.
(8) 41,000,000 American households, constituting 86 percent of taxpayers who itemize deductions, took advantage of this deduction to give to the charities of their choice.
Vice President of the United States and
President of the Senate.
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