Division H - Investment for Quality and Innovation

42 USC 12653 - Additional Corporation activities to support national service

(a) Methods of conducting activities
The Corporation may carry out this section directly (except as provided in subsection (r) of this section) or through grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements with other entities.

(b) Innovation and quality improvement
The Corporation may undertake activities to improve the quality of national service programs, including service-learning programs, and to support innovative and model programs, including

(1) programs, including programs for rural youth, under division B or C of this subchapter;

(2) employer-based retiree programs;

(3) intergenerational programs;

(4) programs involving individuals with disabilities as participants providing service; and

(5) programs sponsored by Governors.

(c) Summer programs
The Corporation may support service programs intended to be carried out between May 1 and October 1, except that such a program may also include a year-round component.

(d) Community-based agencies
The Corporation may provide training and technical assistance and other assistance to service sponsors and other community-based agencies that provide volunteer placements in order to improve the ability of such agencies to use participants and other volunteers in a manner that results in high-quality service and a positive service experience for the participants and volunteers.

(e) Improve ability to apply for assistance
The Corporation shall provide training and technical assistance, where necessary, to individuals, programs, local labor organizations, State educational agencies, State Commissions, local educational agencies, local governments, community-based agencies, and other entities to enable them to apply for funding under one of the national service laws, to conduct high-quality programs, to evaluate such programs, and for other purposes.

(f) National service fellowships
The Corporation may award national service fellowships.

(g) Conferences and materials
The Corporation may organize and hold conferences, and prepare and publish materials, to disseminate information and promote the sharing of information among programs for the purpose of improving the quality of programs and projects.

(h) Peace Corps and VISTA training
The Corporation may provide training assistance to selected individuals who volunteer to serve in the Peace Corps or a program authorized under title I of the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 (42 U.S.C. 4951 et seq.). The training shall be provided as part of the course of study of the individual at an institution of higher education, shall involve service-learning, and shall cover appropriate skills that the individual will use in the Peace Corps or VISTA.

(i) Promotion and recruitment
The Corporation may conduct a campaign to solicit funds for the National Service Trust and other programs and activities authorized under the national service laws and to promote and recruit participants for programs that receive assistance under the national service laws.

(j) Training
The Corporation may support national and regional participant and supervisor training, including leadership training and training in specific types of service and in building the ethic of civic responsibility.

(k) Research
The Corporation may support research on national service, including service-learning.

(l) Intergenerational support
The Corporation may assist programs in developing a service component that combines students, out-of-school youths, and older adults as participants to provide needed community services.

(m) Planning coordination
The Corporation may coordinate community-wide planning among programs and projects.

(n) Youth leadership
The Corporation may support activities to enhance the ability of youth and young adults to play leadership roles in national service.

(o) National program identity
The Corporation may support the development and dissemination of materials, including training materials, and arrange for uniforms and insignia, designed to promote unity and shared features among programs that receive assistance under the national service laws.

(p) Service-learning
The Corporation shall support innovative programs and activities that promote service-learning.

(q) National Youth Service Day

(1) Designation
April 19, 1994, and April 18, 1995, are each designated as National Youth Service Day. The President is authorized and directed to issue a proclamation calling on the people of the United States to observe the day with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

(2) Federal activities
In order to observe National Youth Service Day at the Federal level, the Corporation may organize and carry out appropriate ceremonies and activities.

(3) Activities
The Corporation may make grants to public or private nonprofit">nonprofit organizations with demonstrated ability to carry out appropriate activities, in order to support such activities on National Youth Service Day.

(r) Assistance for Head Start
The Corporation may make grants to, and enter into contracts and cooperative agreements with, public or nonprofit">nonprofit private agencies and organizations that receive grants or contracts under the Foster Grandparent Program (part B of title II of the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 [42 U.S.C. 5011 et seq.]), for projects of the type described in section 211(a) of such Act [42 U.S.C. 5011] operating under memoranda of agreement with the Corporation, for the purpose of increasing the number of low-income individuals who provide services under such program to children who participate in Head Start programs under the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C 9831 et seq).

(s) Martin Luther King, Jr., Service Day

(1) Assistance
The Corporation may make grants to eligible entities described in paragraph (2) to pay for the Federal share of the cost of planning and carrying out service opportunities in conjunction with the Federal legal holiday honoring the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. Such service opportunities shall consist of activities reflecting the life and teachings of Martin Luther King, Jr., such as cooperation and understanding among racial and ethnic groups, nonviolent conflict resolution, equal economic and educational opportunities, and social justice.

(2) Eligible entities
Any entity otherwise eligible for assistance under the national services laws shall be eligible to receive a grant under this subsection.

(3) Repealed. Pub. L. 105–354, § 2(b), Nov. 3, 1998, 112 Stat. 3244

(4) Federal share
Grants provided under this subsection to an eligible entity to support the planning and carrying out of a service opportunity in conjunction with the Federal legal holiday honoring the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., together with all other Federal funds used to plan or carry out the service opportunity, may not exceed 30 percent of the cost of planning and carrying out the service opportunity.

(5) Calculation of entity contributions
In determining the non-Federal share of the costs of planning and carrying out a service opportunity supported by a grant under this subsection, the Corporation shall consider in-kind contributions (including facilities, equipment, and services) made to plan or carry out the service opportunity.

42 USC 12653a - Clearinghouses

(a) Assistance
The Corporation shall provide assistance to appropriate entities to establish one or more clearinghouses, including the clearinghouse described in section 12551 of this title.

(b) Application
To be eligible to receive assistance under subsection (a) of this section, an entity shall submit an application to the Corporation at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Corporation may require.

(1) assist entities carrying out State or local community service programs with needs assessments and planning;

(2) conduct research and evaluations concerning community service;

(3)

(A) provide leadership development and training to State and local community service program administrators, supervisors, and participants; and

(B) provide training to persons who can provide the leadership development and training described in subparagraph (A);

(4) facilitate communication among entities carrying out community service programs and participants;

(5) provide information, curriculum materials, and technical assistance relating to planning and operation of community service programs, to States and local entities eligible to receive funds under this subchapter;

(6)

(A) gather and disseminate information on successful community service programs, components of such successful programs, innovative youth skills curriculum, and community service projects; and

(B) coordinate the activities of the clearinghouse with appropriate entities to avoid duplication of effort;

(7) make recommendations to State and local entities on quality controls to improve the delivery of community service programs and on changes in the programs under this subchapter; and

(8) carry out such other activities as the Chief Executive Officer determines to be appropriate.

42 USC 12653b - Presidential awards for service

(a) Presidential awards

(1) In general
The President, acting through the Corporation, may make Presidential awards for service to individuals providing significant service, and to outstanding service programs.

(2) Individuals and programs
Notwithstanding section 12511 (19) of this title

(A) an individual receiving an award under this subsection need not be a participant in a program authorized under this chapter; and

(B) a program receiving an award under this subsection need not be a program authorized under this chapter.

(3) Nature of award
In making an award under this section to an individual or program, the President, acting through the Corporation

(A) is authorized to incur necessary expenses for the honorary recognition of the individual or program; and

(B) is not authorized to make a cash award to such individual or program.

(b) Information
The President, acting through the Corporation, shall ensure that information concerning individuals and programs receiving awards under this section is widely disseminated.

42 USC 12653c - Military installation conversion demonstration programs

(a) Purposes
The purposes of this section are to

(1) provide meaningful service opportunities for economically disadvantaged youth;

(2) fully utilize military installations affected by closures or realignments;

(3) encourage communities affected by such closures or realignments to convert the installations to community use; and

(4) foster a sense of community pride in the youth in the community.

(b) Definitions
As used in this section:

(1) Affected military installation
The term affected military installation means a military installation being closed or realigned under

(A) the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act of 1990 (part A of title XXIX of division B of Public Law 101510; 10 U.S.C. 2687 note ); and

(B) title II of the Defense Authorization Amendments and Base Closure and Realignment Act (Public Law 100526; 10 U.S.C. 2687 note ).

(2) Community
The term community includes a county.

(3) Convert to community use
The term convert to community use, used with respect to an affected military installation, includes

(A) conversion of the installation or a part of the installation to

(i) a park;

(ii) a community center;

(iii) a recreational facility; or

(iv) a facility for a Head Start program under the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9831 et seq.); and

(B) carrying out, at the installation, a construction or economic development project that is of substantial benefit, as determined by the Chief Executive Officer, to

(i) the community in which the installation is located; or

(ii) a community located within such distance of the installation as the Chief Executive Officer may determine by regulation to be appropriate.

(4) Demonstration program
The term demonstration program means a program described in subsection (c) of this section.

(1) Grants
The Corporation may make grants to communities and community-based agencies to pay for the Federal share of establishing and carrying out military installation conversion demonstration programs, to assist in converting to community use affected military installations located

(A) within the community; or

(B) within such distance from the community as the Chief Executive Officer may by regulation determine to be appropriate.

(2) Duration
In carrying out such a demonstration program, the community or community-based agency may carry out

(A) a program of not less than 6 months in duration; or

(B) a full-time summer program.

(d) Use of funds

(1) Stipend
A community or community-based agency that receives a grant under subsection (c) of this section to establish and carry out a project through a demonstration program may use the funds made available through such grant to pay for a portion of a stipend for the participants in the project.

(2) Limitation on amount of stipend
The amount of the stipend provided to a participant under paragraph (1) that may be paid using assistance provided under this section and using any other Federal funds shall not exceed the lesser of

(A) 85 percent of the total average annual subsistence allowance provided to VISTA volunteers under section 4955 of this title; and

(B) 85 percent of the stipend established by the demonstration program involved.

(e) Participants

(1) Eligibility
A person shall be eligible to be selected as a participant in a project carried out through a demonstration program if the person is

(A) an economically disadvantaged individual; and

(B)

(i) a person described in section 12613 (b) of this title;

(ii) a youth described in section 12614 (a) of this title; or

(iii) an individual described in section 2884 of title 29.

(2) Participation
Persons desiring to participate in such a project shall enter into an agreement with the service sponsor of the project to participate

(A) on a full-time or a part-time basis; and

(B) for the duration referred to in subsection (f)(2)(C) of this section.

(f) Application

(1) In general
To be eligible to receive a grant under subsection (c) of this section, a community or community-based agency shall submit an application to the Chief Executive Officer at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Chief Executive Officer may require.

(2) Contents
At a minimum, such application shall contain

(A) a description of the demonstration program proposed to be conducted by the applicant;

(B) a proposal for carrying out the program that describes the manner in which the applicant will

(i) provide preservice and inservice training, for supervisors and participants, that will be conducted by qualified individuals or qualified organizations;

(ii) conduct an appropriate evaluation of the program; and

(iii) provide for appropriate community involvement in the program;

(D) an assurance that the applicant will comply with the nonduplication and nondisplacement provisions of section 12637 of this title and the grievance procedure requirements of section 12636 (f) of this title.

(g) Limitation on grant
In making a grant under subsection (c) of this section with respect to a demonstration program to assist in converting an affected military installation, the Corporation shall not make a grant for more than 25 percent of the total cost of the conversion.

42 USC 12653d - Special demonstration project

(a) Special demonstration project for the Yukon-Kuskokwim delta of Alaska
The President may award grants to, and enter into contracts with, organizations to carry out programs that address significant human needs in the Yukon-Kuskokwim delta region of Alaska.

(b) Application

(1) General requirements
To be eligible to receive a grant or enter into a contract under subsection (a) of this section with respect to a program, an organization shall submit an application to the President at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the President may require.

(2) Contents
The application submitted by the organization shall, at a minimum

(A) include information describing the manner in which the program will utilize VISTA volunteers, individuals who have served in the Peace Corps, and other qualified persons, in partnership with the local nonprofit">nonprofit organizations known as the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation and the Alaska Village Council Presidents;

(B) take into consideration

(i) the primarily noncash economy of the region; and

(ii) the needs and desires of residents of the local communities in the region; and

(C) include specific strategies, developed in cooperation with the Yupik speaking population that resides in such communities, for comprehensive and intensive community development for communities in the Yukon-Kuskokwim delta region.