School Service Act of 2003 - Amends the National and Community Service Act of 1990 to establish a Community Corps (CC) for school-age youth.
Authorizes the Corporation for National and Community Service to make competitive grants, to cover a Federal share of the cost of planning or operating CC programs, to qualified entities, including States, Indian tribes, local educational agencies, or nonprofit organizations acting in partnership with one or more of such entities.
Requires CC programs to: (1) engage school-age youth in meaningful service that meets unmet human, educational, environmental, or public safety needs; (2) provide substantial structured opportunities for them to reflect on their service activities; and (3) be integrated into and enhance the school's academic curriculum or educational components of an after-school or summer program.
Gives priority in awarding grants to qualified entities that: (1) demonstrate they will engage school-age youth in high-quality service programs; and (2) propose to serve jurisdictions with high numbers or percentages of low-income families.
[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1219 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
108th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1219
To amend the National and Community Service Act of 1990 to establish a
Community Corps, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
June 10, 2003
Mr. Edwards (for himself, Mr. Smith, and Mrs. Clinton) introduced the
following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the National and Community Service Act of 1990 to establish a
Community Corps, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``School Service Act of 2003''.
SEC. 2. PURPOSES.
The purposes of this Act are--
(1) to mobilize the patriotism and energy of youth in the
United States in order to meet the unmet human, educational,
environmental, and public safety needs of United States
society;
(2) to foster an ethic of service and citizenship in young
people that will last throughout their lives;
(3) to support a limited number of States, Indian tribes,
and local educational agencies whose schools require that every
student, prior to secondary school graduation, engage in
substantial service to their community and country;
(4) to ensure that entities receiving that support
establish high-quality service-learning programs that offer
students opportunities for meaningful service and for
reflection on such service;
(5) to guarantee substantial flexibility to entities
receiving that support in order to design programs that meet
local needs;
(6) to support nonprofit and nongovernmental organizations
that engage youth in effective and innovative service programs;
and
(7) to conduct rigorous evaluations of service programs to
determine their costs and benefits and to ensure high quality.
TITLE I--COMMUNITY CORPS
SEC. 101. SERVICE PROGRAMS.
Part I of subtitle B of title I of the National and Community
Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12521 et seq.) is amended--
(1) by redesignating subpart C as subpart D;
(2) by redesignating section 118 as section 118N; and
(3) by inserting after subpart B the following:
``Subpart C--Community Corps
``SEC. 118. GRANTS.
``(a) In General.--The Corporation, after consultation with the
Secretary of Education, may make grants under subsection (b) on a
competitive basis to qualified entities to pay for the Federal share of
the cost of planning or operating Community Corps programs.
``(b) Planning and Operational Grants.--
``(1) Planning grants.--The Corporation may make a planning
grant to a qualified entity to provide assistance for the
planning of a Community Corps program that meets the
requirements of this subpart.
``(2) Operational grants.--The Corporation may make an
operational grant to a qualified entity to provide assistance
for the operation of a Community Corps program that meets the
requirements of this subpart.
``(3) Total period.--The period of a grant made under
paragraph (1) shall be not more than 1 year. The total period
of a grant made under paragraph (2), or grants made under
paragraphs (1) and (2), to a qualified entity shall be not less
than 3 years, except as provided in section 118F(b).
``(c) Direct or Indirect Expenditures.--To carry out programs under
this subpart, a qualified entity that receives a grant under subsection
(b) may--
``(1) expend the funds made available through the grant; or
``(2) use the funds to make subgrants to--
``(A) in the case of a qualified entity that is a
State or Indian tribe, local educational agencies;
``(B) public elementary schools or secondary
schools;
``(C) institutions of higher education;
``(D) public or private nonprofit organizations;
``(E) private elementary schools or secondary
schools, if the qualified entity has made a
certification regarding such schools under section
118B(b)(2); and
``(F) qualified partnerships, as defined by the
Corporation.
``(d) Discretion With Respect to Program Type.--A qualified entity
that uses funds to make a subgrant under subsection (c)(2) may
determine, or may permit the subgrant recipient to determine, the type
of program (as described in section 118A(a)(2)) to be planned or
operated with the subgrant.
``SEC. 118A. USE OF FUNDS.
``(a) Programs.--
``(1) In general.--An entity that receives a grant or
subgrant under section 118 shall use the funds made available
through the grant or subgrant for a program for school-age
youth that--
``(A) engages the youth in meaningful service that
meets unmet human, educational, environmental, or
public safety needs;
``(B) provides substantial structured opportunities
for the youth to reflect on their service activities,
enhancing their sense of civic responsibility;
``(C) as appropriate--
``(i) is integrated into and enhances the
academic curriculum of the school or the
educational components of an after-school or
summer program in which the youth are enrolled;
and
``(ii) involves participants in the
planning, selection, and development of
service projects, or otherwise fosters leadership skills; and
``(D) achieves such other goals as the Corporation
may specify or approve.
``(2) Types of programs.--Programs carried out through
grants or subgrants made under section 118 may be--
``(A) school-based service-learning programs that
integrate service-learning into 1 or more mandatory
courses in an academic curriculum;
``(B) school-based service-learning programs that--
``(i) require secondary school students to
perform community service after school, on
weekends, or during summer vacations; and
``(ii) utilize appropriately trained
adults--
``(I) to work with community
members and organizations to identify
opportunities to fulfill the
requirement described in clause (i);
``(II) to disseminate to secondary
school students information about such
opportunities; and
``(III) to ensure that such
students have substantial structured
opportunities for reflection on their
service activities;
``(C) community-based service-learning programs
operated by community-based agencies or by nonprofit
organizations, in partnership with State educational
agencies, local educational agencies, elementary
schools, or secondary schools, that engage school-age
youth to perform community service--
``(i) after school; or
``(ii) during summer vacations;
``(D) programs that combine course-based service-
learning with individualized service; and
``(E) such other programs as the Corporation may
designate, consistent with the objectives of the
Community Corps.
``(b) Permissible Activities.--An entity that receives a grant or
subgrant under section 118 for a Community Corps program may use the
funds made available through the grant or subgrant to pay for the
Federal share of--
``(1) the cost of providing training for teachers,
supervisors, personnel from community-based agencies, and
trainers, who are necessary for the operation of the program;
``(2) the cost of developing service-learning curricula to
be integrated into the program;
``(3) the cost of providing effective outreach and
dissemination of information to ensure the broadest possible
involvement in the Community Corps program of community-based
agencies with demonstrated effectiveness in working with
school-age youth;
``(4) the cost of recruiting, training, supervising,
placing, and providing salaries and benefits to adults
necessary for the operation of the program, including paying
for such cost for individuals who--
``(A) are participants in a program under subtitle
C or receive a national service educational award under
subtitle D; and
``(B)(i) serve as service-learning coordinators as
specified in section 111(b);
``(ii) perform the responsibilities described in
subsection (a)(2)(B)(ii);
``(iii) coordinate or supervise the activities of
school-age youth in a program described in subsection
(a)(2)(C); or
``(iv) serve in other appropriate roles, as
determined by the Corporation; and
``(5) other reasonable costs related to the supervision of
participants, program administration, development and
acquisition of program materials, transportation, insurance,
verification of youth participation, and meeting other program
needs.
``SEC. 118B. APPLICATIONS.
``(a) In General.--To be eligible to receive a grant under section
118, a qualified entity shall prepare, submit to the Corporation, and
obtain approval of, an application at such time and in such manner as
the Chief Executive Officer may reasonably require.
``(b) Contents.--An application that is submitted under subsection
(a) with respect to a program described in section 118A--
``(1) shall include--
``(A) a certification that, not more than 24 months
after the qualified entity receives the grant under
section 118--
``(i) all public school students at the
schools where the program is proposed to be
carried out shall be required, as a condition
of secondary school graduation, to complete a
substantial community service experience; and
``(ii) the qualified entity shall provide
opportunities, through high-quality service
programs, as defined in section 118C(a)(2), for
all such students to meet the requirement of
clause (i);
``(B)(i) a 5-year strategic plan, which shall
contain--
``(I) information demonstrating how the
results specified in the certification
described in subparagraph (A) will be achieved;
and
``(II) such additional information as the
Chief Executive Officer may reasonably require;
and
``(ii) information demonstrating that the program
will be carried out in a manner consistent with the
approved strategic plan;
``(C) a description of the outcome measures
developed for the program as described in section
118F(a)(3)(C) and specific, quantifiable goals
addressing each outcome measure;
``(D) certifications that--
``(i) the applicant will keep such records
and provide such information to the Corporation
with respect to the programs as may be required
for fiscal audits and program evaluation;
``(ii) the applicant will comply with the
nonduplication and nondisplacement requirements
of section 177 and the grievance procedure
requirements of section 176(f); and
``(iii) the applicant has consulted with
the State Commission for the State in which the
applicant is located about the application; and
``(E) such additional information as the Chief
Executive Officer may reasonably require; and
``(2) may include--
``(A) a certification that, not more than 24 months
after the qualified entity receives the grant under
section 118--
``(i) all private school students at the
schools where the program is proposed to be
carried out shall be required, as a condition
of secondary school graduation, to complete a
substantial community service experience; and
``(ii) the qualified entity shall ensure
opportunities on an equitable basis, through
high-quality service programs, as defined in
section 118C(a)(2), for all such students to
meet the requirement of clause (i); and
``(B) in the 5-year strategic plan required under
paragraph (1)(B)(i), information demonstrating how the
results specified in the certification described in
subparagraph (A) will be achieved.
``SEC. 118C. CONSIDERATION OF APPLICATIONS.
``(a) High-Quality Service Programs.--
``(1) In general.--In awarding grants under section 118,
the Corporation shall give priority to a qualified entity that
demonstrates that the entity will engage school-age youth in
high-quality service programs.
``(2) Definition.--In this subsection, the term `high-
quality service program' means a program that--
``(A) effectively meets unmet human, educational,
environmental, or public safety needs;
``(B) effectively fosters--
``(i) an ethic of civic responsibility; and
``(ii) personal character development;
``(C) as appropriate for the type of program and
participants--
``(i) improves performance in core academic
subjects; and
``(ii) fosters leadership skills;
``(D) in the case of a school-based program, is
operated, to the extent appropriate, by a partnership
that includes an entity that--
``(i) is a community-based agency,
nonprofit organization, or institution of
higher education; and
``(ii) has expertise in the provision of
services to meet unmet needs, youth
development, service-learning, or another
relevant field; and
``(E) effectively achieves such other goals as the
Corporation may specify.
``(b) Geographic Diversity of Recipients.--Subject to subsection
(a), the Corporation shall ensure that qualified entities receiving
grants under section 118--
``(1) are geographically diverse; and
``(2) fully and adequately represent urban and rural areas.
``(c) Low-Income Families.--Subject to subsection (a), in awarding
grants under section 118, the Corporation shall give priority to a
qualified entity that proposes--
``(1) to serve a jurisdiction having a high number or high
percentage of low-income families; and
``(2) to focus the funds made available through such a
grant on those parts of the jurisdiction having a high number
or high percentage of low-income families.
``(d) Other Criteria.--In awarding grants under section 118, the
Corporation may establish such other priorities as the Corporation
determines to be appropriate, consistent with the objectives of the
Community Corps.
``SEC. 118D. FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL CONTRIBUTIONS.
``(a) Share.--
``(1) In general.--The Federal share attributable to this
subpart of the cost of carrying out a program for which a grant
or subgrant is made under this subpart may not exceed--
``(A) 75 percent of the total cost of the program
for the first, second, and third years for which the
program receives assistance under this subpart;
``(B) 65 percent of the total cost of the program
for the fourth year for which the program receives
assistance under this subpart; and
``(C) 50 percent of the total cost of the program
for the fifth year, and for any subsequent year, for
which the program receives assistance under this
subpart.
``(2) Calculation.--In providing for the remaining share of
the cost of carrying out such a program, each recipient of
assistance under this subpart--
``(A) shall provide for such share through a
payment in cash or in kind, fairly evaluated, including
facilities, equipment, or services; and
``(B) may provide for such share through State
sources, local sources, private sources, or Federal
sources (other than funds made available under the
national service laws).
``(b) Waiver.--The Chief Executive Officer may waive the
requirements of subsection (a) in whole or in part with respect to any
such program in any fiscal year if the Corporation determines that such
a waiver would be equitable due to a lack of available financial
resources at the local level.
``SEC. 118E. LIMITATIONS ON USES OF FUNDS.
``(a) Administrative Costs.--
``(1) Limitation.--Not more than 5 percent of the amount of
assistance provided to a qualified entity that is the original
recipient of a grant under section 118 for a fiscal year may be
used to pay for administrative costs incurred by--
``(A) the original recipient; or
``(B) the entity carrying out the community service
programs supported with the assistance.
``(2) Rules on use.--The Chief Executive Officer may by
rule prescribe the manner and extent to which--
``(A) such assistance may be used to cover
administrative costs; and
``(B) that portion of the assistance available to
cover administrative costs should be distributed
between--
``(i) the original recipient; and
``(ii) the entity carrying out the
community service programs supported with the
assistance.
``(b) Local Uses of Funds.--Funds made available under this subpart
may not be used to pay any stipend, allowance, or other financial
support to any student who is a participant under this subtitle, except
reimbursement for transportation, meals, and other reasonable out-of-
pocket expenses directly related to participation in a program assisted
under this subpart.
``SEC. 118F. ACCOUNTABILITY.
``(a) Evaluation.--
``(1) In general.--The Corporation shall make a grant or
enter into a contract with an eligible entity to conduct an
annual evaluation of the effectiveness of each program that
receives assistance under section 118. The first such
evaluation shall occur during the second year for which the
program receives a grant under section 118(b)(2).
``(2) Eligible entity.--To be eligible to receive a grant
or contract under paragraph (1), an entity shall not be--
``(A) the Corporation;
``(B) a State educational agency;
``(C) a local educational agency;
``(D) an entity that receives a grant or subgrant
under section 118; or
``(E) a division of an entity described in
subparagraph (A), (B), (C), or (D).
``(3) Contents.--In conducting the evaluation with respect
to a program, the eligible entity shall--
``(A) conduct a cost-benefit analysis of the
program;
``(B) determine the performance of the program in--
``(i) meeting unmet human, educational,
environmental, or public safety needs; and
``(ii) contributing, in both the short term
and the long term, to youth--
``(I) civic engagement;
``(II) character development;
``(III) personal responsibility;
``(IV) academic motivation; and
``(V) academic achievement; and
``(C) determine the performance of the program on
outcome measures developed by the entity carrying out
the program.
``(b) Failure To Meet Quantifiable Goals.--
``(1) Probation.--A program that receives assistance under
section 118 that--
``(A) fails to perform satisfactorily in meeting
the goals described in subsection (a)(3)(B), as
determined by the Corporation; or
``(B) fails to meet substantially the goals
described in section 118B(b)(1)(C), as determined by
the Corporation,
during the second year for which the program receives a grant
under section 118(b)(2) or a subsequent fiscal year, shall be
placed on probation for the following fiscal year.
``(2) Assistance for grant recipients on probation.--The
Corporation shall, on request by a recipient of a grant for a
program on probation under paragraph (1), provide technical
assistance to such grant recipient for the purpose of remedying
a failure described in subparagraph (A) or (B) of paragraph
(1).
``(3) Failure to meet goals after probation.--The Chief
Executive Officer will withdraw funding from a grant recipient
for a program that receives assistance under section 118 and
that experiences a failure described in subparagraph (A) or (B)
of paragraph (1) during a year in which the program is on
probation under paragraph (1).
``(c) First Evaluation.--Notwithstanding section 179, with respect
to a program receiving assistance under this subpart, the Corporation
shall first evaluate the program under section 179(a) during the second
year for which the program receives a grant under section 118(b)(2).
``SEC. 118G. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
``There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this subpart
such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2004 through
2008.
``SEC. 118H. DEFINITION.
``In this subpart, the term `qualified entity' means--
``(1) a State, acting through the State educational agency;
``(2) an Indian tribe;
``(3) a local educational agency; or
``(4) a nonprofit organization, meeting such requirements
as the Corporation may specify, acting in partnership with 1 or
more States, Indian tribes, or local educational agencies.''.
TITLE II--AMENDMENTS TO EXISTING PROGRAMS
SEC. 201. SCHOOL-BASED PROGRAMS.
Section 111(a) of the National and Community Service Act of 1990
(42 U.S.C. 12521(a)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (3), by striking ``; and'' at the end and
inserting a semicolon;
(2) in paragraph (4), by striking the period and inserting
``; and''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(5) planning, implementing, operating, or expanding
school-based programs that utilize appropriately trained adults
(who may be participants in a program under subtitle C or
receive a national service educational award under subtitle D)
in secondary schools--
``(A) to work with community members and
organizations to identify service opportunities for
secondary school students;
``(B) to disseminate to such students information
about such opportunities; and
``(C) to ensure that such students have substantial
structured opportunities for reflection on their
service activities.''.
SEC. 202. COMMUNITY-BASED AFTER-SCHOOL OR SUMMER SERVICE PROGRAMS.
(a) In General.--Section 117A(b) of the National and Community
Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12542(b)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (1)--
(A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``; or'' and
inserting a semicolon;
(B) by redesignating subparagraph (B) as
subparagraph (C);
(C) by inserting after subparagraph (A) the
following:
``(B) to make a grant to a qualified organization
to implement, operate, expand, or replicate a
community-based service program that--
``(i) engages school-age youth, after
school or during summer vacations, in
meaningful service that meets unmet human,
educational, environmental, or public safety
needs; and
``(ii) provides substantial structured
opportunities for the youth to reflect on their
service activities, enhancing their sense of
civic responsibility; or''; and
(D) in subparagraph (C) (as redesignated by
subparagraph (B)), by striking ``such an organization''
and inserting ``an organization described in
subparagraph (A) or (B)''; and
(2) in paragraph (2), by striking ``paragraph (1)(A)'' and
inserting ``subparagraph (A) or (B) of paragraph (1)''.
(b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 117(1) of the National and
Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12541(1)) is amended by
striking ``section 117A(b)(1)(A)'' and inserting ``subparagraph (A) or
(B) of section 117A(b)(1)''.
SEC. 203. NATIONAL SERVICE PROGRAMS.
(a) Types of Programs.--Section 122(a) of the National and
Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12572(a)) is amended--
(1) by redesignating paragraph (15) as paragraph (16); and
(2) by inserting after paragraph (14) the following:
``(15) A program that provides specialized training to
individuals and places the individuals after such training in
positions as coordinators, supervisors, or leaders of programs
funded under subpart C of part I of subtitle B.''.
(b) Types of Positions.--Section 123(4) of the National and
Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12573(4)) is amended by
inserting ``or a position described in section 122(a)(15)'' before the
period.
SEC. 204. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.
(a) Clearinghouses.--Section 198A of the National and Community
Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12653a) is amended by striking ``118''
and inserting ``118N''.
(b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for the National and
Community Service Act of 1990 is amended by striking the items relating
to subpart C of part I of subtitle B of title I and inserting the
following:
``subpart c--community corps
``Sec. 118. Grants.
``Sec. 118A. Use of funds.
``Sec. 118B. Applications.
``Sec. 118C. Consideration of applications.
``Sec. 118D. Federal, State, and local contributions.
``Sec. 118E. Limitations on uses of funds.
``Sec. 118F. Accountability.
``Sec. 118G. Authorization of appropriations.
``Sec. 118H. Definition``subpart d--clearinghouse
``Sec. 118N. Service-learning clearinghouse.''.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S7625-7626)
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
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