Supporting the designation of the second Friday of June as National Service and Conservation Corps Day.

[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1298 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1298

  Supporting the designation of the second Friday of June as National 
                  Service and Conservation Corps Day.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 13, 2024

Ms. Houlahan (for herself, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Ms. Matsui, and Mr. Graves 
of Louisiana) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
              the Committee on Education and the Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Supporting the designation of the second Friday of June as National 
                  Service and Conservation Corps Day.

Whereas there exists a network of National Service Programs (in this resolution 
        referred to as ``Service and Conservation Corps'') that receive funding 
        pursuant to subtitle C of the National and Community Service Act (42 
        U.S.C. 12571 et seq.);
Whereas such network includes more than 150 Service and Conservation Corps 
        across the county;
Whereas these Service and Conservation Corps annually provide education, 
        workforce development, and support services to approximately 22,000 
        young adults and post-9/11 veterans;
Whereas today's Service and Conservation Corps are locally based organizations 
        that engage young adults (generally ages 16 to 25) and veterans (up to 
        age 35) in service projects that address recreation, conservation, 
        disaster response, and community needs;
Whereas these Service and Conservation Corps are direct descendants of the 
        Civilian Conservation Corps, a Great Depression-era Federal work relief 
        program that mobilized 3,000,000 young men to dramatically improve the 
        Nation's public lands;
Whereas Civilian Conservation Corps participants received food, shelter, 
        education, and a $30-a-month stipend;
Whereas, from 1933 to 1942, the Civilian Conservation Corps planted 
        3,000,000,000 trees and helped build trails, roads, campgrounds, and 
        other park infrastructure still in use today;
Whereas April 5, 2023, was the 90th anniversary of President Franklin D. 
        Roosevelt establishing the Civilian Conservation Corps with a 
        Presidential Executive order;
Whereas, unlike the Civilian Conservation Corps, which was a large, Federal 
        program that was only open to young men and Black and Native American 
        participants faced discrimination, modern Service and Conservation Corps 
        are equitable, diverse, and inclusive;
Whereas, also, most modern Service and Conservation Corps are nonprofits or are 
        operated by units of State or local government;
Whereas, through public-private partnerships, Service and Conservation Corps 
        work with a range of organizations, government agencies, and 
        institutions to engage Corpsmembers in meaningful projects that address 
        local and national issues;
Whereas, through a term of service that could last from a few months to a year, 
        Corpsmembers experience the ``Corps Model'', where they gain work 
        experience and develop in-demand skills;
Whereas Corpsmembers are compensated with a stipend or living allowance and 
        often receive an education award or scholarship upon completing their 
        service;
Whereas, additionally, Corps provide participants with educational programming, 
        mentoring, and access to career and personal counseling, and some Corps 
        operate or partner with charter schools to help participants earn their 
        high school diploma or GED;
Whereas Corpsmembers complete thousands of community improvement, resilience, 
        and resource conservation projects every year;
Whereas Corpsmembers typically serve on crews alongside other young adults, or 
        in ``individual placement'' or internship positions that provide 
        additional capacity to Federal, State, and local resource management 
        agencies;
Whereas Service and Conservation Corps have longstanding partnerships with 
        Federal, State, and local community development and resource management 
        agencies to engage Corpsmembers in meaningful and necessary projects 
        across the country;
Whereas Service and Conservation Corps projects include--

    (1) the enhancement of neighborhoods and community public spaces, 
including urban gardens;

    (2) the preservation and protection of public lands, shorelines, 
waterways, habitat, and wildlife;

    (3) the preservation of historic structures;

    (4) providing access to and the enhancement of recreation on public 
lands and waters;

    (5) enhancing resilience to climate change and natural disasters;

    (6) mitigation, response to, and recovery from natural disasters, 
including hurricanes and wildfire;

    (7) improving energy efficiency and resource conservation; and

    (8) building and maintaining alternative transportation and sustainable 
infrastructure;

Whereas, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the fact that Service and Conservation 
        Corps are part of their communities enabled them to quickly provide 
        needed support to their communities;
Whereas the United States urgently needs to transition to more sustainable 
        infrastructure, respond to decades of deferred maintenance on public 
        lands and waters, restore critical ecosystems, and make its communities 
        more resilient to climate change;
Whereas the United States also has millions of young people facing unemployment 
        and barriers to opportunity, and these challenges are disproportionately 
        affecting young people of color; and
Whereas the existing network of more than 150 Service and Conservation Corps are 
        ready to meet the needs of these young Americans: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) supports the designation of a National Service and 
        Conservation Day;
            (2) congratulates the existing network of more than 150 
        Service and Conservation Corps on their contributions to the 
        United States;
            (3) urges the citizens of the United States to recognize 
        the importance of national service; and
            (4) supports the continuation and expansion of the national 
        network of Service and Conservation Corps under the National 
        and Community Service Act (42 U.S.C. 12501 et seq.).
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