I 

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2552

To improve the manner in which the Corporation for National and Community 

Service approves, and records obligations relating to, national service 

positions. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 19, 2003

Mr. VAN HOLLEN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Education and the Workforce 

A BILL

To improve the manner in which the Corporation for National and Community Service approves, and records obligations relating to, national service positions.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Strengthen 

5 AmeriCorps Program Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. PROCESS OF APPROVAL OF NATIONAL SERVICE PO7 SITIONS. 

8 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this Act, the terms ‘‘approved 

9 national service position’’ and ‘‘Corporation’’ have the 
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1 meanings given the terms in section 101 of the National 

2 and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12511). 

3 (b) TIMING AND RECORDING REQUIREMENTS.—

4 (1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding subtitles C 

5 and D of title I of the National and Community 

6 Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12571 et seq., 

7 12601 et seq.), and any other provision of law, in 

8 approving a position as an approved national service 

9 position, the Corporation—

10 (A) shall approve the position at the time 

11 the Corporation—

12 (i) enters into an enforceable agree13 ment with an individual participant to 

14 serve in a program carried out under sub15 title E of title I of that Act (42 U.S.C. 

16 12611 et seq.) or title I of the Domestic 

17 Volunteer Service Act of 1973 (42 U.S.C. 

18 4951 et seq.); or 

19 (ii) except as provided in clause (i), 

20 awards a grant to (or enters into a con21 tract or cooperative agreement with) an 

22 entity to carry out a program for which 

23 such a position may be approved under 

24 section 123 of the National and Commu-
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1 nity Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 

2 12573); and 

3 (B) shall record as an obligation an esti4 mate of the net present value of the national 

5 service educational award associated with the 

6 position, based on a formula that takes into 

7 consideration historical rates of enrollment in 

8 such a program, and of earning and using na9 tional service educational awards for such a 

10 program. 

11 (2) FORMULA.—In determining the formula de12 scribed in paragraph (1)(B), the Corporation shall 

13 consult with the Director of the Congressional Budg14 et Office. 

15 (3) CERTIFICATION REPORT.—The Chief Exec16 utive Officer of the Corporation shall annually pre17 pare and submit to Congress a report that contains 

18 a certification that the Corporation is in compliance 

19 with the requirements of paragraph (1). 

20 (4) APPROVAL.—The requirements of this sub21 section shall apply to each approved national service 

22 position that the Corporation approves—

23 (A) during fiscal year 2003 (before or after 

24 the date of enactment of this Act); and 

25 (B) during any subsequent fiscal year. 
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1 (c) RESERVE ACCOUNT.—

2 (1) ESTABLISHMENT AND CONTENTS.—

3 (A) ESTABLISHMENT.—Notwithstanding 

4 subtitles C and D of title I of the National and 

5 Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 

6 12571 et seq., 12601 et seq.), and any other 

7 provision of law, within the National Service 

8 Trust established under section 145 of the Na9 tional and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 

10 U.S.C. 12601), the Corporation shall establish 

11 a reserve account. 

12 (B) CONTENTS.—To ensure the avail13 ability of adequate funds to support the awards 

14 of approved national service positions for each 

15 fiscal year, the Corporation shall place in the 

16 account—

17 (i) during fiscal year 2003, a portion 

18 of the funds that were appropriated for fis19 cal year 2003 or a previous fiscal year 

20 under section 501(a)(2) (42 U.S.C. 

21 12681(a)(2)), and were made available to 

22 carry out subtitle C or D of title I of that 

23 Act, and remain available; and 

24 (ii) during fiscal year 2004 or a sub25 sequent fiscal year, a portion of the funds 
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1 that were appropriated for that fiscal year 

2 under section 501(a)(2) and were made 

3 available to carry out subtitle C or D of 

4 title I of that Act. 

5 (2) OBLIGATION.—The Corporation shall not 

6 obligate the funds in the reserve account until the 

7 Corporation—

8 (A) determines that the funds will not be 

9 needed for the payment of national service edu10 cational awards associated with previously ap11 proved national service positions; or 

12 (B) obligates the funds for the payment of 

13 such awards for such previously approved na14 tional service positions. 

15 (d) AUDITS.—The accounts of the Corporation relat16 ing to the appropriated funds for approved national serv17 ice positions, and the records demonstrating the manner 

18 in which the Corporation has recorded estimates described 

19 in subsection (b)(1)(B) as obligations, shall be audited an20 nually by independent certified public accountants or inde21 pendent licensed public accountants, certified or licensed 

22 by a regulatory authority of a State or other political sub23 division of the United States in accordance with generally 

24 accepted auditing standards. A report containing the re-
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1 sults of each such independent audit shall be included in 

2 the annual report required by subsection (b)(3). 

3 (e) AVAILABILITY OF AMOUNTS.—Except as provided 

4 in subsection (c), all amounts included in the National 

5 Service Trust under paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of sec6 tion 145(a) of the National and Community Service Act 

7 of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12601(a)) shall be available for pay8 ments of national service educational awards under section 

9 148 of that Act (42 U.S.C. 12604).

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