Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 138 / Monday, July 20, 1998 / Notices 38811

Category Adjusted twelve-month

limit 1

347/348/847 ............. 1,800,291 dozen.

350/650 .................... 123,097 dozen.

351/651 .................... 438,549 dozen.

352/652 .................... 1,412,105 dozen.

359–C/659–C 2 ........ 1,181,402 kilograms.

360 ........................... 1,771,732 numbers.

363 ........................... 13,515,567 numbers.

369–D 3 .................... 650,016 kilograms.

369–S4 .................... 1,005,426 kilograms.

434 ........................... 8,160 dozen.

435 ........................... 17,486 dozen.

440 ........................... 11,657 dozen.

611 ........................... 6,820,144 square meters.

635 ........................... 491,479 dozen.

638/639/838 ............. 1,053,988 dozen.

644 ........................... 361,695 numbers.

645/646 .................... 118,096 dozen.

647/648 .................... 1,191,177 dozen.

840 ........................... 128,067 dozen.

1The limits have not been adjusted to account for any imports exported after December

31, 1997. 2 Category 359–C: only HTS numbers

6103.42.2025, 6103.49.8034, 6104.62.1020,

6104.69.8010, 6114.20.0048, 6114.20.0052,

6203.42.2010, 6203.42.2090, 6204.62.2010,

6211.32.0010, 6211.32.0025, and

6211.42.0010; Category 659–C: only HTS

numbers 6103.23.0055, 6103.43.2020,

6103.43.2025, 6103.49.2000, 6103.49.8038,

6104.63.1020, 6104.63.1030, 6104.69.1000,

6104.69.8014, 6114.30.3044, 6114.30.3054,

6203.43.2010, 6203.43.2090, 6203.49.1010,

6203.49.1090, 6204.63.1510, 6204.69.1010,

6210.10.9010, 6211.33.0010, 6211.33.0017

and 6211.43.0010. 3 Category 369–D: only HTS numbers

6302.60.0010, 6302.91.0005 and

6302.91.0045. 4 Category 369–S: only HTS number

6307.10.2005.

The Committee for the Implementation of

Textile Agreements has determined that

these actions fall within the foreign affairs

exception of the rulemaking provisions of 5

U.S.C. 553(a)(1).

Sincerely,

Troy H. Cribb,

Chairman, Committee for the Implementation

of Textile Agreements.

[FR Doc. 98–19220 Filed 7–17–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–DR–F

CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND

COMMUNITY SERVICE

Notice of Availability of Funds To

Support AmeriCorps Promise

Fellowships in Support of the Goals of

the Presidents’ Summit

AGENCY: Corporation for National and

Community Service.

ACTION: Notice of availability of funds.

SUMMARY: The Corporation for National

and Community Service (the

Corporation) will use approximately $5

million to award grants to state

commissions on national and

community service (State

Commissions), Indian tribes, U.S.

territories and national nonprofit

organizations to sponsor AmeriCorps

Promise Fellows who will help

implement programs in support of the

five goals for children and youth set at

the Presidents’ Summit for America’s

Future. These grants, in the aggregate,

will support between 500–750 Fellows,

with the number dependent upon the

amount of national, state and local

resources committed to this effort.

These Fellows will spend one year

serving with organizations that are

committed to helping to meet one or

more of the five goals of the Presidents’

Summit. Each Fellow who successfully

completes a term of service will receive

the $4,725 AmeriCorps education

award.

Last year at Philadelphia, President

Clinton, former Presidents Bush, Carter,

and Ford, Mrs. Nancy Reagan, and

General Colin Powell, with the

endorsement of many governors,

mayors, and leaders of the independent

sector, declared: ‘‘We have a special

obligation to America’s children to see

that all young Americans have:

1. Caring adults in their lives, as

parents, mentors, tutors, coaches;

2. Safe places with structured

activities in which to learn and grow;

3. A healthy start and healthy future;

4. An effective education that equips

them with marketable skills; and

5. An opportunity to give back to their

communities through their own service.

These five goals are now the five

fundamental resources sought by

America’s Promise ‘‘ The Alliance for

Youth, the organization following up on

the goals of the Presidents’ Summit.

As a major partner in this effort, the

Corporation devotes a substantial part of

its activities to help meet these goals,

including the work of AmeriCorps,

Learn and Serve America, and the

National Senior Service Corps. This new

Fellowship program will provide States

and local communities with additional

and unique support to help carry out

their plans to provide America’s

children with these five fundamental

resources.

DATES: All sponsor proposals must be

submitted by September 10, 1998. The

Corporation anticipates announcing

selections under this announcement no

later than October 31, 1998. The project

period is negotiable, but will generally

end no later than December 31, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Proposals to sponsor one or

more Fellows must be submitted to the

Corporation at the following address:

Corporation for National Service, Attn:

Gary Kowalczyk, 1201 New York

Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. 20525.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For

further information, or to obtain a

sponsor application, contact the

Corporation for National Service, Jeffrey

Gale at (202) 606–5000, ext. 280 or

Nicole Karlson at 215–597–2828. T.D.D.

(202) 565–2799. This notice may be

requested in an alternative format for

the visually impaired.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

The Corporation is a federal

government corporation that encourages

Americans of all ages and backgrounds

to engage in community-based service.

This service addresses the nation’s

educational, public safety,

environmental and other human needs

to achieve direct and demonstrable

results. In doing so, the Corporation

fosters civic responsibility, strengthens

the ties that bind us together as a

people, and provides educational

opportunity for those who make a

substantial commitment to service. For

more information about the Corporation

and the activities that it supports, go to

http://www.nationalservice.org.

Pursuant to the National and

Community Service Act of 1990, as

amended (the Act), the Corporation may

support ‘‘innovative and model

programs’’ and may award national

service fellowships. 42 U.S.C. 12653b.

In addition, the Corporation may

approve the provision of education

awards to individuals who successfully

complete a term of service in ‘‘national

service positions as the Corporation

determines to be appropriate’’. 42 U.S.C.

12573(7).

Through this notice, the Corporation

invites grant proposals from eligible

entities who wish to sponsor one or

more AmeriCorps Promise Fellows.

Eligible Sponsors

The following entities are eligible to

apply to become a sponsor: Governorappointed state commissions on

national and community service (State

Commissions), Indian tribes, U.S.

territories, and national nonprofit

organizations currently operating an

AmeriCorps program or proposing to

sponsor activities meeting the goals of

the Presidents’ Summit in more than

one state.

The Corporation anticipates

supporting at least five Fellows in every

state. If the grantmaking process results

in a state not receiving AmeriCorps

Promise Fellows the Corporation may

set aside sufficient funds to ensure that

every State has at least one Fellow. In

such instances, the Corporation may

approve, in coordination with a State

Commission, a national or local
38812 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 138 / Monday, July 20, 1998 / Notices

nonprofit organization to sponsor one or

more Fellows through a process other

than the one described in this Notice.

Substance of the Fellowship Program

An AmeriCorps Promise Fellowship

provides the Fellow with an

opportunity to make a unique

contribution to organizations helping to

meet one or more of the five

fundamental needs declared at the

Presidents’ Summit and being advanced

by America’s Promise—The Alliance for

Youth; national, state, and local

nonprofit organizations; and the

national service network. For more

information about the five goals of the

Presidents’ Summit, go to http://

www.americaspromise.org.

Although AmeriCorps Promise

Fellows may be placed by a sponsor at

a host organization that focuses its

resources on only one of the goals of the

Presidents’ Summit, the host

organization must be part of a larger

effort (e.g., Community of Promise) that

supports the delivery of all of the five

fundamental resources to children and

young people.

Eligible sponsor applicants have

considerable freedom to identify the

structure of their Fellowship program

and the projects or activities that

AmeriCorps Promise Fellows will

pursue. The most important

considerations in establishing a program

are that the prospective Fellows help

meet the goals of the Presidents’

Summit and that they have the ability

to produce a defined outcome. The

following are examples of specific tasks

that Fellows may perform; these tasks

are included here for illustrative

purposes:

• A full-time coordinator for a

Community of Promise campaign

providing a targeted number of young

people with all or several of the

America’s Promise fundamental

resources.

• A full-time coordinator of

individual or multiple sites, such as

schools and housing complexes, that

provide access to multiple or all five

fundamental resources.

• An entrepreneur initiating a

program to provide multiple resources

to targeted young people, for example,

adding a service component and access

to dental care to an existing after-school

tutoring program.

• A recruiter of Communities of

Promise.

• A recruiter and manager of

volunteers in a local or regional effort

providing all or multiple resources to a

number of young people.

The following are examples of

organizational activities that could be

supported by Fellows as part of an effort

to provide the five fundamental

resources to children and youth. They

are included here for illustrative

purposes only:

• Expansion of Volunteer Center

activities to promote the goals of the

Presidents’ Summit.

• State Education Agency efforts to

stimulate service-learning opportunities

by K–12 students.

• Community and school efforts to

provide after-school programs in safe

places.

• Youth leadership to stimulate

service and service-learning by innercity youth.

• Support to community volunteer

and Federal-Work-Study efforts to

promote literacy.

• Immunization efforts aimed at

young children and their families.

• Efforts to secure access to health

care providers and facilities.

• Mentoring programs linking adults

with youth in need of additional

support.

• Recruitment and placement of

Federal-Work-Study students for

community service.

• New models for involving

professions in organizing to meet the

goals of the Presidents’ Summit, e.g.,

health care professionals, librarians,

museum administrators, and teachers.

• Efforts to stimulate service by

diverse groups to meet the Presidents’

Summit’s goals, including diverse

ethnic, religious, racial, and cultural

groups.

A sponsor may determine its own

process to identify projects and

programs in which AmeriCorps Promise

Fellows will serve, and may either

participate directly in the recruitment

and selection of individual AmeriCorps

Promise Fellows or delegate that

responsibility to local programs or

another entity (e.g., a university). One

model a sponsor may consider is first to

identify organizations where Fellows

may serve, establish that the activities of

those organizations meet the criteria for

the AmeriCorps Promise Fellowship

program, and then simply publicize a

list of eligible host organizations for

individuals interested in pursuing a

Fellowship.

Fellows will be viewed as leaders in

the efforts to implement the goals of the

Presidents’ Summit, and as a group will

have an identity tied to this overall

effort, including opportunities to meet

and to assess the overall impact of their

efforts. Although no particular academic

credentials or work experience are

required to become a Fellow, confidence

in the ability of applicants to produce

outcomes in support of the goals of the

Presidents’ Summit, such as the

implementation of commitments made

at the Presidents’ Summit and follow-up

state and local summits, is the central

criterion for selection. This is evidenced

by: strong academic credentials;

substantial and successful work

experience in a field related to the

organization’s activities; and experience

performing significant service related

activities, particularly various national

service leaders’ programs, including

AmeriCorps leaders,

AmeriCorps*VISTA leaders,

AmeriCorps*National Civilian

Community Corps leaders, and

leadership activities in programs

sponsored by Learn and Serve America

and the National Senior Service Corps.

Each sponsor may adapt the above

concepts to meet its specific needs.

An AmeriCorps Promise Fellow must:

(1) Be at least 17 years of age; (2) be a

U.S. citizen, national, or lawful

permanent resident alien; and (3) have

a high school diploma or GED.

Individuals who have already served in

two approved national service positions

(a position for which an education

award is provided) are, by statute, not

eligible for a third education award.

Fellowships are expected to be for at

least 10 months and must be completed

within 12 months. To qualify for an

education award of $4,725, a Fellow

must serve on a full-time basis, perform

at least 1,700 hours of service, and

successfully complete the Fellowship.

Fellows who serve for twelve months

receive a living allowance of $13,000,

paid in regular increments. Fellow who

serve fewer than twelve months receive

a prorated living allowance. Fellows

may receive a living allowance greater

than $13,000 only if they are part of a

professional corps and are supported

entirely by public or private

organizations (e.g., Fellows on paid

sabbaticals), with the Corporation’s

support limited to the provision of

education awards.

Sponsor’s Role

Each sponsor determines the process

for the recruitment and selection of

AmeriCorps Promise Fellows in its

respective area. State commissions are

encouraged to use their Unified State

Plan as the basis for their plans. The

sponsor must certify that the host

organization in which the Fellow is

being placed is conducting activities

that contribute to one or more of the five

goals of the Presidents’ Summit, and

that this is part of a larger effort to

provide all five of the fundamental

resources to children and youth.

The Corporation anticipates that host

organizations generally will be local
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 138 / Monday, July 20, 1998 / Notices 38813

nonprofit organizations that are engaged

in activities in support of the goals of

the Presidents’ Summit. Fellows may

serve at a State Commission only under

limited circumstances. In proposing

such an arrangement, a State

Commission must describe how it will

comply with (1) the prohibition on State

Commissions operating any national

service program receiving financial

assistance from the Corporation and (2)

the prohibition on a State Commission

receiving Corporation assistance to carry

out activities that are already supported

by its administrative grant from the

Corporation. A State Commission

proposing this arrangement must also

submit a detailed position description

for the Fellow. Fellowships may not be

used simply to supplement the numbers

of AmeriCorps Members at existing

programs already carrying out activities

consistent with the goals of the

Presidents’ Summit. Rather, the role of

AmeriCorps Promise Fellows should be

to provide higher level support that will

enable an organization to become more

involved, or to substantially increase the

amount or quality of activities

supporting achievement of the

Presidents’ Summit’s five goals.

Sponsors are responsible for ensuring

compliance with required elements of

the Fellowship program. These

requirements, which will be

individually described in the grant

agreement between the Corporation and

the sponsor, include, but are not limited

to, the following:

• Providing office space, supplies,

and equipment.

• Providing a living allowance.

• Paying and withholding FICA taxes.

• Withholding income taxes.

• Providing unemployment insurance

if required by State law.

• Providing workers’ compensation if

required by State law or obtaining

insurance to cover service-related

injuries.

• Providing liability insurance to

cover claims relating to Fellows.

• Providing adequate training and

supervision.

• Ensuring that Fellows not engage in

prohibited activities (such as lobbying).

• Complying with statutory

prohibitions on uses of assistance (such

as displacement, discrimination).

• Providing a grievance procedure

that meets statutory standards.

• Verifying and submitting timely

documentation relating to each Fellow’s

eligibility for an education award.

• Providing an adequate financial

management system.

• Complying with other reporting

requirements.

Contents of the Sponsor Application

Sponsor applications must contain

the following information:

1. Background concerning the

applicant’s current efforts to achieve the

goals of the Presidents’ Summit.

2. A designation of the organizations

where the Fellows will be assigned,

including the process used to select host

organizations and background

concerning the selected organizations

and the roles they are playing in local

summit follow-up. If the organizations

are not yet designated, the application

should describe the process that the

sponsor will use to designate such

entities.

3. A description of the activities that

the Fellows will perform, including an

indication about how the activities will

support significant growth and/or

improvements in the quality of efforts to

meet the five goals of the Presidents’

Summit. If the Fellow serves at a State

Commission, a detailed position

description must be provided.

4. An estimated budget to carry out

the program, consistent with the

description below.

The application may not exceed 21

double-spaced pages in length; more

detailed instructions concerning the

contents of the application are

contained in the application package.

The Corporation will provide

additional information concerning this

program on its web site and will use the

web site to announce any conference

calls for potential applicant

organizations scheduled before the

application deadline.

Budget and Finances

The Corporation will issue grants on

a fixed amount per Fellow basis, not to

exceed $13,000 for the first five

Fellowships in the grant, nor $10,000

for the sixth through the 30th

Fellowship. These amounts exclude the

education award. The sponsor assumes

full financial responsibility for the

program. Sponsors must provide the

additional financial support necessary

to carry out their proposed Fellowship

program. To the extent that a sponsor

provides a significant portion of the

costs such that it notably reduces the

Corporation’s funding per Fellowship,

additional Fellowships may be

supported. The Corporation strongly

encourages cost-sharing proposals,

consistent with the guidelines in this

Notice, to leverage Corporation

resources and maximize the number of

Fellows.

The Corporation is currently

exploring the feasibility of

implementing a fixed price award

mechanism that would not require

Corporation monitoring of actual costs

incurred. To use this mechanism, the

Corporation would determine that the

cost principles normally applicable to

Federal awards do not apply and in that

case the sponsor would not be required

to account to the Corporation for actual

costs incurred.

In addition to the approved grant

amount, the Corporation will provide an

education award to Fellows who

successfully complete their term of

service. The Corporation will sponsor

national training events to provide

Fellows with an opportunity to come

together to assess national progress in

meeting the goals of the Presidents’

Summit. The Corporation will also

promote the availability of these

Fellowships.

The Corporation anticipates that these

grants will be renewable for up to a

three-year period, subject to

performance and the availability of

appropriations.

Process for Selecting Sponsors

The Corporation anticipates initially

supporting 5–30 AmeriCorps Promise

Fellowships under each grant, with the

exact amount depending upon the

proposal and the level of nonCorporation support. After September

10, 1998, if a sponsor identifies

additional non-Corporation resources to

support more Fellowships, the sponsor

may propose to increase the number of

its Fellows. In such instances, the

Corporation may approve additional

education awards subject to their

availability, and the number of

Fellowships per sponsor may exceed 30.

In selecting sponsors, the Corporation

will consider: Program design (60%),

including (in order of importance)

getting things done to help achieve the

five goals of the Presidents’ Summit,

fostering the skills and leadership

development of Fellows, and

strengthening communities;

organizational capacity (25%); and

budget/cost effectiveness (15%). The

Corporation will make all final

decisions concerning approval of these

grants for Fellowships. Given the

Corporation’s interest in having the

common elements for the Fellowships

that are described above, the

Corporation announces its intent to

enter into such negotiations with any

sponsor in a manner that may require

revisions to the original grant proposal.
38814 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 138 / Monday, July 20, 1998 / Notices

Dated: July 15, 1998.

Kenneth L. Klothen,

General Counsel, Corporation for National

and Community Service.

[FR Doc. 98–19238 Filed 7–17–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6050–28–P

CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND

COMMUNITY SERVICE

Request for Comment on Proposed

Criteria Used to Select and Evaluate

National Service Programs

AGENCY: Corporation for National and

Community Service.

ACTION: Request for comment.

SUMMARY: The Corporation for National

and Community Service (Corporation)

invites comments on proposed changes

to the criteria it uses to select and

evaluate national service programs. The

Corporation applies these criteria to the

following categories of national service

programs: Learn and Serve America;

National Senior Service Corps;

AmeriCorps*VISTA; and

AmeriCorps*State and National. The

revised criteria will apply beginning in

1999 to the Corporation’s selection of

projects and programs, including

recompetitions, and will be phased in

for continuing projects and programs

over the next year.

DATES: The deadline for the submission

of comments is August 19, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be

submitted to the Office of Planning and

Program Integration, Corporation for

National Service, 1201 New York

Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. 20525.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Nancy Talbot, (202) 606–5000, ext. 470.

T.D.D. (202) 565–2799. For individuals

with disabilities, information will be

made available in alternative formats

upon request.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

A. Background

The Corporation for National and

Community Service was established in

1993 to engage Americans of all ages

and backgrounds in service to their

communities. The Corporation’s

national and community service

programs provide opportunities for

participants to serve full-time and parttime, with or without stipend, as

individuals or as a part of a team.

AmeriCorps*State and National, VISTA,

and National Civilian Community Corps

engage thousands of Americans on a

full-or part-time basis at more than

1,000 locations to help communities

meet their toughest challenges. Learn

and Serve America integrates service

into the academic life of more than

800,000 students in all 50 states. The

National Senior Service Corps utilizes

the skills, talents and experience of over

500,000 older Americans to help make

communities stronger, safer, healthier

and smarter.

The Corporation provides assistance

to organizations that carry out

AmeriCorps*State and National, Learn

and Serve America, and National Senior

Service Corps programs.

AmeriCorps*State and National

programs, which involve 25,000

Americans each year in results-driven

community service, are grant programs

managed by (1) State Commissions that

select and oversee programs operated by

local organizations, (2) national nonprofit organizations that identify and act

as parent organizations for operating

sites across the country; (3) Indian

tribes; or (4) U.S. Territories. Learn and

Serve America grants provide service

learning opportunities for students in

K–12 and higher education settings. The

National Senior Service Corps operates

through grants to local organizations for

Retired Senior Volunteer Programs

(RSVP), Foster Grandparents and Senior

Companions to provide service to their

communities.

The Corporation plays a direct role in

carrying out the AmeriCorps*VISTA

program in assigning more than 4,000

AmeriCorps*VISTA members to service

programs across the nation where they

develop grassroots programs, mobilize

resources and build capacity. The

Corporation itself operates the

AmeriCorps*NCCC (National Civilian

Community Corps) program, providing

an opportunity for approximately 1,000

individuals between the ages of 18 and

24 to participate in a residential

program principally located on

downsized military bases.

For additional information on the

national service programs supported by

the Corporation, go to http://

www.nationalservice.org.

While recognizing the particular

aspects of the different types of national

service programs, the Corporation seeks

to make its evaluation criteria more

consistent across programs. The

proposed criteria for 1999 reflect an

ongoing effort by the Corporation to

streamline and harmonize the various

application processes for organizations

seeking support for their national

service programs. The Corporation’s

Board of Directors has reviewed and

endorsed the proposed 1999 evaluation

criteria.

The Corporation will use the

proposed evaluation criteria in selecting

new and recompeting projects and

programs and to assess the performance

of organizations who have received

assistance to carry out national service

programs. Implementation of the criteria

will begin with the issuance of 1999

guidance to the field. Because the

criteria relate principally to

programming and operations, they will

not necessarily apply to other activities,

such as technical assistance, supported

by the Corporation.

The Corporation will provide

additional guidance in application

materials for each category of national

service program. The additional

guidance will state how the criteria will

be applied, depending on the category

of program (e.g., Learn and Serve

America, National Senior Service Corps)

and the nature of the application for

assistance (new, recompeting, or

continuation).

B. Evaluation Criteria Common to

National Service Programs Assisted by

the Corporation

1. Criteria

The following three categories (and

the three sub-categories under Program

Design) constitute the criteria by which

the Corporation will select and evaluate

organizations receiving assistance in

Learn and Serve America, National

Senior Service Corps,

AmeriCorps*VISTA, and

AmeriCorps*State and National.

a. Program Design (60%), which

includes as subcategories:

i. Getting Things Done, meeting needs

in the areas of education, public safety,

the environment, and health and human

needs;

ii. Strengthening Communities; and

iii. Fostering Participant

Development.

b. Organizational Capacity (25%)

c. Budget/Cost-Effectiveness (15%)

2. Factors That May Be Applied Within

Each Category or Sub-Category

Within each category or subcategory,

the Corporation may apply the

following factors, depending on the type

of program and the nature of the

application. While the majority of

factors will apply to all programs

supported by the Corporation, some

may not, and each type of program may

place a different emphasis on the

respective factors. In addition, some of

the factors may be used to assess

program outcomes rather than initial

applications for assistance. The

Corporation will provide subsequent

guidance in its application materials for

each category of national service

program, stating whether and how these

factors will be applied.