I 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2167 

To amend the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 to expand the authority 

of the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Commerce, and the 

Secretary of the Interior to provide service opportunities for young Americans, to help restore natural, cultural, historic, archaeological, recreational, and scenic resources of the United States, to train a new 

generation of public land managers and enthusiasts, to promote the 

value of public service, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 30, 2015 

Mr. GRIJALVA (for himself, Mr. LOWENTHAL, Mr. CARTWRIGHT, and Mr. 

FARR) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture 

and Education and the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 

as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To amend the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 to expand 

the authority of the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Commerce, and the Secretary of the Interior 

to provide service opportunities for young Americans, 

to help restore natural, cultural, historic, archaeological, 

recreational, and scenic resources of the United States, 

to train a new generation of public land managers and 

enthusiasts, to promote the value of public service, and 

for other purposes. 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 2167 IH

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; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 

4 (a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 

5 ‘‘Public Lands Service Corps Act of 2015’’. 

6 (b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents of 

7 this Act is as follows: 

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 

Sec. 2. Amendment to existing short title. 

Sec. 3. Name and project description changes. 

Sec. 4. Findings. 

Sec. 5. Purposes. 

Sec. 6. Definitions. 

Sec. 7. Public Lands Service Corps program. 

Sec. 8. Residential conservation centers and program support. 

Sec. 9. Resource assistants and consulting interns. 

Sec. 10. Inclusion of Indian Youth Service Corps and issuance of guidance. 

Sec. 11. Living allowances and terms of service. 

Sec. 12. National service educational awards. 

Sec. 13. Nondisplacement. 

Sec. 14. Funding. 

Sec. 15. Authorization of appropriations. 

8 SEC. 2. AMENDMENT TO EXISTING SHORT TITLE. 

9 Section 201 of the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 

10 (16 U.S.C. 1701 note; title II of Public Law 91–378) is 

11 amended to read as follows: 

12 ‘‘SEC. 201. SHORT TITLE; REFERENCES. 

13 ‘‘(a) SHORT TITLE.—This title may be cited as the 

14 ‘Public Lands Service Corps Act of 1993’. 

15 ‘‘(b) REFERENCES.—Any reference contained in any 

16 law, regulation, document, paper, or other record of the 

17 United States to the ‘Public Lands Corps Act of 1993’ 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 2167 IH

1 shall be considered to be a reference to the ‘Public Lands 

2 Service Corps Act of 1993’.’’. 

3 SEC. 3. NAME AND PROJECT DESCRIPTION CHANGES. 

4 The Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 (16 U.S.C. 

5 1721 et seq.; title II of Public Law 91–378) is amended— 

6 (1) in the title heading, by striking ‘‘PUBLIC 

7 LANDS CORPS’’ and inserting ‘‘PUBLIC 

8 LANDS SERVICE CORPS’’; 

9 (2) in section 204 (16 U.S.C. 1723), in the 

10 heading, by striking ‘‘PUBLIC LANDS CORPS’’ and 

11 inserting ‘‘PUBLIC LANDS SERVICE CORPS’’; 

12 (3) in section 210(a)(2) (16 U.S.C. 

13 1729(a)(2)), in the heading, by striking ‘‘PUBLIC

14 LANDS’’; 

15 (4) by striking ‘‘Public Lands Corps’’ each 

16 place it appears and inserting ‘‘Corps’’; 

17 (5) by striking ‘‘conservation center’’ each place 

18 it appears and inserting ‘‘residential conservation 

19 center’’; 

20 (6) by striking ‘‘conservation centers’’ each 

21 place it appears and inserting ‘‘residential conserva22 tion centers’’; 

23 (7) by striking ‘‘appropriate conservation 

24 project’’ each place it appears and inserting ‘‘approVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:40 May 12, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2167.IH H2167

emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 2167 IH

1 priate natural and cultural resources conservation 

2 project’’; and 

3 (8) by striking ‘‘appropriate conservation 

4 projects’’ each place it appears and inserting ‘‘ap5 propriate natural and cultural resources conservation 

6 projects’’. 

7 SEC. 4. FINDINGS. 

8 Section 202(a) of the Public Lands Corps Act of 

9 1993 (16 U.S.C. 1721(a)), as amended by section 3, is 

10 amended— 

11 (1) in paragraph (1)— 

12 (A) by striking ‘‘Corps can benefit’’ and 

13 inserting ‘‘conservation corps can benefit’’; and 

14 (B) by striking ‘‘the natural and cultural’’ 

15 and inserting ‘‘natural and cultural’’; 

16 (2) by redesignating paragraphs (2) and (3) as 

17 paragraphs (4) and (5), respectively; 

18 (3) by inserting after paragraph (1) the fol19 lowing new paragraph: 

20 ‘‘(2) Participants in conservation corps receive 

21 meaningful education and training, and their experi22 ence with conservation corps provides preparation 

23 for careers in public service. 

24 ‘‘(3) Young men and women who participate in 

25 the rehabilitation and restoration of the natural, culVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:40 May 12, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2167.IH H2167

emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
5 

•HR 2167 IH

1 tural, historic, archaeological, recreational, and sce2 nic treasures of the United States will gain an in3 creased appreciation and understanding of the public 

4 lands and heritage of the United States, and of the 

5 value of public service, and are likely to become life6 long advocates for those values.’’; 

7 (4) in paragraph (4), as redesignated by para8 graph (2), by inserting ‘‘, cultural, historic, archae9 ological, recreational, and scenic’’ after ‘‘Many facili10 ties and natural’’; and 

11 (5) by adding at the end the following new 

12 paragraph: 

13 ‘‘(6) The work of conservation corps can benefit 

14 communities adjacent to public lands and facilities 

15 through renewed civic engagement and participation 

16 by corps participants and those they serve, improved 

17 student achievement, and restoration and rehabilita18 tion of public assets.’’. 

19 SEC. 5. PURPOSES. 

20 Subsection (b) of section 202 of the Public Lands 

21 Corps Act of 1993 (16 U.S.C. 1721) is amended to read 

22 as follows: 

23 ‘‘(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are as fol24 lows: 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
6 

•HR 2167 IH

1 ‘‘(1) To introduce young men and women to 

2 public service while furthering their understanding 

3 and appreciation of the natural, cultural, historic, 

4 archaeological, recreational, and scenic resources of 

5 the United States. 

6 ‘‘(2) To facilitate training and recruitment op7 portunities in which service is credited as qualifying 

8 experience for careers in the management of such 

9 resources. 

10 ‘‘(3) To instill in a new generation of young 

11 men and women from across the United States, in12 cluding young men and women from diverse back13 grounds, the desire to seek careers in resource stew14 ardship and public service by allowing them to work 

15 directly with professionals in agencies responsible for 

16 the management of the natural, cultural, historic, 

17 archaeological, recreational, and scenic resources of 

18 the United States. 

19 ‘‘(4) To perform, in a cost-effective manner, ap20 propriate natural and cultural resources conservation 

21 projects where such projects are not being performed 

22 by existing employees. 

23 ‘‘(5) To assist State and local governments and 

24 Indian tribes in performing research and public edu25 cation tasks associated with the conservation of natVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:40 May 12, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2167.IH H2167

emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
7 

•HR 2167 IH

1 ural, cultural, historic, archaeological, recreational, 

2 and scenic resources. 

3 ‘‘(6) To expand educational opportunities on 

4 public lands and by rewarding individuals who par5 ticipate in conservation corps with an increased abil6 ity to pursue higher education and job training. 

7 ‘‘(7) To promote public understanding and ap8 preciation of the missions and the natural and cul9 tural resources conservation work of the partici10 pating Federal agencies through training opportuni11 ties, community service and outreach, and other ap12 propriate means. 

13 ‘‘(8) To create a grant program for Indian 

14 tribes to establish the Indian Youth Service Corps so 

15 that Indian youth can benefit from carrying out 

16 projects on Indian lands that the Indian tribes and 

17 communities determine to be priorities.’’. 

18 SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS. 

19 Section 203 of the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 

20 (16 U.S.C. 1722) is amended— 

21 (1) by redesignating paragraphs (3) through 

22 (7), (8) through (10), and (11) through (13) as 

23 paragraphs (5) through (9), (11) through (13), and 

24 (15) through (17), respectively; 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
8 

•HR 2167 IH

1 (2) by striking paragraphs (1) and (2) and in2 serting the following new paragraphs: 

3 ‘‘(1) APPROPRIATE NATURAL AND CULTURAL

4 RESOURCES CONSERVATION PROJECT.—The term 

5 ‘appropriate natural and cultural resources conserva6 tion project’ means any project for the conservation, 

7 restoration, construction, or rehabilitation of nat8 ural, cultural, historic, archaeological, recreational, 

9 or scenic resources. 

10 ‘‘(2) CONSULTING INTERN.—The term ‘con11 sulting intern’ means a consulting intern selected 

12 under section 206(a)(2). 

13 ‘‘(3) CORPS AND PUBLIC LANDS SERVICE

14 CORPS.—The terms ‘Corps’ and ‘Public Lands Serv15 ice Corps’ mean the Public Lands Service Corps es16 tablished under section 204(a). 

17 ‘‘(4) CORPS PARTICIPANT.—The term ‘Corps 

18 participant’ means an individual enrolled— 

19 ‘‘(A) in the Corps or the Indian Youth 

20 Service Corps; or 

21 ‘‘(B) as a resource assistant or consulting 

22 intern.’’; 

23 (3) by inserting after paragraph (9), as redesig24 nated by paragraph (1), the following new para25 graph: 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
9 

•HR 2167 IH

1 ‘‘(10) INDIAN YOUTH SERVICE CORPS.—The 

2 term ‘Indian Youth Service Corps’ means a qualified 

3 youth or conservation corps established under sec4 tion 207 that— 

5 ‘‘(A) enrolls individuals between the ages 

6 of 15 and 25, inclusive, a majority of whom are 

7 Indians; and 

8 ‘‘(B) is established pursuant to a tribal 

9 resolution that describes the agreement between 

10 the Indian tribe and the qualified youth or con11 servation corps to operate an Indian Youth 

12 Service Corps program for the benefit of the 

13 members of the Indian tribe.’’; 

14 (4) by striking paragraph (12), as redesignated 

15 by paragraph (1), and inserting the following new 

16 paragraph: 

17 ‘‘(12) PUBLIC LANDS.—The term ‘public lands’ 

18 means any land or water (or interest therein) owned 

19 or administered by the United States, including 

20 those areas of coastal and ocean waters, the Great 

21 Lakes and their connecting waters, and submerged 

22 lands over which the United States exercises juris23 diction, except that such term does not include In24 dian lands.’’; 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
10 

•HR 2167 IH

1 (5) in paragraph (13), as redesignated by para2 graph (1)— 

3 (A) in subparagraph (A)— 

4 (i) by striking ‘‘full-time,’’; 

5 (ii) by inserting ‘‘on eligible service 

6 lands’’ after ‘‘resource setting’’; and 

7 (iii) by striking ‘‘16’’ and inserting 

8 ‘‘15’’; 

9 (B) in subparagraph (B), by striking 

10 ‘‘and’’ at the end; 

11 (C) in subparagraph (C), by striking the 

12 period at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

13 (D) by adding at the end the following new 

14 subparagraph: 

15 ‘‘(D) makes available for audit for each fis16 cal year for which the qualified youth or con17 servation corps receives Federal funds under 

18 this Act, all information pertaining to the ex19 penditure of the funds, any matching funds, 

20 and participant demographics.’’; 

21 (6) by inserting after paragraph (13), as redes22 ignated by paragraph (1) and amended by para23 graph (5), the following new paragraph: 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
11 

•HR 2167 IH

1 ‘‘(14) RESIDENTIAL CONSERVATION CEN2 TERS.—The term ‘residential conservation centers’ 

3 means the facilities authorized under section 205.’’; 

4 (7) in paragraph (15), as redesignated by para5 graph (1), by striking ‘‘206’’ and inserting 

6 ‘‘206(a)(1)’’; and 

7 (8) in paragraph (16), as redesignated by para8 graph (1)— 

9 (A) in subparagraph (A), by striking 

10 ‘‘and’’ at the end; 

11 (B) in subparagraph (B), by striking the 

12 period at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

13 (C) by adding at the end the following new 

14 subparagraph: 

15 ‘‘(C) with respect to the National Marine 

16 Sanctuary System, coral reefs, and other coast17 al, estuarine, and marine habitats, and other 

18 lands and facilities administered by the Na19 tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 

20 the Secretary of Commerce.’’. 

21 SEC. 7. PUBLIC LANDS SERVICE CORPS PROGRAM. 

22 Section 204 of the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 

23 (16 U.S.C. 1723), as amended by section 3, is amended— 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
12 

•HR 2167 IH

1 (1) by redesignating subsections (c), (d), (e), 

2 and (f) as subsections (d), (f), (g), and (h), respec3 tively; 

4 (2) by striking subsections (a) and (b) and in5 serting the following new subsections: 

6 ‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF PUBLIC LANDS SERVICE

7 CORPS.—There is established in the Department of the 

8 Interior, the Department of Agriculture, and the Depart9 ment of Commerce a Public Lands Service Corps. 

10 ‘‘(b) ESTABLISHMENT OF CORPS OFFICE; COORDI11 NATORS; LIAISON.— 

12 ‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT OF OFFICES.— 

13 ‘‘(A) DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR.— 

14 The Secretary of the Interior shall establish a 

15 department-level office to coordinate the Corps 

16 activities within the Department of the Interior. 

17 ‘‘(B) DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.— 

18 The Secretary of Agriculture shall establish 

19 within the Forest Service an office to coordinate 

20 the Corps activities within that agency. 

21 ‘‘(C) DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE.—The 

22 Secretary of Commerce shall establish within 

23 the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admin24 istration an office to coordinate the Corps ac25 tivities within that agency. 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
13 

•HR 2167 IH

1 ‘‘(2) ESTABLISHMENT OF COORDINATORS.— 

2 The Secretary shall designate a Public Lands Serv3 ice Corps coordinator for each agency under the ju4 risdiction of the Secretary that administers Corps 

5 activities. 

6 ‘‘(3) ESTABLISHMENT OF LIAISON.—The Sec7 retary of the Interior shall establish an Indian Youth 

8 Service Corps liaison that will— 

9 ‘‘(A) provide outreach to Indian tribes 

10 about opportunities for establishing Corps and 

11 Indian Youth Service Corps programs; and 

12 ‘‘(B) coordinate with the Tribal Liaison of 

13 the Corporation for National Service to identify 

14 and establish Corps and Indian Youth Service 

15 Corps opportunities for Indian youth. 

16 ‘‘(c) PARTICIPANTS.— 

17 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may enroll 

18 in the Corps individuals who are— 

19 ‘‘(A) hired by an agency under the juris20 diction of the Secretary to perform work au21 thorized under this Act; or 

22 ‘‘(B) members of a qualified youth or con23 servation corps with which the Secretary has 

24 entered into a cooperative agreement to perform 

25 work authorized under this Act. 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
14 

•HR 2167 IH

1 ‘‘(2) RESOURCE ASSISTANTS AND CONSULTING

2 INTERNS.—The Secretary may also enroll in the 

3 Corps resource assistants and consulting interns in 

4 accordance with section 206(a). 

5 ‘‘(3) ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS.—To be eligi6 ble for enrollment as a Corps participant, an indi7 vidual shall— 

8 ‘‘(A)(i) be between the ages of 15 and 25, 

9 inclusive; or 

10 ‘‘(ii) in the case of a military veteran, be 

11 not older than 35; and 

12 ‘‘(B) satisfy the requirements of section 

13 137(a)(5) of the National and Community Serv14 ice Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12591(a)(5)). 

15 ‘‘(4) TERMS.—Each Corps participant may be 

16 enrolled in the Corps for a term of up to 2 years of 

17 service, which may be served over a period that ex18 ceeds 2 calendar years. 

19 ‘‘(5) CIVIL SERVICE.—An individual may be en20 rolled as a Corps participant without regard to the 

21 civil service and classification laws, rules, or regula22 tions of the United States. 

23 ‘‘(6) PREFERENCE.—The Secretary may estab24 lish a preference for the enrollment as Corps particiVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:40 May 12, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00014 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2167.IH H2167

emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
15 

•HR 2167 IH

1 pants individuals who are economically, physically, 

2 or educationally disadvantaged. 

3 ‘‘(7) LOCAL PREFERENCE.—The Secretary may 

4 establish a preference for enrollment of Corps par5 ticipants who are individuals who live in that State 

6 or region.’’; 

7 (3) in subsection (d), as redesignated by para8 graph (1)— 

9 (A) in paragraph (1)— 

10 (i) by striking ‘‘contracts and’’; and 

11 (ii) by striking ‘‘subsection (d)’’ and 

12 inserting ‘‘subsection (f)’’; and 

13 (B) by striking paragraph (2) and insert14 ing the following new paragraphs: 

15 ‘‘(2) RECRUITMENT.—The Secretary shall carry 

16 out, or enter into cooperative agreements to provide, 

17 a program to attract eligible youth to the Corps by 

18 publicizing Corps opportunities through high schools, 

19 colleges, employment centers, electronic media, and 

20 other appropriate institutions and means. 

21 ‘‘(3) PREFERENCE.—In entering into coopera22 tive agreements under paragraph (1) or awarding 

23 competitive grants to Indian tribes or tribally au24 thorized organizations under section 207, the Sec25 retary may give preference to qualified youth or conVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:40 May 12, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00015 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2167.IH H2167

emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
16 

•HR 2167 IH

1 servation corps that are located in specific areas 

2 where a substantial portion of members are economi3 cally, physically, or educationally disadvantaged.’’; 

4 (4) by inserting after subsection (d), as redesig5 nated by paragraph (1), the following new sub6 section: 

7 ‘‘(e) TRAINING.—For purposes of training, the Sec8 retary shall take into account training already received by 

9 Corps participants enrolled from qualified youth or con10 servation corps.’’; 

11 (5) in subsection (f), as redesignated by para12 graph (1)— 

13 (A) in paragraph (1)— 

14 (i) in the heading, by striking ‘‘IN

15 GENERAL.—’’ and inserting ‘‘USE OF

16 CORPS; PROJECTS.—’’; 

17 (ii) by striking ‘‘The Secretary may 

18 utilize the Corps or any qualified youth or 

19 conservation corps to carry out’’ and in20 serting the following: 

21 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may 

22 use the Corps to carry out, with appropriate su23 pervision and training,’’; 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
17 

•HR 2167 IH

1 (iii) by striking ‘‘on public lands’’ and 

2 inserting on ‘‘on eligible service lands’’; 

3 and 

4 (iv) by adding at the end the following 

5 new subparagraph: 

6 ‘‘(B) PROJECTS.—Appropriate natural and 

7 cultural resources conservation projects carried 

8 out under this section may include— 

9 ‘‘(i) protecting, restoring, or enhanc10 ing ecosystem components to promote spe11 cies recovery, improve biological diversity, 

12 enhance productivity and carbon sequestra13 tion, and enhance adaptability and resil14 ience of eligible service lands and resources 

15 to climate change and other natural and 

16 human disturbances; 

17 ‘‘(ii) promoting the health of eligible 

18 service lands, including— 

19 ‘‘(I) protecting and restoring wa20 tersheds and forest, grassland, ripar21 ian, estuarine, marine, or other habi22 tat; 

23 ‘‘(II) reducing the risk of 

24 uncharacteristically severe wildfire 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
18 

•HR 2167 IH

1 and mitigating damage from insects, 

2 disease, and disasters; 

3 ‘‘(III) controlling erosion; 

4 ‘‘(IV) controlling and removing 

5 invasive, noxious, or nonnative spe6 cies; and 

7 ‘‘(V) restoring native species; 

8 ‘‘(iii) collecting biological, archae9 ological, and other scientific data, includ10 ing climatological information, species pop11 ulations and movement, habitat status, and 

12 other information; 

13 ‘‘(iv) assisting in historical and cul14 tural research, museum curatorial work, 

15 oral history projects, documentary photog16 raphy, and activities that support the cre17 ation of public works of art related to eligi18 ble service lands; and 

19 ‘‘(v) constructing, repairing, rehabili20 tating, and maintaining roads, trails, 

21 campgrounds and other visitor facilities, 

22 employee housing, cultural and historic 

23 sites and structures, and other facilities 

24 that further the purposes of this Act.’’; 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
19 

•HR 2167 IH

1 (B) by redesignating paragraphs (2) and 

2 (3) as paragraphs (4) and (5), respectively; and 

3 (C) by inserting after paragraph (1) the 

4 following new paragraphs: 

5 ‘‘(2) VISITOR SERVICES.—The Secretary may— 

6 ‘‘(A) enter into or amend an existing coop7 erative agreement with a cooperating associa8 tion, educational institution, friends group, or 

9 similar nonprofit partner organization for the 

10 purpose of providing training and work experi11 ence to Corps participants in areas such as 

12 sales, office work, accounting, and management, 

13 provided that the work experience directly re14 lates to the conservation and management of el15 igible service lands; and 

16 ‘‘(B) allow Corps participants to help pro17 mote visitor safety and enjoyment of eligible 

18 service lands, and assist in the gathering of vis19 itor use data. 

20 ‘‘(3) INTERPRETATION.—The Secretary may 

21 permit Corps participants to provide interpretation 

22 or education services for the public under the direct 

23 and immediate supervision of an agency employee— 

24 ‘‘(A) to provide orientation and informa25 tion services to visitors; 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
20 

•HR 2167 IH

1 ‘‘(B) to assist agency employees in the de2 livery of interpretive or educational programs 

3 where audience size, environmental conditions, 

4 safety, or other factors make such assistance 

5 desirable; 

6 ‘‘(C) to present programs that relate the 

7 personal experience of the Corps participants 

8 for the purpose of promoting public awareness 

9 of the Corps, the role of the Corps in public 

10 land management agencies, and the availability 

11 of the Corps to potential participants; and 

12 ‘‘(D) to create nonpersonal interpretive 

13 products, such as website content, Junior Rang14 er program books, printed handouts, and audio15 visual programs.’’; 

16 (6) in subsection (g), as redesignated by para17 graph (1)— 

18 (A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), 

19 by striking ‘‘those projects which’’ and inserting 

20 ‘‘priority projects and other projects that’’; and 

21 (B) by striking paragraph (2) and insert22 ing the following new paragraph: 

23 ‘‘(2) will instill in Corps participants a work 

24 ethic and a sense of public service;’’; and 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
21 

•HR 2167 IH

1 (7) by adding at the end the following new sub2 sections: 

3 ‘‘(i) OTHER PARTICIPANTS.—The Secretary may 

4 allow volunteers from other programs administered or des5 ignated by the Secretary to participate as volunteers in 

6 projects carried out under this section. 

7 ‘‘(j) CRIMINAL HISTORY CHECKS.— 

8 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The requirements of sec9 tion 189D(b) of the National and Community Serv10 ice Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12645g(b)) shall apply 

11 to each individual age 18 or older seeking— 

12 ‘‘(A) to become a Corps participant; 

13 ‘‘(B) to receive funds authorized under this 

14 Act; or 

15 ‘‘(C) to supervise or otherwise have regular 

16 contact with Corps participants in activities au17 thorized under this Act. 

18 ‘‘(2) ELIGIBILITY PROHIBITION.—If any of 

19 paragraphs (1) through (4) of section 189D(c) of 

20 the National and Community Service Act of 1990 

21 (42 U.S.C. 12645g(c)) apply to an individual de22 scribed in paragraph (1), that individual shall not be 

23 eligible for the position or activity described in para24 graph (1), unless the Secretary provides an exemp25 tion for good cause.’’. 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
22 

•HR 2167 IH

1 SEC. 8. RESIDENTIAL CONSERVATION CENTERS AND PRO2 GRAM SUPPORT. 

3 Section 205 of the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 

4 (16 U.S.C. 1724) is amended— 

5 (1) in subsection (b)— 

6 (A) by striking ‘‘The Secretary’’ and in7 serting the following: 

8 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary’’; and 

9 (B) by adding at the end the following new 

10 paragraphs: 

11 ‘‘(2) TEMPORARY HOUSING.—The Secretary 

12 may make arrangements with another Federal agen13 cy, State, local government, or private organization 

14 to provide temporary housing for Corps participants 

15 as needed and available. 

16 ‘‘(3) TRANSPORTATION.—In project areas 

17 where Corps participants reside at their own homes, 

18 the Secretary may provide transportation to and 

19 from project sites.’’; 

20 (2) by redesignating subsection (d) as sub21 section (e); 

22 (3) by inserting after subsection (c) the fol23 lowing new subsection: 

24 ‘‘(d) MENTORS.—The Secretary may recruit from 

25 programs, such as Federal volunteer and encore service 

26 programs, and from veterans groups, military retirees, and 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
23 

•HR 2167 IH

1 active duty personnel, such adults as may be suitable and 

2 qualified to provide training, mentoring, and crew-leading 

3 services to Corps participants.’’; and 

4 (4) in subsection (e), as redesignated by para5 graph (2), by striking ‘‘that are appropriate’’ and all 

6 that follows through the period and inserting ‘‘that 

7 the Secretary determines to be necessary for a resi8 dential conservation center.’’. 

9 SEC. 9. RESOURCE ASSISTANTS AND CONSULTING IN10 TERNS. 

11 Section 206 of the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 

12 (16 U.S.C. 1725) is amended— 

13 (1) in the section heading, by inserting ‘‘AND

14 CONSULTING INTERNS’’ before the period; 

15 (2) by striking subsections (a) and (b) and in16 serting the following new subsections: 

17 ‘‘(a) AUTHORIZATION.— 

18 ‘‘(1) RESOURCE ASSISTANTS.— 

19 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may 

20 provide individual placements of resource assist21 ants with any agency under the jurisdiction of 

22 the Secretary that carries out appropriate nat23 ural and cultural resources conservation 

24 projects to carry out research or resource pro25 tection activities on behalf of the agency. 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
24 

•HR 2167 IH

1 ‘‘(B) ELIGIBILITY.—To be eligible for se2 lection as a resource assistant, an individual 

3 shall be at least 17 years of age. 

4 ‘‘(C) PREFERENCE.—In selecting resource 

5 assistants for placement under this paragraph, 

6 the Secretary shall give a preference to individ7 uals who are enrolled in an institution of higher 

8 education or are recent graduates from an insti9 tution of higher education, with particular at10 tention given to ensuring full representation of 

11 women and participants from Historically Black 

12 Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-serving in13 stitutions, and Tribal Colleges and Universities. 

14 ‘‘(2) CONSULTING INTERNS.— 

15 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may 

16 provide individual placements of consulting in17 terns with any agency under the jurisdiction of 

18 the Secretary that carries out appropriate nat19 ural and cultural resources conservation 

20 projects to carry out management analysis ac21 tivities on behalf of the agency. 

22 ‘‘(B) ELIGIBILITY.—To be eligible for se23 lection as a consulting intern, an individual 

24 shall be enrolled in, and have completed at least 

25 1 full year at, a graduate or professional school 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
25 

•HR 2167 IH

1 that has been accredited by an accrediting body 

2 recognized by the Secretary of Education. 

3 ‘‘(b) USE OF EXISTING NONPROFIT ORGANIZA4 TIONS.— 

5 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Whenever 1 or more non6 profit organizations can provide appropriate recruit7 ment and placement services to fulfill the require8 ments of this section, the Secretary may implement 

9 this section through such organizations. 

10 ‘‘(2) EXPENSES.—Participating organizations 

11 shall contribute to the expenses of providing and 

12 supporting the resource assistants or consulting in13 terns from sources of funding other than the Sec14 retary, at a level of not less than 25 percent of the 

15 total costs (15 percent of which may be from in-kind 

16 sources) of each participant in the resource assistant 

17 or consulting intern program who has been recruited 

18 and placed through that organization. 

19 ‘‘(3) REPORTING.—Each participating organi20 zation shall be required to submit an annual report 

21 evaluating the scope, size, and quality of the pro22 gram, including the value of work contributed by the 

23 resource assistants and consulting interns, to the 

24 mission of the agency.’’. 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
26 

•HR 2167 IH

1 SEC. 10. INCLUSION OF INDIAN YOUTH SERVICE CORPS 

2 AND ISSUANCE OF GUIDANCE. 

3 The Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 is amended— 

4 (1) by redesignating sections 207 through 211 

5 (16 U.S.C. 1726 through 1730) as sections 209 

6 through 213, respectively; and 

7 (2) by inserting after section 206 (16 U.S.C. 

8 1725) the following new sections: 

9 ‘‘SEC. 207. INDIAN YOUTH SERVICE CORPS. 

10 ‘‘(a) AUTHORIZATION OF COOPERATIVE AGREE11 MENTS AND COMPETITIVE GRANTS.—The Secretary is au12 thorized to enter into cooperative agreements with, or 

13 make competitive grants to, Indian tribes and qualified 

14 youth or conservation corps for the establishment and ad15 ministration of Indian Youth Service Corps programs to 

16 carry out appropriate natural and cultural resources con17 servation projects on Indian lands. 

18 ‘‘(b) APPLICATION.—To be eligible to receive assist19 ance under this section, an Indian tribe or a qualified 

20 youth or conservation corps shall submit to the Secretary 

21 an application in such manner and containing such infor22 mation as the Secretary may require, including— 

23 ‘‘(1) a description of the methods by which In24 dian youth will be recruited for and retained in the 

25 Indian Youth Service Corps; 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
27 

•HR 2167 IH

1 ‘‘(2) a description of the projects to be carried 

2 out by the Indian Youth Service Corps; 

3 ‘‘(3) a description of how the projects were 

4 identified; and 

5 ‘‘(4) an explanation of the impact of, and the 

6 direct community benefits provided by, the proposed 

7 projects. 

8 ‘‘SEC. 208. GUIDANCE. 

9 ‘‘Not later than 18 months after funds are made 

10 available to the Secretary to carry out this Act, the Sec11 retary shall issue guidelines for the management of pro12 grams under the jurisdiction of the Secretary that are au13 thorized under this Act.’’. 

14 SEC. 11. LIVING ALLOWANCES AND TERMS OF SERVICE. 

15 Section 209 of the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 

16 (16 U.S.C. 1726), as redesignated by section 10, is 

17 amended by striking subsections (a), (b), and (c) and in18 serting the following new subsections: 

19 ‘‘(a) LIVING ALLOWANCES.— 

20 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall provide 

21 each Corps participant with a living allowance in an 

22 amount established by the Secretary. 

23 ‘‘(2) TRAVEL COSTS.—The Secretary may reim24 burse Corps participants for travel costs at the beVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:40 May 12, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00027 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2167.IH H2167

emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
28 

•HR 2167 IH

1 ginning and end of the term of service of the Corps 

2 participants. 

3 ‘‘(b) TERMS OF SERVICE.— 

4 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Each Corps participant 

5 shall agree to participate for such term of service as 

6 may be established by the Secretary. 

7 ‘‘(2) CONSULTATIONS.—With respect to the In8 dian Youth Service Corps, the term of service shall 

9 be established in consultation with the affected In10 dian tribe or tribally authorized organization. 

11 ‘‘(c) HIRING PREFERENCE AND FUTURE EMPLOY12 MENT.—The Secretary may— 

13 ‘‘(1) grant to a Corps participant credit for 

14 time served as a Corps participant, which may be 

15 used toward future Federal hiring; 

16 ‘‘(2) provide to a former participant of the 

17 Corps or the Indian Youth Service Corps non18 competitive hiring status for a period of not more 

19 than 2 years after the date on which the service of 

20 the candidate in the Corps or the Indian Youth 

21 Service Corps was complete, if the candidate— 

22 ‘‘(A) has served a minimum of 960 hours 

23 on an appropriate natural or cultural resources 

24 conservation project that included at least 120 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
29 

•HR 2167 IH

1 hours through the Corps or the Indian Youth 

2 Service Corps; and 

3 ‘‘(B) meets Office of Personnel Manage4 ment qualification standards for the position for 

5 which the candidate is applying; 

6 ‘‘(3) provide to a former resource assistant or 

7 consulting intern noncompetitive hiring status for a 

8 period of not more than 2 years after the date on 

9 which the individual has completed an under10 graduate or graduate degree, respectively, from an 

11 accredited institution, if the candidate— 

12 ‘‘(A) successfully fulfilled the resource as13 sistant or consulting intern program require14 ments; and 

15 ‘‘(B) meets Office of Personnel Manage16 ment qualification standards for the position for 

17 which the candidate is applying; and 

18 ‘‘(4) provide, or enter into contracts or coopera19 tive agreements with qualified employment agencies 

20 to provide, alumni services such as job and edu21 cation counseling, referrals, verification of service, 

22 communications, and other appropriate services to 

23 Corps participants who have completed the term of 

24 service.’’. 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
30 

•HR 2167 IH

1 SEC. 12. NATIONAL SERVICE EDUCATIONAL AWARDS. 

2 Section 210 of the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 

3 (16 U.S.C. 1727), as redesignated by section 10 and 

4 amended by section 3, is amended— 

5 (1) in subsection (a), in the first sentence— 

6 (A) by striking ‘‘participant in the Corps 

7 or a resource assistant’’ and inserting ‘‘Corps 

8 participant’’; and 

9 (B) by striking ‘‘participant or resource as10 sistant’’ and inserting ‘‘Corps participant’’; and 

11 (2) in subsection (b)— 

12 (A) by striking ‘‘either participants in the 

13 Corps or resource assistants’’ and inserting 

14 ‘‘Corps participants’’; and 

15 (B) by striking ‘‘or a resource assistant’’. 

16 SEC. 13. NONDISPLACEMENT. 

17 Section 211 of the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 

18 (16 U.S.C. 1728), as redesignated by section 10, is 

19 amended by striking ‘‘activities carried out’’ and all that 

20 follows through the period and inserting ‘‘Corps partici21 pants.’’. 

22 SEC. 14. FUNDING. 

23 Section 212 of the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 

24 (16 U.S.C. 1729), as redesignated by section 10, is 

25 amended— 

26 (1) in subsection (a)— 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
31 

•HR 2167 IH

1 (A) in paragraph (1)— 

2 (i) in the second sentence, by striking 

3 ‘‘non-federal sources’’ and inserting 

4 ‘‘sources other than the Secretary’’; and 

5 (ii) by inserting after the second sen6 tence the following: ‘‘The Secretary may 

7 pay up to 90 percent of the costs of a 

8 project if the Secretary determines that the 

9 reduction is necessary to enable participa10 tion from a greater range of organizations 

11 or individuals.’’; and 

12 (B) in paragraph (2), by inserting ‘‘or In13 dian Youth Service Corps’’ after ‘‘Corps’’ each 

14 place it appears; 

15 (2) by striking subsection (b) and inserting the 

16 following new subsection: 

17 ‘‘(b) FUNDS AVAILABLE UNDER NATIONAL AND

18 COMMUNITY SERVICE ACT.—To carry out this title, the 

19 Secretary shall be eligible to apply for and receive assist20 ance under section 121(b) of the National and Community 

21 Service Act (42 U.S.C. 12571(b)).’’; and 

22 (3) in subsection (c)— 

23 (A) by striking ‘‘section 211’’ and insert24 ing ‘‘section 213’’; and 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
32 

•HR 2167 IH

1 (B) by inserting ‘‘or Indian Youth Service 

2 Corps’’ after ‘‘Corps’’. 

3 SEC. 15. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

4 Section 213 of the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 

5 (16 U.S.C. 1730), as redesignated by section 10, is 

6 amended— 

7 (1) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘year’’ and all 

8 that follows through the period and inserting 

9 ‘‘year.’’; 

10 (2) by striking subsection (b); and 

11 (3) by redesignating subsection (c) as sub12 section (b). 

Æ 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS