21st Century Conservation Service Corps Act of 2015

To establish the 21st Century Conservation Service Corps to place youth and veterans in the United States in national service positions to protect, restore, and enhance the great outdoors of the United States, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the 21st Century Conservation Service Corps Act of 2015 2. Purpose The purpose of this Act is to engage youth and veterans in the United States in national service positions to protect, restore, and enhance the outdoors of the United States, including to— (1) channel widespread interest among youth and veterans in the United States in serving in national service positions to help protect, restore, enhance, and increase public access to and use of national parks, public and tribal land or water, and natural, cultural, and historical resources and treasures for the enjoyment and use of future generations while spurring economic development and outdoor recreation by carrying out high-quality, cost-effective 21CSC projects; (2) ensure that, in any State, tribal land or water, or territory of the United States, the activities and expertise of 21CSC participants will be accessible to public organizations, nonprofit organizations, and tribal agencies responsible for the stewardship of public land or water, private land or water (with a direct or recognized public benefit and in coordination with the owner of such land or water), or tribal land or water; and (3) place youth and veterans in national service positions to protect, restore, and enhance the great outdoors of the United States, through collaborative efforts involving relevant Federal departments and Federal agencies to minimize undue duplication, leverage existing resources, and maximize project completion in a cost-effective manner. 3. Definitions In this Act: (1) 21CSC organization The term 21CSC organization (2) 21CSC participant The term 21CSC participant (3) 21CSC project The term 21CSC project (4) Institution of higher education The term institution of higher education 20 U.S.C. 1002 (A) an institution outside the United States, as described in subsection (a)(1)(C) of such section; and (B) an institution described in section 101(b) of such Act ( 20 U.S.C. 1001(b) (5) Participating entity The term participating entity (6) State The term State (7) Tribal agency The term tribal agency Indian tribe 42 U.S.C. 12511 (8) Tribal land or water The term tribal land or water (9) Veteran The term veteran (10) Youth The term youth 4. Establishing the 21st Century Conservation Service Corps There is established a 21st Century Conservation Service Corps (referred to in this Act as the 21CSC 5. Participating entities (a) In general The 21CSC shall be implemented jointly by the participating entities, which shall have the authority to support the 21CSC by carrying out the activities described in subsection (c). (b) List of entities The participating entities shall be the entities headed by each of the following officers: (1) The Secretary of the Interior. (2) The Secretary of Agriculture. (3) The Secretary of Transportation. (4) The Secretary of Labor. (5) The Secretary of Energy. (6) The Secretary of Defense. (7) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs. (8) The Secretary of Commerce. (9) The Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. (10) The Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality. (11) The Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation for National and Community Service. (12) The Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works). (13) The head of any other Federal agency designated by the President as necessary to serve as a participating entity. (c) Supporting the 21CSC (1) In general The participating entities may support the 21CSC by— (A) establishing standards for the 21CSC; (B) establishing a process for organizations to apply and be approved to become 21CSC organizations; (C) developing and supporting the public-private partnerships described in subsection (e)(1); (D) using or leveraging existing funding or acquiring funding and other resources under section 7 to support 21CSC projects through the cooperative agreements described in subsection (e); (E) leveraging existing resources described in section 7(b) to expand the use of the 21CSC to meet the missions of such entities; (F) utilizing technology to support 21CSC projects; and (G) collecting performance data on 21CSC projects to prepare the reports required by paragraph (3)(A) and demonstrate the impact of such projects. (2) Coordination to minimize undue duplication and maximize project completion in a cost-effective manner (A) Coordination with Federal departments and agencies The participating entities shall coordinate with each other and with Federal departments and Federal agencies, affected by or engaging in activities that are similar to 21CSC projects, to— (i) minimize to the greatest extent possible any undue duplication with specific project activities performed by the Federal departments and Federal agencies described in this subparagraph; and (ii) maximize project completion in a cost-effective manner by collaborating to leverage existing resources described in section 7(b). (B) Coordination among entities Each participating entity shall, when feasible, coordinate activities with other participating entities to approve 21CSC organizations and collect the data required by paragraph 3(A). (C) Guidance The participating entities shall, when practicable, seek guidance from— (i) the Corporation for National and Community Service, which has extensive experience in developing and administering national service programs; and (ii) the Department of Veterans Affairs on ways to increase participation of veterans in 21CSC projects. (3) Reporting (A) 21CSC Reports (i) In general Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, all participating entities shall submit the required data described in clause (ii) to the Corporation for National and Community Service. (ii) Required data The Corporation for National and Community Service, in coordination with the participating entities, shall prepare and submit an annual report to the Comptroller General of the United States that includes required data, for the year covered by the report, consisting of— (I) the number of 21CSC participants engaging in 21CSC projects and the length of the term of service for each participant; (II) the total amount of funding provided by participating entities for such service; (III) the type of service performed by 21CSC participants and the impact and accomplishments of such service; and (IV) other similar data determined to be appropriate by the Comptroller General of the United States, in consultation with the Corporation for National and Community Service and the participating entities, including data sufficient to determine the effectiveness of 21CSC organizations in carrying out activities to achieve the purpose of this Act in a manner that is cost-effective and does not unduly duplicate or overlap with other activities or programs carried out by Federal departments and Federal agencies. (iii) Data collection The Corporation for National and Community Service may coordinate with 21CSC organizations to collect the required data described in clause (ii). (B) Comptroller General reports Not later than 6 months after the date of submission of a report under subparagraph (A), the Comptroller General of the United States shall prepare and submit a report to Congress that, with respect to the year covered by the report submitted under subparagraph (A), includes— (i) the data described in subparagraph (A)(ii); (ii) an assessment, based on such data, of the effectiveness of 21CSC organizations in achieving the purpose of this Act in a manner that is cost-effective and does not unduly duplicate or overlap with other activities or programs carried out by Federal departments and Federal agencies; and (iii) recommendations on how to more effectively manage and carry out 21CSC projects to achieve the purpose of this Act in the manner described in clause (ii). (d) Gifts and donations The participating entities may accept, use, and dispose of contributions that are gifts or donations of money, services, or property to support the development, implementation, and expansion of 21CSC projects, in accordance with applicable laws, including regulations. (e) Cooperative agreements with 21CSC organizations (1) In general Each participating entity shall have the authority to— (A) develop public-private partnerships with 21CSC organizations by entering into cooperative agreements with such organizations to support and carry out 21CSC projects; and (B) leverage existing resources described in section 7(b) to support such cooperative agreements. (2) Type of cooperative agreement A cooperative agreement under this subsection may be— (A) limited to an agreement for a specific 21CSC project; (B) a broad agreement covering multiple planned or future 21CSC projects; or (C) an agreement for a 21CSC project to be part of a broader conservation service corps initiative carried out in partnership with a Federal or State government or a tribal agency. (3) Set share A cooperative agreement under this subsection shall include provisions specifying the share that the 21CSC organization will provide under section 7(c). 6. 21CSC organizations and 21CSC projects (a) 21CSC organizations To be approved as a 21CSC organization, an organization seeking approval shall, to the maximum extent practicable, demonstrate the capability to meet, and provide an assurance that the organization will meet, each requirement under subsection (b). (b) 21CSC projects (1) 21CSC participants engaged by 21CSC organizations (A) In general In carrying out a 21CSC project, to the maximum extent practicable, a 21CSC organization shall select individuals to be 21CSC participants who, in addition to meeting the requirements of subparagraph (B), are— (i) youth, notwithstanding the requirements under paragraphs (3) and (4) of section 137(a) of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 ( 42 U.S.C. 12591(a) (ii) veterans not older than age 35. (B) Citizenship requirement To be selected as a 21CSC participant, an individual shall be— (i) a citizen or national of the United States; or (ii) a lawful permanent resident alien of the United States. (C) Emphasis on diversity and inclusion In selecting 21CSC participants, the organization shall make deliberate outreach efforts to engage traditionally underserved populations, including veterans and disadvantaged youth (as defined in section 101 of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 ( 42 U.S.C. 12511 (2) Compensation for participants The organization shall provide compensation to each 21CSC participant that shall include 1 or more of the following: (A) A wage. (B) A stipend. (C) A living allowance. (D) An educational credit that may be applied towards a program of postsecondary education at a participating institution of higher education that agrees to award such credit for participation in a 21CSC project. (3) Organization of service for participants (A) In general In carrying out the 21CSC project, the organization shall, to the maximum extent practicable, organize 21CSC participants as— (i) crew-based participants who— (I) serve together with other crew-based participants; and (II) are directly supervised by trained and experienced crew-based leaders or conservation professionals; or (ii) individual or small team-based participants who serve— (I) individually or in a coordinated small team; (II) under the direction of conservation professionals; and (III) on initiatives that require specific skills and dedicated attention. (B) Veteran and civilian cooperation The organization shall, to the extent practicable, encourage cooperation among veteran and civilian 21CSC participants. (4) 21CSC projects The organization shall carry out a 21CSC project that includes national service involving— (A) protecting, restoring, and enhancing national parks, public and tribal land or water, and natural, cultural, and historical resources and treasures; (B) supporting outdoor recreation and urban green spaces; (C) restoring and safeguarding the natural resources of the United States, such as through trail maintenance, removal of invasive species, wildfire prevention, historic preservation, and disaster relief; or (D) service that is primarily indoors, such as service in science, policy, or program internships, with a clear benefit for natural, cultural, or historic resources or treasures. (5) 21CSC participant outcomes In carrying out a 21CSC project, the organization shall provide 21CSC participants with— (A) job skill development to prepare such participants for success in the 21st century workforce; (B) community skill development to help such participants acquire an ethic of service to others and become more effective resource and community stewards; and (C) a greater understanding of the natural, cultural, or historic resources or treasures in the United States. (c) Exclusion from prevailing wage, hour, and child labor laws (1) Prevailing wage and hours laws Any form of compensation, including stipends, provided to 21CSC participants under subsection (b)(2) shall not be subject to the requirements of prevailing wage laws under subchapter IV of chapter 31 (2) Nonemployee status A 21CSC participant shall not be considered— (A) an employee of the 21CSC organization that selected such participant to serve on a 21CSC project under this Act, in the same manner as a participant is excluded under section 101(30) of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 ( 42 U.S.C. 12511(30) (B) a Federal employee, and shall not be subject to the provisions of law relating to Federal employment, except that such provisions shall apply to any 21CSC participant to the extent provided for a participant or crew leader under section 199M(b) of such Act ( 42 U.S.C. 12655n(b) (d) Eligibility for noncompetitive hiring status (1) In general A qualified individual described in paragraph (2) shall be eligible for appointment in the competitive service in the same manner as Peace Corps volunteers as prescribed in Executive Order 11103 ( 22 U.S.C. 2504 (2) Qualified individual A qualified individual described in this subsection is an individual who is certified by the corresponding participating entities as having successfully completed 1 or more terms of service, as determined by an agreement between the 21CSC organization and the 21CSC participant, that, in total, are not less than 640 hours. (3) Period A qualified individual described in paragraph (2) shall be eligible for an appointment under paragraph (1) during the 2-year period beginning on the date on which such individual completes 1 or more terms of service, as determined under paragraph (2), that, in total, are not less than 640 hours. 7. Funding (a) Investments (1) In general In addition to using funding provided under subsections (b) and (c), to fund 21CSC projects, each 21CSC organization shall leverage the funds provided under such subsections by soliciting in cash or in-kind contributions from public or private sources. (2) Methods To leverage the funds under paragraph (1), each 21CSC organization may solicit contributions by using innovative strategies, such as crowd-funding. (b) Existing resources In addition to using funding provided under subsections (a) and (c), to fund a 21CSC project, each participating entity shall be limited to using existing resources that have been appropriated or allocated to such participating entity, as of the period of implementation of such 21CSC project, under laws and authorities other than this Act. (c) Set share A 21CSC organization conducting a 21CSC project shall provide a share of not less than 10 percent of the total cost of such project. The organization may provide the share in cash or in kind from State, local, or private sources. 8. Rule of construction Except as provided in section 6(b)(1)(A)(i), the requirements and authorities provided under this Act for 21CSC participants, 21CSC organizations, and participating entities with respect to a 21CSC project shall be in addition to the requirements and authorities provided under other Federal law for such participants, organizations, and entities with respect to that project.

Summary: 21st Century Conservation Service Corps Act of 2015 This bill establishes a 21st Century Conservation Service Corps (21CSC) that provides work and training opportunities for youth and veterans in certain federal agencies. Work and training provided in 21CSC must involve: protecting, restoring, and enhancing natural, cultural, and historical resources and treasures, including public and tribal land or water; supporting outdoor recreation and urban green spaces; restoring and safeguarding U.S. natural resources; or service that is primarily indoors with a clear benefit for natural, cultural, or historic resources or treasures. Participating federal agencies may develop public-private partnerships with organizations to support and carry out 21CSC projects. Participating federal agencies must compensate 21CSC participants with a wage, a stipend, a living allowance, or an educational credit at a participating institution of higher education. Participating federal agencies must also provide participants with: (1) job skill development; (2) community skill development to help participants acquire an ethic of service to others and become more effective resource and community stewards; and (3) a greater understanding of U.S. natural, cultural, or historic resources or treasures.