I
105TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 3561
To extend for five years the authorization of appropriations for the programs
under the National and Community Service Act of 1990 and the Domes-
tic Volunteer Service Act of 1973, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 26, 1998
Mr. ANDREWS (for himself, Mr. SHAYS, Mr. CLAY, Mr. ROEMER, Mr. WALSH,
Mr. FARR of California, Mr. NEAL of Massachusetts, Mr. DOOLEY of
California, Mrs. MORELLA, Mr. QUINN, Mr. BARRETT of Wisconsin, Mr.
SANDLIN, Mr. MILLER of California, Mr. MENENDEZ, Mr. KENNEDY of
Massachusetts, Mr. LEWIS of Geogria, Mr. CARDIN, Mr. DINGELL, Mr.
FROST, Mr. HORN, Mr. UNDERWOOD, Mr. MALONEY of Connecticut, Mr.
HINCHEY, Mr. MURTHA, Mrs. KENNELLY of Connecticut, Mr. BORSKI,
Mr. FAZIO of California, Mr. MARTINEZ, Mr. BALDACCI, Mr. FATTAH,
Ms. WOOLSEY, Mr. KIND of Wisconsin, Ms. SANCHEZ, Ms. JACKSON-
LEE, Mr. MORAN of Virginia, Mr. PETERSON of Minnesota, Mr. VENTO,
Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts, Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island, Mr. KIL-
DEE, Mr. LEACH, Mr. ADAM SMITH of Washington, Mr. SABO, Mrs.
LOWEY, Mr. SAWYER, Mr. DEFAZIO, Mr. ACKERMAN, Mr. HOUGHTON,
Mr. HALL of Ohio, Mr. SANDERS, Mr. LANTOS, Mr. KLINK, and Mr.
SCOTT) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Commit-
tee on Education and the Workforce
A BILL
To extend for five years the authorization of appropriations
for the programs under the National and Community
Service Act of 1990 and the Domestic Volunteer Service
Act of 1973, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the
‘‘National and Community Service Amendments Act of
1998’’.
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents of
this Act is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
TITLE I—AMENDMENTS TO NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY
SERVICE ACT OF 1990
Sec. 101. References.
Subtitle A—Amendments to Subtitle A (General Provision)
Sec. 111. Purposes of Act.
Sec. 112. Definitions.
Subtitle B—Amendments to Subtitle B (School-Based and
Community-Based Service-Learning Programs)
Sec. 121. Recipients of school-based grants.
Sec. 122. Streamlining school-based applications.
Sec. 123. Grants and allotments.
Sec. 124. Applications to the Corporation.
Sec. 125. Limitations on uses of funds.
Sec. 126. General authority; State administrative flexibility.
Sec. 127. Clearinghouse.
Sec. 128. Indian Tribes and U.S. Territories.
Sec. 129. Multi-State, demonstration, and other initiatives.
Sec. 130. Higher education programs for community service.
Subtitle C—Amendments to Subtitle C (National Service Trust
Program)
Sec. 141. Prohibition on grants to Federal agencies; limits on Corporation costs.
Sec. 142. Training and technical assistance.
Sec. 143. Assistance to State Commissions.
Sec. 144. Grants to States; disability funds; reduction in Corporation costs.
Sec. 145. Volunteer generation.
Sec. 146. Selection of national service participants.
Sec. 147. Release for compelling personal circumstances.
Sec. 148. Adjustments to living allowance.
Sec. 149. Waiver of requirements regarding matching funds and use of
assistance.
Sec. 217. Grievance procedure.
Sec. 218. Competition requirement for grants and contracts.
Sec. 219. Repeal of VISTA literacy corps.
Sec. 220. Emphasis on merit selection of projects.
Sec. 221. Repeal of Special Volunteer Programs.
Subtitle B—Amendments to Title II (National Senior
Volunteer Corps)
Sec. 231. Change in name.
Sec. 232. Purpose.
Sec. 233. Grants and contracts for volunteer service projects.
Sec. 234. Age-related eligibility for enrollment.
Sec. 235. Agreement on services.
Sec. 236. Definition of low-income persons.
Sec. 237. Participation regardless of income.
Sec. 238. Foster Grandparent Leaders.
Sec. 239. Age-related eligibility for enrollment.
Sec. 240. Senior Companion Leaders.
Sec. 241. Programs of national significance.
Subtitle C—Amendments to Title IV (Administration and
Coordination)
Sec. 251. Family and medical leave.
Sec. 252. Coordination of evaluation activities.
Subtitle D—Amendments to Title V (Authorization of
Appropriations)
Sec. 261. Authorization of appropriations for VISTA program.
Sec. 262. Authorization of appropriations for National Senior Service Corps.
Sec. 263. Administration and coordination.
Sec. 264. Evaluation.
TITLE III—TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS
Subtitle A—Technical Amendments to the National and
Community Service Act of 1990
Sec. 301. References.
Sec. 302. Technical amendments to subtitle A.
Sec. 303. Technical amendments to subtitle B.
Sec. 304. Technical amendments to subtitle C.
Sec. 305. Technical amendments to subtitle D.
Sec. 306. Technical amendments to subtitle E.
Sec. 307. Technical amendments to subtitle F.
Sec. 308. Technical amendments to subtitle G.
Sec. 309. Technical amendments to subtitle H.
Subtitle B—Technical Amendments to the Domestic Volunteer
Service Act of 1973
Sec. 311. References.
Sec. 312. Technical amendments to title I.
Sec. 313. Technical amendments to title II.
Sec. 314. Technical amendments to title IV.
TITLE IV—AMENDMENTS TO OTHER LAWS
Sec. 401. Higher Education Act of 1965.
Sec. 402. Public Lands Corps.
Sec. 403. Urban Youth Corps.
Sec. 404. Erroneous reference to Secretary of Education.
Sec. 405. Reference to National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993.
TITLE I—AMENDMENTS TO NA-
TIONAL 
AND 
COMMUNITY
SERVICE ACT OF 1990
SEC. 101. REFERENCES.
Except as otherwise specifically provided, whenever in
this title an amendment or repeal is expressed in terms
of an amendment to, or repeal of, a provision, the ref-
erence shall be considered to be made to a provision of
the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42
U.S.C. 12501 et seq.).
Subtitle A—Amendments to
Subtitle A (General Provisions)
SEC. 111. PURPOSES OF ACT.
Section 2(b) (42 U.S.C. 12501(b)) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (7), by striking ‘‘citizens;
and’’ and inserting ‘‘citizens;’’;
(2) in paragraph (8), by striking the period and
inserting ‘‘; and’’; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(9) expand and strengthen service-learning
programs to improve the education of children and
youth and to maximize the benefits of national and
community service.’’.
SEC. 112. DEFINITIONS.
Section 101 (42 U.S.C. 12511) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (17)(B), by striking ‘‘program
in which the participant is enrolled’’ and ‘‘inserting
organization or organizations receiving assistance
under the national service laws through which the
participant enrolls in an approved national service
position’’;
(2) in paragraph (26), by striking the second
sentence; and
(3) by inserting after paragraph (29) the fol-
lowing:
‘‘(30) STATE
AGENCY
FOR
HIGHER
EDU-
CATION.—The term State agency for higher edu-
cation means the State board of higher education or
other agency or officer primarily responsible for the
State supervision of higher education or, if there is
no such officer or agency, an officer or agency des-
ignated for the purpose of carrying out this title by
the Governor or by State law.’’.
Subtitle B—Amendments to Sub-
title B (School-Based and Com-
munity-Based Service-Learning
Programs)
SEC. 121. RECIPIENTS OF SCHOOL–BASED GRANTS.
Section 111 (42 U.S.C. 12521) is amended—
(1) in the heading, by striking ‘‘AUTHORITY
TO ASSIST STATES AND INDIAN TRIBES’’ and in-
serting ‘‘AUTHORITY TO MAKE GRANTS AND AL-
LOTMENTS’’;
(2) in subsection (a)—
(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1),
by striking ‘‘(through State educational agen-
cies), and to Indian tribes,’’;
(B) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘or In-
dian tribes (which may be accomplished through
grants or contracts with qualified organiza-
tions)’’;
(C) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘para-
graph (2); and’’ and inserting ‘‘paragraph
(2);’’;
(D) in paragraph (4), by striking the pe-
riod and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and
(E) by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(5) providing training and technical assistance
to service-learning programs.’’;
(3) in subsection (c)—
(A) by striking ‘‘A partnership, local edu-
cational agency, or other qualified organization’’
and inserting ‘‘An entity’’; and
(B) by inserting ‘‘training and technical
assistance’’, before ‘‘and evaluations’’; and
(4) by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(d) STATE ADMINISTRATION.—
‘‘(1) A State may apply for assistance under
this subpart either through a State educational
agency or through a State Commission.
‘‘(2) If a State applies for assistance under this
subpart through a State Commission, all references
in this subpart to a State educational agency shall
be deemed to include a State Commission.
‘‘(3) A State receiving assistance under this
subpart must ensure that the State educational
agency and the State Commission coordinate their
respective activities.’’.
SEC. 122. STREAMLINING SCHOOL–BASED APPLICATIONS.
Subpart A is amended by striking section 111A (42
U.S.C. 12522), section 111B (42 U.S.C. 12523), and sec-
tion 114 (42 U.S.C. 12526).
SEC. 123. GRANTS AND ALLOTMENTS.
Section 112 (42 U.S.C. 12524) is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘subsection (a)’’;
(2) by redesignating subsections (b), (c), and
(d) as subsections (a), (b), and (c), respectively;
(3) in subsection (a) (as redesignated by this
section)—
(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1),
by striking ‘‘The Corporation through as fol-
lows’’ and inserting ‘‘From the remainder of
the funds appropriated and after the allotments
made pursuant to subpart D, the Corporation
will carry out this subpart for any fiscal year as
follows:’’;
(B) in paragraph (1)—
(i) by striking ‘‘25 percent’’ and in-
serting ‘‘30 percent’’; and
(ii) by striking ‘‘to—and all that fol-
lows’’ and inserting ‘‘to States.’’;
(C) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘37.5
percent’’ each place it appears and inserting
‘‘35 percent’’; and
(D) in paragraph (3)—
(i) by striking ‘‘shall receive, under
paragraph (2), an allotment that is less
than the allotment such State received for