I
103D CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1004
To establish a program of mandatory national service for young people in
the United States.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 18, 1993
Mr. SHAYS (for himself and Mr. MFUME) introduced the following bill; which
was referred jointly to the Committees on Education and Labor, Post Of-
fice and Civil Service, Ways and Means, Energy and Commerce, and For-
eign Affairs
A BILL
To establish a program of mandatory national service for
young people in the United States.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National American
Youth Service Act’’.
SEC. 2. TABLE OF CONTENTS.
The table of contents for this Act is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title.
Sec. 2. Table of contents.
Sec. 3. Definitions.
Sec. 4. Purpose.
TITLE I—IMPOSITION AND TERM OF MANDATORY NATIONAL
SERVICE OBLIGATION
Sec. 101. Obligation to perform national service.
Sec. 102. Registration of national service participants.
Sec. 103. Types of national service to satisfy obligation.
Sec. 104. Failure to register or complete national service obligation.
Sec. 105. Exemptions and deferments.
TITLE II—ADMINISTRATION OF NATIONAL SERVICE
Sec. 201. Office of National Service.
Sec. 202. Recording the performance of national service.
Sec. 203. Other duties of the Director.
Sec. 204. State national service offices and local national service boards.
Sec. 205. Accreditation of sponsor organizations.
Sec. 206. Authorization of appropriations.
TITLE III—MISCELLANEOUS NATIONAL SERVICE PROGRAMS
Sec. 301. American Conservation and Youth Corps.
Sec. 302. Volunteers in Service to America.
Sec. 303. Peace Corps.
Sec. 304. Urban Elementary School Literacy Corps.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
For purposes of this Act:
(1) The terms ‘‘national service participant’’
and ‘‘participant’’ mean an individual who is obli-
gated to perform national service under section 101.
(2) The term ‘‘sponsor organization’’ means a
nonprofit organization accredited by a State national
service office through which a national service par-
ticipant may perform national service in satisfaction
of the participant’s service obligation.
(3) The term ‘‘nonprofit organization’’ means
an organization—
(A) described in section 501(c) of the In-
ternal Revenue Code of 1986 (26 U.S.C.
501(c)); and
(B) exempt from taxation under section
501(a) of such Code (26 U.S.C. 501(a)).
(4) The terms ‘‘Office of National Service’’ and
‘‘Office’’ mean the Office of National Service estab-
lished under section 201.
(5) The term ‘‘Director’’ means the Director of
the Office of National Service.
(6) The term ‘‘State’’ means each of the several
States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth
of Puerto Rico, and any territory or possession of
the United States.
SEC. 4. PURPOSE.
It is the purpose of this Act—
(1) to instill in American youth a spirit of serv-
ice and commitment to country and foster a sense
of responsibility toward the betterment of the United
States through service to oneself and to others;
(2) to provide an experience which affords
American youth not only the values and rewards
concomitant with serving others but also the oppor-
tunity to acquire leadership and organizational and
other practical skills beneficial to success in future
endeavors; and
(3) to provide meaningful volunteer assistance
to organizations seeking to accomplish objectives
beneficial to individuals, communities, States, and
the United States.
TITLE I—IMPOSITION AND TERM
OF 
MANDATORY 
NATIONAL
SERVICE OBLIGATION
SEC. 101. OBLIGATION TO PERFORM NATIONAL SERVICE.
(a) SERVICE OBLIGATION.—It is the obligation of
each individual who is a citizen of the United States or
lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the United
States and who attains the age of 18 years on or after
October 1, 1995, to perform not less than 1,000 hours
of national service to the United States in accordance with
this Act.
(b) PERIOD FOR SERVICE.—A national service partic-
ipant may begin to satisfy the national service obligation
imposed by subsection (a) upon attaining the age of 16
years and shall complete the 1,000 hours of required serv-
ice before the participant attains the age of 26 years.
(c) CONSIDERATION OF PRIOR SERVICE.—Any serv-
ice of a type described in section 103 that is performed
by a national service participant before October 1, 1995,
shall not be counted toward satisfying the national service
obligation imposed by subsection (a). Any such service
performed by a participant before registration under sec-
tion 102 shall not be counted toward satisfying the na-
tional service obligation.
(d) RULE
FOR NEW CITIZENS
AND PERMANENT
RESIDENTS AFTER AGE 18.—
(1) PERMANENT
RESIDENTS.—An individual
who is lawfully admitted for permanent residence in
the United States after attaining the age of 18
years, but before attaining the age of 26 years, shall
perform a number of hours of national service equal
to the product of—
(A) 10.5 hours; and
(B) the number of whole months remain-
ing after admission for permanent residence
until the individual attains the age of 26 years.
(2) CITIZENS.—An individual who becomes a
citizen of the United States after attaining the age
of 18 years, but before attaining the age of 26 years,
and who has not previously registered under section
102, shall perform a number of hours of national
service equal to the product of—
(A) 10.5 hours; and
(B) the number of whole months remain-
ing after naturalization until the individual at-
tains the age of 26 years.
(3) PERIOD FOR SERVICE.—An individual sub-
ject to this subsection shall complete the determined
number of hours of required service before the indi-
vidual attains the age of 26 years or such later date
as the Office of National Service may authorize.
SEC. 102. REGISTRATION OF NATIONAL SERVICE PARTICI-
PANTS.
(a) REGISTRATION REQUIRED.—A national service
participant shall register with the local national service
board for the congressional district within which the par-
ticipant resides not later than 90 days after attaining the
age of 18 years.
(b) RULE
FOR NEW CITIZENS
AND PERMANENT
RESIDENTS.—An individual who is lawfully admitted for
permanent residence in the United States after attaining
the age of 18 years, but before attaining the age of 26
years, shall register with the local national service board
for the congressional district within which the individual
resides not later than 90 days after attaining that status.
An individual who becomes a citizen of the United States
after attaining the age of 18 years, but before attaining
the age of 26 years, and who has not previously registered
shall register with the local national service board for the
congressional district within which the individual resides
not later than 90 days after naturalization.
(c) ADVANCED REGISTRATION.—If an individual who
will become a national service participant desires to begin
to satisfy the national service obligation imposed by sec-
tion 101(a) between the ages of 16 and 18 years, the indi-
vidual may register under this section at any time after
attaining the age of 16 years.
(d) FORM AND CONTENT OF REGISTRATION.—The
Director shall issue rules prescribing the form and manner
of registration to be used by a national service participant.
Such rules may require the participant to provide, as part
of the registration, such identifying information (including
date of birth, address, and social security account number)
as the Director considers to be necessary.
SEC. 103. TYPES OF NATIONAL SERVICE TO SATISFY OBLI-
GATION.
(a) SERVICE WITH SPONSOR ORGANIZATION
OR
FEDERAL VOLUNTEER PROGRAM.—
(1) SERVICE.—A national service participant
may satisfy the national service obligation imposed
by section 101(a) by serving as a nominally-paid vol-
unteer with—
(A) a sponsor organization accredited
under section 205; or
(B) a Federal volunteer program estab-
lished by a Federal agency pursuant to the rec-
ommendations of the task force under section
201(d) or identified by the task force under
such section.
(2) COMPENSATION.—A sponsor organization
or Federal volunteer program accepting a partici-
pant shall pay the participant $1.00 for each hour
of service performed by the participant that is count-
ed toward the national service obligation of the par-
ticipant.
(3) TAX TREATMENT.—The compensation paid
under paragraph (2) shall not be included in gross
income and shall not be subject to any employment
tax.
(b) SERVICE
WITH
CERTAIN
EXISTING
PRO-
GRAMS.—A national service participant who is selected or
enrolled as a member of one of the following national serv-
ice programs shall have service in that program counted
toward the national service obligation imposed by section
101(a) if the participant completes the period of obligated
service required as a part of such membership:
(1) The Peace Corps established under the
Peace Corps Act (22 U.S.C. 2501 et seq.)
(2) A National Volunteer Antipoverty Program
established under title I of the Domestic Volunteer
Service Act of 1973 (42 U.S.C. 4951 et seq.).
(3) The Urban Elementary School Literacy
Corps established under section 4703 of the Elemen-
tary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as
added by section 304.
(4) The American Conservation and Youth
Corps and other programs administered by the Com-
mission on National and Community Service under
title I of the National and Community Service Act
of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12411 et seq.).
(5) The National Health Service Corps estab-
lished under section 331 of the Public Health Serv-
ice Act (42 U.S.C. 254d).
(c) SERVICE
IN
CERTAIN
EMPLOYMENT
POSI-
TIONS.—A national service participant who is employed as
a law enforcement officer or firefighter by a Federal agen-
cy or a State or local government for not less than two
years before the participant attains the age of 26 years
shall be considered to have satisfied the national service
obligation imposed on the participant by section 101(a).
(d) SERVICE IN THE ARMED FORCES.—A member of
an active or reserve component of the Armed Forces shall
be considered to have satisfied the national service obliga-
tion imposed by section 101(a) unless the member is sepa-
rated under adverse conditions before the member attains
the age of 26 years.
(e) PARTICIPATION IN JOB TRAINING.—A national
service participant who enrolls in the Job Corps estab-
lished under section 422 of the Job Training Partnership
Act (29 U.S.C. 1692), a job training program for the eco-
nomically disadvantaged under title II of such Act (29
U.S.C. 1601 et seq.), or a comparable job training pro-
gram of a State shall have service in that program counted
toward the national service obligation imposed by section
101(a) if the participant successfully completes the train-
ing.
SEC. 104. FAILURE TO REGISTER OR COMPLETE NATIONAL
SERVICE OBLIGATION.
(a) EFFECT OF FAILURE.—Except as provided in
section 105, an individual who is required to register
under section 102 and who knowingly and willfully fails
to register within the time specified in that section and
a national service participant who fails to complete the na-
tional service obligation imposed by section 101(a) before
the participant attains the age of 26 years shall be ineli-
gible for the following Federal employment opportunities,
programs, and assistance:
(1) Appointment to a position in an Executive
agency.
requirements of section 101 or 102 shall be given notice
of the proposed denial and shall have a suitable period
(of not less than 30 days) after such notice to provide the
Director with information and materials to establish the
compliance of the individual with the requirement that is
the basis for the denial. The Director may afford the indi-
vidual an opportunity for a hearing to establish the com-
pliance or for any other purpose.
SEC. 105. EXEMPTIONS AND DEFERMENTS.
(a) EXEMPTIONS.—An individual who is determined,
in accordance with standards established by the Director,
to be physically, mentally, or otherwise unfit to perform
national service under this Act is exempt from the obliga-
tion to perform national service imposed by section 101
and to register under section 102.
(b) DEFERMENTS.—The following individuals shall
be temporarily deferred, in accordance with standards es-
tablished by the Director, from the obligation to perform
national service under this Act:
(A) An individual found to be physically, men-
tally, or otherwise unfit for service under this Act on
a temporary basis. The deferment shall last for as
long as the condition of unfitness continues.
(B) An individual granted a hardship deferment
in accordance with subsection (c).
(c) HARDSHIP DEFERMENTS.—An individual who is
or will become a national service participant may apply
to the Director for a temporary deferment for hardship
reasons at any time before or during participation in na-
tional service under this Act.
TITLE II—ADMINISTRATION OF
NATIONAL SERVICE
SEC. 201. OFFICE OF NATIONAL SERVICE.
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established in the ex-
ecutive branch of the Federal Government an office to be
known as the Office of National Service to regulate and
oversee the registration of national service participants
and the performance of national service by participants.
(b) DIRECTOR.—The Office shall be under the super-
vision of a Director who shall be appointed by the Presi-
dent, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.
The first Director shall be appointed not later than 90
days after the date of the enactment of this Act.
(c) INITIAL OPERATION OF OFFICE.—The Director
shall ensure that the Office is fully operational by October
1, 1995.
(d) TASK FORCE.—There is established a task force
on national service which shall consist of the Director and
a representative of each Executive department. The task
force shall identify existing opportunities in the Federal
Government for the performance of volunteer services and
consider methods to expand opportunities for national
service participants to satisfy their national service obliga-
tions through programs operated by the Federal Govern-
ment. Not later than nine months after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the task force shall submit a report
to the President and Congress regarding the results of its
activities under this subsection.
SEC. 202. RECORDING THE PERFORMANCE OF NATIONAL
SERVICE.
(a) RECORD KEEPING SYSTEM.—The Director shall
establish a system to track and record the performance
of national service by national service participants.
(b) USE OF EXISTING RECORD KEEPING MECHA-
NISMS.—In establishing the record keeping system under
subsection (a), the Director shall consider the feasibility
of using the personnel and facilities of the Selective Serv-
ice System to record the performance of national service
by national service participants. The Director shall also
consult with the Commissioner of Internal Revenue re-
garding the feasibility of using the written statement re-
quired to be provided to employees under section 6051 of
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (26 U.S.C. 6051) as
a means—
(1) to record the number of hours of national
service performed by a participant in satisfaction of
the national service obligation imposed by section
101; and
(2) to provide this information to the Director
to determine compliance with such obligation.
(c) NOTICE UPON COMPLETION.—The Director shall
provide written notice to each national service participant
as soon as possible after the participant completes the na-
tional service obligation imposed by section 101.
SEC. 203. OTHER DUTIES OF THE DIRECTOR.
(a) INFORMATION SERVICES.—The Director shall de-
velop informational materials regarding registration and
national service obligations under this Act for dissemina-
tion to individuals who are required to register and per-
form national service under this Act.
(b) PROMOTION.—In cooperation with schools, State
national service offices, local national service boards, and
sponsor organizations, the Director shall carry out activi-
ties to promote the concept of national service and to en-
sure that individuals who are required to register and per-
form national service under this Act become aware of their
responsibilities.
(c) CONSULTATION.—The Director shall periodically
consult with sponsor organizations and other entities
using national service participants and current and former
participants to improve the Office and the regulation and
oversight of the registration of participants and the per-
formance of national service.
SEC. 204. STATE NATIONAL SERVICE OFFICES AND LOCAL
NATIONAL SERVICE BOARDS.
(a) LOCAL ASSISTANCE FOR PARTICIPANTS.—The
Director shall establish a network consisting of a State
national service office for each State and a local national
service board for each congressional district to carry out
the registration of national service participants, to assist
participants to find and perform national service in satis-
faction of their national service obligation, and to approve
sponsor organizations. With the cooperation of the Direc-
tor of Selective Service, the Director of the Office of Na-
tional Service may use State headquarters and local
boards of the Selective Service System as a part of the
network.
(b) DUTIES.—Each State national service office and
local national service board shall—
(1) disseminate information regarding registra-
tion and national service obligations under this Act;
(2) provide information and counseling services
to national service participants regarding national
service opportunities, including through the use of
toll-free telephone access; and
(3) investigate complaints arising between par-
ticipants and sponsor organizations.
SEC. 205. ACCREDITATION OF SPONSOR ORGANIZATIONS.
(a) APPLICATION.—A nonprofit organization that de-
sires to serve as a sponsor organization for national service
participants in a State shall submit an application to the
State national service office for that State. The application
shall be in such form and contain such information and
assurances as the Director may require by rules, including
assurances that the nonprofit organization—
(1) will perform such record keeping activities
as may be required to properly credit the national
service performed by a participant with the non-
profit organization; and
(2) will pay the participant $1.00 for each hour
of service performed by a participant with the non-
profit organization that is counted toward the na-
tional service obligation of the participant.
(b) AGREEMENT.—A State national service office
may enter into an agreement with a nonprofit organization
that submits an application under subsection (a) under
which the nonprofit organization is accredited as a sponsor
organization through which national service participants
may perform national service in satisfaction of the na-
tional service obligation under section 101.
(c) DIRECTORY
OF SPONSOR ORGANIZATIONS.—A
State national service office shall establish and maintain
a directory of sponsor organizations accredited by the of-
fice. The directory shall be available to national service
participants.
(d) ACCEPTANCE OF PARTICIPANTS.—The actual se-
lection of a national service participant to perform service
with a sponsor organization shall be left to the discretion
of the organization.
SEC. 206. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There is authorized to be appropriated to the Direc-
tor to carry out titles I and II—
(1) $20,000,000 for fiscal year 1994;
(2) $40,000,000 for fiscal year 1995;
(3) $80,000,000 for fiscal year 1996;
(4) $160,000,000 for fiscal year 1997; and
(5) $160,000,000 for fiscal year 1998.
TITLE III—MISCELLANEOUS
NATIONAL SERVICE PROGRAMS
SEC. 301. AMERICAN CONSERVATION AND YOUTH CORPS.
(a) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Subtitle
C of title I of the National and Community Service Act