I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4353 
To amend Public Law 91–378 to authorize activities relating to Civilian 
Conservation Centers, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 23, 2023 
Ms. SALINAS (for herself, Mr. EDWARDS, Mr. GUTHRIE, and Ms. HOYLE of 
Oregon) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committees on Edu-
cation and the Workforce, and Agriculture, for a period to be subse-
quently 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 Public Law 91–378 to authorize activities relating 
to Civilian Conservation Centers, 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. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Civilian Conservation 
Center Enhancement Act of 2023’’. 
SEC. 2. CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CENTERS. 
Public Law 91–378 (16 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) is 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
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‘‘TITLE III—CIVILIAN 
CONSERVATION CENTERS 
‘‘SEC. 301. DEFINITIONS. 
‘‘In this title: 
‘‘(1) CIVILIAN
CONSERVATION
CENTER.—The 
term ‘Civilian Conservation Center’ means any resi-
dential workforce development or training facility for 
underserved youth operated by the Department of 
the Interior or the Department of Agriculture. 
‘‘(2) COVERED GRADUATE.—The term ‘covered 
graduate’ means an individual who successfully com-
pleted a training program at a Civilian Conservation 
Center. 
‘‘(3) COVERED STUDENT.—The term ‘covered 
student’ means an individual who is enrolled in a 
training program at a Civilian Conservation Center. 
‘‘(4) SECRETARIES.—The term ‘Secretaries’ 
means— 
‘‘(A) the Secretary of Agriculture; and 
‘‘(B) the Secretary of the Interior. 
‘‘SEC. 302. CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CENTERS WILDFIRE 
AND CONSERVATION TRAINING PROGRAM. 
‘‘(a) SPECIALIZED TRAINING PROGRAMS.—The Sec-
retaries, in coordination with the Secretary of Labor, shall 
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offer at Civilian Conservation Centers specialized training 
programs focused on— 
‘‘(1) forestry and rangeland management; 
‘‘(2) wildland firefighting; or 
‘‘(3) any other topic relating to the mission of 
the Forest Service or the Department of the Interior 
or the public interest. 
‘‘(b) 
PRIORITIZATION.—The 
Secretaries 
shall 
prioritize offering specialized training programs under 
subsection (a) at facilities described in section 147(d) of 
the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 
3197(d)). 
‘‘SEC. 303. WILDLAND FIREFIGHTING WORKFORCE DEVEL-
OPMENT PILOT. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.— 
‘‘(1) EXPERIMENT, RESEARCH, OR DEMONSTRA-
TION PILOTS.—The Secretary of Agriculture, in co-
ordination with the Secretary of Labor, may carry 
out experimental, research, or demonstration pilots 
to provide career and technical education curricula 
and course offerings to advance the missions of the 
Department of Agriculture at Civilian Conservation 
Centers operated by the Department of Agriculture, 
including facilities described in section 147(d) of the 
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‘‘(1) identify workforce needs in public land 
agencies, forest, conservation, and recreation indus-
tries, and rural communities, after consulting with 
State governments and agencies, Federal emergency 
management and public land agencies, local commu-
nities, institutions of higher education, and Indian 
Tribes; 
‘‘(2) develop marketing, recruitment, and reten-
tion materials for the curricula and courses offerings 
provided under subsection (a); 
‘‘(3) provide specialized staff necessary to teach 
curricula and courses offerings provided under sub-
section (a), to the extent practicable; and 
‘‘(4) improve Civilian Conservation Center fa-
cilities and modernize equipment used for the pur-
poses of career and technical education. 
‘‘SEC. 304. WILDLAND FIREFIGHTING WORKFORCE EN-
HANCEMENT. 
‘‘(a) RECRUITMENT GOALS AND INVESTMENTS.— 
‘‘(1) RECRUITMENT GOAL.—The Secretaries— 
‘‘(A) shall each set goals of— 
‘‘(i) hiring 300 covered graduates an-
nually to contribute to wildland firefighting 
or other critical workforce needs within the 
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respective Department of each of the Sec-
retaries; 
‘‘(ii) a certain percentage of covered 
graduates annually attaining employment 
within the wildland firefighting, natural re-
sources, forestry, or a related field; and 
‘‘(iii) a certain percentage of covered 
graduates annually attaining employment; 
and 
‘‘(B) may make investments to support the 
recruitment, training, hiring, and retention of 
covered graduates. 
‘‘(2) SIGNING
BONUS.—The Secretaries may 
provide for a signing bonus to enable the successful 
employment and transition of covered graduates, in-
cluding for the purpose of securing housing in rural 
and remote communities. 
‘‘(b) DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY.—For fiscal year 
2023, and each fiscal year thereafter, the Secretaries may 
appoint, without regard to the provisions of subchapter I 
of chapter 33 of title 5, United States Code, other than 
sections 3303 and 3328 of that title, a covered graduate 
directly to a position for which the covered graduate meets 
Office of Personnel Management qualification standards. 
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‘‘(c) PATHWAYS TO EMPLOYMENT.—The Secretaries 
shall ensure that appropriate career pathways are devel-
oped for covered graduates of relevant Civilian Conserva-
tion Center training programs. 
‘‘(d) DISADVANTAGED YOUTH EMPLOYMENT.—Not-
withstanding any other provision of law, the Secretaries 
may employ covered students at regular rates of pay for 
necessary hours of work. 
‘‘(e) USE OF COVERED STUDENTS FOR CONTRACTS, 
AGREEMENTS, AND GRANTS.—To the maximum extent 
practicable, the Secretary of Agriculture shall encourage 
the use of covered students to fulfill obligations under con-
tracts, agreements, and grants relevant to the training ad-
ministered by the Forest Service at a unit of the National 
Forest System where a Civilian Conservation Center is lo-
cated. 
‘‘SEC. 305. WILDLAND FIREFIGHTING HOUSING PILOT PRO-
GRAM. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretaries shall establish 
a pilot program to employ covered students to improve and 
expand the housing stock owned by the Federal Govern-
ment for the purpose of housing wildland firefighters, vol-
unteers, partner crewmembers, interns, and other agency 
employees. 
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‘‘(b) REQUIREMENTS.—In carrying out the pilot pro-
gram under subsection (a), the Secretaries shall— 
‘‘(1) identify properties currently owned by the 
Federal Government that would be appropriate 
housing for wildland firefighters, volunteers, partner 
crewmembers, interns, and other agency employees; 
‘‘(2) identify areas where the construction of 
new housing described in paragraph (1) would be 
appropriate and sustainable; and 
‘‘(3) submit to Congress a prioritized list of 
projects for renovation with a plan for how the Sec-
retaries will employ covered students to repair, ren-
ovate, and remediate the properties identified under 
paragraph (1). 
‘‘SEC. 306. REPORT. 
‘‘Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 
of this title, the Secretaries shall submit to the Committee 
on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate and 
the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representa-
tives a report— 
‘‘(1) describing underutilized capacity at Civil-
ian Conservation Centers, based on an assessment 
conducted by the Secretaries; and 
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‘‘(2) identifying the investments, improvements, 
and efficiencies necessary to utilize the full capacity 
of Civilian Conservation Centers.’’. 
Æ 
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