I 
110TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3698 
To establish a Global Service Fellowship Program, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 27, 2007 
Ms. MCCOLLUM of Minnesota (for herself, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, Mr. 
ELLISON, Mr. DELAHUNT, Mr. HONDA, Mr. GEORGE MILLER of Cali-
fornia, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr. COHEN, Mr. PAYNE, Ms. SUTTON, and Ms. 
JACKSON-LEE of Texas) introduced the following bill; which was referred 
to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee 
on Ways and Means, 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 establish a Global Service Fellowship Program, 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 ‘‘Global Service Fellow-
ship Program Act of 2007’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
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(1) In confronting terrorism the United States 
must reach out to other regions of the world to 
maintain, as well as establish, strong relationships 
as recommended by the Final Report of the National 
Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United 
States (commonly referred to as the ‘‘9/11 Commis-
sion Report’’), which stated that ‘‘The United States 
should rebuild the scholarship, exchange, and library 
programs that reach out to young people and offer 
them knowledge and hope. Where such assistance is 
provided, it should be identified as coming from the 
citizens of the United States.’’. 
(2) International volunteering opportunities are 
effective means of addressing critical human needs, 
building bridges across cultures, and promoting mu-
tual understanding. 
(3) Current volunteer programs, such as the 
Peace Corps, remain an important component of 
Federal efforts to promote volunteer service, cross- 
cultural understanding, and the values of the United 
States. 
(4) The duration of volunteer service opportuni-
ties and financial limitations are common barriers to 
qualified individuals of all backgrounds and ages in-
terested in volunteering overseas, which would be 
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significantly reduced by a global service fellowship 
program. 
(5) A global service fellowship program would 
provide funding and programmatic flexibility for vol-
unteers of all backgrounds and ages. 
(6) Eligible organizations willing to participate 
in the fellowship program as sponsoring organiza-
tions would be in a better position to recruit volun-
teers for their programs overseas. 
SEC. 3. GLOBAL SERVICE FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT AND PURPOSE.—The Secretary 
of State, in consultation with representatives of the Volun-
teers for Prosperity program administered by the United 
States Agency for International Development, shall estab-
lish and administer a grant program to be known as the 
‘‘Global Service Fellowship Program’’ (in this section re-
ferred to as the ‘‘Program’’) to fund fellowships to pro-
mote international volunteering opportunities as a means 
of addressing critical human needs and promoting mutual 
understanding by building bridges across cultures, ad-
dressing critical human needs, and promoting mutual un-
derstanding. 
(b) FELLOWSHIPS.—Grants awarded under the Pro-
gram shall be used to fund fellowships as follows: 
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(1) Fellowships between 7 days and 14 days in 
duration may be funded at levels of up to $1,000. 
(2) Fellowships between 15 days and 90 days in 
duration may be funded at levels of up to $2,500. 
(3) Fellowships between 91 days and 180 days 
may be funded at levels of up to $5,000. 
(4) Fellowships between 181 days and one year 
may be funded at levels of up to $7,500. 
(c) COORDINATION WITH SPONSORING ORGANIZA-
TIONS.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Fellowships funded under 
the Program shall be coordinated and supervised by 
participating volunteer sponsoring organizations. 
The sponsoring organizations shall be registered 
with the Secretary of State and shall collaborate 
with host country organizations in developing pro-
grams that appropriately address local needs for the 
transfer of volunteer skills, capacity building, and 
cross-cultural service organizations. 
(2) PRIORITIZATION
OF
PROJECTS.—Spon-
soring organizations shall recommend and prioritize 
fellowship projects based on one or more of the fol-
lowing objectives: 
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(A) Eradication of extreme poverty in con-
junction with the goals of the United Nations 
Millennium Development Goals. 
(B) Achievement of universal primary edu-
cation. 
(C) Promotion of gender equality and the 
empowerment of women and families. 
(D) Reducing child mortality and improv-
ing maternal health. 
(E) Providing medical and dental health 
care and prevention. 
(F) Providing assistance for the elderly, 
orphans, people with disabilities, and refugees. 
(G) 
Promoting 
environmental 
sustain-
ability. 
(H) Providing economic and social oppor-
tunities for youth in countries with growing co-
horts of young people. 
(I) Promoting youth service by building re-
lated volunteer-sector capacity in host countries. 
(J) Combating HIV/AIDS, malaria, and 
other infectious diseases. 
(K) Helping to build or provide decent 
housing. 
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(L) Providing disaster and humanitarian 
response, preparedness, and reconstruction. 
(M) Promoting cross-cultural exchange, 
conflict resolution, and peace. 
(N) Developing global partnerships for de-
velopment in the areas of economic growth, 
microenterprise, asset development, and agricul-
tural and rural development. 
(O) Advancing access to information tech-
nology and strengthening civil society. 
(P) Providing services to orphans and vul-
nerable children. 
(Q) Carrying out additional activities in 
impact areas designated by the Secretary of 
State in accordance with the purposes of this 
Act. 
(d) APPLICATION PROCESS.— 
(1) SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS.—Applicants 
shall submit applications for fellowships under the 
Program to sponsoring organizations. 
(2) REVIEW OF APPLICATIONS.—The Secretary 
of State, or an agent appointed by the Secretary, 
shall determine the eligibility of candidates and, in 
consultation with sponsoring organizations, award 
and administer fellowships under the Program. 
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(3) CRITERIA.—The Secretary of State shall 
develop and publish criteria for fellowships in ac-
cordance with the following guidelines: 
(A) SPONSORING ORGANIZATIONS.—Appli-
cants for Global Service Fellowships shall be 
registered with sponsoring organizations such 
as— 
(i) 
nongovernmental 
organizations 
based in the United States that sponsor 
international volunteer service; 
(ii) faith-based organizations engaged 
in the delivery of nonsectarian services; 
(iii) universities and colleges operating 
international service learning and volunteer 
service programs; and 
(iv) nongovernmental organizations 
based in the United States that collaborate 
with local or national host government 
agencies or nongovernmental organizations 
in promoting volunteer capacity and na-
tional and community service in impact 
areas designated by the Secretary of State 
under subsection (c)(2)(Q). 
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unteer experiences to their community 
upon their return. 
(e) REPORTING REQUIREMENT.—Individuals receiv-
ing Global Service Fellowships shall submit such reports, 
including post-fellowship reports prepared for their home 
communities, as the Secretary of State may require. 
(f) ELIGIBLE COSTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Funds awarded under this 
section may be used to cover the following costs as-
sociated with the Program: 
(A) Airfare, in-country travel, accommoda-
tions. 
(B) Fees assessed by sponsoring organiza-
tions to defray international service program 
costs and administrative costs. 
(C) Subsistence allowance in accordance 
with local market conditions. 
(D) Program and local service project ma-
terials and tools to be expressly used for imple-
menting and executing individual fellowship 
projects. 
(E) Language and cultural training and 
other costs associated with pre-service project 
orientation. 
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(2) TUITION NOT COVERED.—Funds awarded 
under this section may not be used for tuition costs. 
(g) NONDISCRIMINATION REQUIREMENTS.— 
(1) NOMINATION
AND
SELECTION
OF
APPLI-
CANTS.—The nomination and selection of applicants 
under subsection (d) shall be without regard to race, 
religion, color, national origin, sex, age, political af-
filiation, or disability. 
(2) SPONSORING ORGANIZATIONS.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—A sponsoring organiza-
tion shall not discriminate against a Global 
Service Fellowship Program participant or ap-
plicant, a beneficiary of any project in which a 
Global Service Fellow participates, or, except as 
provided in subparagraph (B), an employee of 
the organization who is paid with Program 
funds on the basis of race, religion, color, na-
tional origin, sex, age, political affiliation, or 
disability. 
(B) LIMITED EXCEPTION FOR EMPLOYEES 
OF SPONSORING ORGANIZATIONS EMPLOYED AT 
TIME OF AWARDING OF FUNDS.—The prohibi-
tion under subparagraph (A) on discrimination 
on the basis of religion shall not apply to the 
employment, with assistance provided under 
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this Program, of any employee who was em-
ployed with the sponsoring organization on the 
date that the funds were awarded. 
SEC. 4. EVALUATION AND REPORT. 
(a) EVALUATION OF GLOBAL SERVICE FELLOWSHIP 
PROGRAM.—The Secretary of State shall establish and im-
plement an evaluation process for determining the effec-
tiveness of the Global Service Fellowship Program. 
(b) REPORT.—Not later than March 31, 2010, the 
Secretary of State shall submit to Congress a report on 
the Global Service Fellowships Program established under 
section 3. The report shall describe— 
(1) the identity and location of sponsoring orga-
nizations; 
(2) for each impact issue areas identified by 
sponsoring organizations, the number of volunteer 
opportunities and the number of related Global Serv-
ice Fellowships that have been funded; 
(3) the number of local volunteers recruited or 
engaged with Global Service Fellows and their spon-
soring organizations or local host organizations; 
(4) the locations of volunteer services; 
(5) the effectiveness of such services based upon 
findings of the evaluation process; and 
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(6) the total numbers of nominations for Global 
Service Fellowships that have been received and ac-
cepted by the Secretary of State. 
SEC. 5. FELLOWSHIPS EXCLUDED FROM GROSS INCOME. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Part III of subchapter B of chap-
ter 1 of subtitle A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 
(relating to items specifically excluded from gross income) 
is amended by inserting after section 139A the following 
new section: 
‘‘SEC. 139B. GLOBAL SERVICES FELLOWSHIPS. 
‘‘Gross income does not include amounts received 
under the Global Services Fellowship Program (within the 
meaning of section 3 of the Global Service Fellowship Pro-
gram Act of 2007).’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 
for part III of subchapter B of chapter 1 of subtitle A 
of such Code is amended by inserting after the item relat-
ing to section 139A the following new item: 
‘‘139B. Global Services Fellowships.’’. 
(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
this section shall apply to taxable years ending after the 
date of the enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 6. REGULATIONS. 
The Secretary of State shall prescribe regulations to 
carry out the provisions of this Act. 
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SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
(a) FUNDING.—There is authorized to be appro-
priated to the Secretary of State $50,000,000 for each of 
fiscal years 2008 through 2010 for purposes of estab-
lishing and implementing the Global Service Fellowship 
Program. 
(b) OFFSET.—In order to provide an offset for 
amounts appropriated pursuant to subsection (a), the In-
ternal Revenue Service shall deposit in the Treasury as 
miscellaneous receipts all of the fees it receives for serv-
ices. 
Æ 
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