Public Lands Service Corps Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-1160
Sponsor: Sen. Udall, Tom [D-NM]
Introduced: 2015-04-30 in the Senate
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Building construction
Climate change and greenhouse gases
Department of Commerce
Department of the Interior
Employment and training programs
Executive agency funding and structure
Forests, forestry, trees
Historical and cultural resources
Indian lands and resources rights
Indian social and development programs
Land use and conservation
Marine and coastal resources, fisheries
Minority employment
Museums, exhibitions, cultural centers
National and community service
Wilderness and natural areas, wildlife refuges, wild rivers, habitats
Wildlife conservation and habitat protection
Youth employment and child labor

Summary:
action_date: 2015-04-30
text: 

Public Lands Service Corps Act of 2015

 
 Amends the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 to rename: (1) the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 as the Public Lands Service Corps Act of 1993, and (2) the Public Lands Corps as the Public Lands Service Corps (the Corps). 
 
 Establishes the Corps in the Department of Commerce (as well as in the Department of Agriculture and the Department of the Interior, as under current law).
 
Requires: (1) establishment of a department-level office within the Department of the Interior, Forest Service, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for the coordination of Corps activities; and (2) designation of a Corps coordinator for each agency within the Departments of the Interior, of Agriculture, and of Commerce that administers such activities. Establishes an Indian Youth Service Corps liaison. 
 
Permits the enrollment of resource assistants and consulting interns. Sets a maximum enrollment term of two years.
 
Requires a recruitment program for the Corps. 
 
Instructs the Department concerned, for purposes of training, to take into account training already received by Corps participants enrolled from qualified youth or conservation corps. 
 
Describes the types of natural and cultural resources conservation projects that may be carried out by the Corps. 
 
Authorizes the Corps to provide certain visitor and interpretation services.
 
Authorizes each Department to make: (1) arrangements for temporary housing for Corps participants in conservation centers, and (2) individual placements of consulting interns to perform management analysis activities for agencies under the Department's jurisdiction carrying out appropriate natural and cultural resources conservation projects. 
 
Authorizes cooperative agreements and competitive grants for Indian tribes and qualified youth or conservation corps to establish Indian Youth Service Corps programs. 
 
Requires the Secretary to issue management guidelines for programs of the Corps.
 
Revises requirements for: (1) participant living allowances to include certain travel costs; and (2) noncompetitive hiring status to cover Indian Youth Service Corps participants, resource assistants, and consulting interns.
 
Removes resource assistants from eligibility for national service educational awards.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-04-30
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2015-04-30
text: Introduced in Senate