42 USC 12653 - ServeAmerica Fellowships

View all text of Part I [§ 12653 - § 12653d]

§ 12653b. ServeAmerica Fellowships

(a) DefinitionsIn this section:

(1) Area of national needThe term “area of national need” means an area involved in efforts to—

(A) improve education in schools for economically disadvantaged students;

(B) expand and improve access to health care;

(D) improve economic opportunities for economically disadvantaged individuals; or

(E) improve disaster preparedness and response.

(2)

(3) Fellow

(4) Small service sponsor organization

(b) Grants

(1) In general

(2) Allotment; administrative costs

(A) Allotment

(B) Reallotment

(3) Number of positionsThe Corporation shall—

(A) establish or increase the number of approved national service positions under this subsection during each of fiscal years 2010 through 2014;

(B) establish the number of approved positions at 500 for fiscal year 2010; and

(i) 750 for fiscal year 2011;

(ii) 1,000 for fiscal year 2012;

(iii) 1,250 for fiscal year 2013; and

(iv) 1,500 for fiscal year 2014.

(4) Uses of grant funds

(A) Required uses

(B) Permitted usesA grant awarded under this subsection may be used for—

(i) oversight activities and mechanisms for the service sites of the fellows, as determined necessary by the State Commission or the Corporation, which may include site visits;

(ii) activities to augment the experience of fellows, including activities to engage the fellows in networking opportunities with other national service participants; and

(iii) recruitment or training activities for fellows.

(5) Applications

(1) Application

(A) In general

(B) ContentsThe Corporation shall specify information to be provided in an application submitted under this subsection, which—

(i) shall include—(I) a description of the area of national need that the applicant intends to address in the service project;(II) a description of the skills and experience the applicant has to address the area of national need;(III) a description of the type of service the applicant plans to provide as a fellow; and(IV) information identifying the local area within the State served by the Commission in which the applicant plans to serve for the service project; and

(ii) may include, if the applicant chooses, the size of the registered service sponsor organization with which the applicant hopes to serve.

(2) SelectionEach State Commission shall—

(A) select, from the applications received by the State Commission for a fiscal year, the number of eligible fellowship recipients that may be supported for that fiscal year based on the amount of the grant received by the State Commission under subsection (b); and

(B) make an effort to award one-third of the fellowships available to the State Commission for a fiscal year, based on the amount of the grant received under subsection (b), to applicants who propose to serve the fellowship with small service sponsor organizations registered under subsection (d).

(d) Service sponsor organizations

(1) In generalEach service sponsor organization shall—

(A) be a nonprofit organization;

(B) satisfy qualification criteria established by the Corporation or the State Commission, including standards relating to organizational capacity, financial management, and programmatic oversight;

(C) not be a recipient of other assistance, approved national service positions, or approved summer of service positions under the national service laws; and

(D) at the time of registration with a State Commission, enter into an agreement providing that the service sponsor organization shall—

(i) abide by all program requirements;

(ii) provide an amount described in subsection (e)(3)(b) 1

1 So in original. Probably should be “(e)(3)(B)”.

for each fellow serving with the organization through the ServeAmerica Fellowship;

(iii) be responsible for certifying whether each fellow serving with the organization successfully completed the ServeAmerica Fellowship, and record and certify in a manner specified by the Corporation the number of hours served by a fellow for purposes of determining the fellow’s eligibility for benefits; and

(iv) provide timely access to records relating to the ServeAmerica Fellowship to the State Commission, the Corporation, and the Inspector General of the Corporation.

(2) Registration

(A) Requirement

(B) Clearinghouse

(C) RevocationIf a State Commission determines that a service sponsor organization is in violation of any of the applicable provisions of this section—

(i) the State Commission shall revoke the registration of the organization;

(ii) the organization shall not be eligible to receive assistance, approved national service positions, or approved summer of service positions under this subchapter for not less than 5 years; and

(iii) the State Commission shall have the right to remove a fellow from the organization and relocate the fellow to another site.

(e) Fellows

(1) In generalTo be eligible to participate in a service project as a fellow and receive a ServeAmerica Fellowship, an eligible fellowship recipient shall—

(A) within 3 months after being selected as an eligible fellowship recipient by a State Commission, select a registered service sponsor organization described in subsection (d)—

(i) with which the recipient is interested in serving under this section; and

(ii) that is located in the State served by the State Commission;

(B) enter into an agreement with the organization—

(i) that specifies the service the recipient will provide if the placement is approved; and

(ii) in which the recipient agrees to serve for 1 year on a full-time or part-time basis (as determined by the Corporation); and

(2) Award

(3) Fellowship amount

(A) In general

(B) Amount from service sponsor organization

(i) In general

(ii) Small service sponsor organizations

(D) Proration of amount

(E) WaiverThe Corporation may allow a State Commission to waive the amount required under subparagraph (B) from the service sponsor organization for a fellow serving the organization if—

(i) such requirement is inconsistent with the objectives of the ServeAmerica Fellowship program; and

(ii) the amount provided to the fellow under subparagraph (A) is sufficient to meet the necessary costs of living (including food, housing, and transportation) in the area in which the ServeAmerica Fellowship program is located.

(F) Definition

(f) Compliance with ineligible service categories

(g) Reports

(h) Educational awards

(Pub. L. 101–610, title I, § 198B, as added Pub. L. 111–13, title I, § 1805, Apr. 21, 2009, 123 Stat. 1554.)