42 USC 12639 - Civic Health Assessment and volunteering research and evaluation

View all text of Subchapter I [§ 12511 - § 12657]

§ 12639a. Civic Health Assessment and volunteering research and evaluation

(a) Definition of partnership

In this section, the term “partnership” means the Corporation, acting in conjunction with (consistent with the terms of an agreement entered into between the Corporation and the National Conference) the National Conference on Citizenship referred to in section 150701 of title 36 to carry out this section.

(b) In general

The partnership shall facilitate the establishment of a Civic Health Assessment by—

(1) after identifying public and private sources of civic health data, selecting a set of civic health indicators, in accordance with subsection (c), that shall comprise the Civic Health Assessment;

(2) obtaining civic health data relating to the Civic Health Assessment, in accordance with subsection (d); and

(3) conducting related analyses, and reporting the data and analyses, as described in paragraphs (4) and (5) of subsection (d) and subsections (e) and (f).

(1) Identifying sources

The partnership shall select a set of civic health indicators that shall comprise the Civic Health Assessment. In making such selection, the partnership—

(A) shall identify public and private sources of civic health data;

(B) shall explore collaborating with other similar efforts to develop national indicators in the civic health domain; and

(C) may sponsor a panel of experts, such as one convened by the National Academy of Sciences, to recommend civic health indicators and data sources for the Civic Health Assessment.

(2) Technical advice

At the request of the partnership, the Director of the Bureau of the Census and the Commissioner of Labor Statistics shall provide technical advice to the partnership on the selection of the indicators for the Civic Health Assessment.

(3) Updates

The partnership shall periodically evaluate and update the Civic Health Assessment, and may expand or modify the indicators described in subsection (d)(1) as necessary to carry out the purposes of this section.

(d) Data on the indicators

(1) Sponsored data collection

In identifying the civic health indicators for the Civic Health Assessment, and obtaining data for the Assessment, the partnership may sponsor the collection of data for the Assessment or for the various civic health indicators being considered for inclusion in the Assessment, including indicators related to—

(A) volunteering and community service;

(B) voting and other forms of political and civic engagement;

(D) connecting to civic groups and faith-based organizations;

(E) interest in employment, and careers, in public service in the nonprofit sector or government;

(F) understanding and obtaining knowledge of United States history and government; and

(G) social enterprise and innovation.

(2) Data from statistical agencies

The Director of the Bureau of the Census and the Commissioner of Labor Statistics shall collect annually, to the extent practicable, data to inform the Civic Health Assessment, and shall report data from such collection to the partnership. In determining the data to be collected, the Director and the Commissioner shall examine privacy issues, response rates, and other relevant issues.

(3) Sources of data

To obtain data for the Civic Health Assessment, the partnership shall consider—

(A) data collected through public and private sources; and

(B) data collected by the Bureau of the Census, through the Current Population Survey, or by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in accordance with paragraph (2).

(4) Demographic characteristics

The partnership shall seek to obtain data for the Civic Health Assessment that will permit the partnership to analyze the data by age group, race and ethnicity, education level, and other demographic characteristics of the individuals involved.

(5) Other issues

In obtaining data for the Civic Health Assessment, the partnership may also obtain such information as may be necessary to analyze—

(A) the role of Internet technology in strengthening and inhibiting civic activities;

(B) the role of specific programs in strengthening civic activities;

(D) other areas related to civic activities.

(e) Reporting of data

(1) In general

The partnership shall, not less often than once each year, prepare a report containing—

(A) detailed data obtained under subsection (d), including data on the indicators comprising the Civic Health Assessment; and

(B) the analyses described in paragraphs (4) and (5) of subsection (d), to the extent practicable based on the data the partnership is able to obtain.

(2) Aggregation and presentation

(3) Submission

The partnership shall submit the report to the authorizing committees, and make the report available to the general public on the Corporation’s website.

(f) Public input

The partnership shall—

(1) identify opportunities for public dialogue and input on the Civic Health Assessment; and

(2) hold conferences and forums to discuss the implications of the data and analyses reported under subsection (e).

(g) Volunteering research and evaluation

(1) Research

The partnership shall provide for baseline research and tracking of domestic and international volunteering, and baseline research and tracking related to relevant data on the indicators described in subsection (d). In providing for the research and tracking under this subsection, the partnership shall consider data from the Supplements to the Current Populations Surveys conducted by the Bureau of the Census for the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and data from other public and private sources, including other data collected by the Bureau of the Census and the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

(2) Impact research and evaluation

The partnership shall sponsor an independent evaluation of the impact of domestic and international volunteering, including an assessment of best practices for such volunteering, and methods of improving such volunteering through enhanced collaboration among—

(A) entities that recruit, manage, support, and utilize volunteers;

(B) institutions of higher education; and

(h) Database prohibition

Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to authorize the development, implementation, or maintenance of a Federal database of personally identifiable information on individuals participating in data collection for sources of information under this section.

(Pub. L. 101–610, title I, § 179A, as added Pub. L. 111–13, title I, § 1608(a), Apr. 21, 2009, 123 Stat. 1534.)