[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2125 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2125

 To amend the National and Community Service Act of 1990 to create the 
               Rite of Passage Community Service Program.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 15, 2003

Ms. DeLauro (for herself, Mr. Shays, Mr. Ford, Mr. Platts, Ms. Baldwin, 
  Ms. Woolsey, Mr. Frost, Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. Olver, Ms. McCarthy of 
Missouri, Ms. Lee, Mr. McNulty, Ms. Norton, Mr. Case, Mr. Deutsch, Mr. 
 Clay, Mr. Acevedo-Vila, Mr. Moran of Virginia, Mrs. Christensen, Mr. 
  Hinchey, Mr. Wexler, Mr. Brown of Ohio, Mr. Kucinich, and Mr. Farr) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                      Education and the Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the National and Community Service Act of 1990 to create the 
               Rite of Passage Community Service Program.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Rite of Passage Community Service 
Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) The teenage years are a pivotal time of life, when 
        young people are making choices that will affect them for the 
        rest of their lives.
            (2) The ways in which young people spend their time during 
        their teenage years may set them on a course of active 
        citizenship and engaged learning, or down a path of risky 
        behavior with the likelihood of failure.
            (3) Research suggests that when young people see that they 
        are able to improve the lives of others they feel that they are 
        able to control and improve their own lives.
            (4) If properly trained, organized, and supervised, 
        teenagers are a resource that can make a significant 
        contribution to their communities.
            (5) Opportunities for volunteer service during the teenage 
        years could become a rite of passage for future generations.
            (6) The National Academy of Sciences Report on Youth 
        Development concluded that ``the future well-being of the 
        country depends on raising generations of skilled, competent, 
        and responsible adults''.
    (b) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this Act to--
            (1) create a national network of service programs for 
        middle school students to serve in their communities after 
        school and during the summer;
            (2) provide students with opportunities to serve in their 
        communities and participate in other programs such as workshops 
        in leadership development, public speaking, conflict 
        resolution, team-building, and other character-building 
        programs;
            (3) provide young people an experience that reinforces 
        their connection to the community, enriches their education, 
        and strengthens their personal and civic values; and
            (4) instill an ethic of service in young people which will 
        stay with them throughout their lifetimes.

SEC. 3. RITE OF PASSAGE COMMUNITY SERVICE PROGRAM.

    (a) Establishment.--Section 122(a) of the National and Community 
Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12572(a)) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating paragraph (15) as paragraph (16); and
            (2) by inserting after paragraph (14) the following:
            ``(15) A community-based Rite of Passage after school and 
        summer service corps program that would offer young people--
                    ``(A) the opportunity to perform service in their 
                communities;
                    ``(B) the opportunity to participate in activities 
                that would provide training in leadership development, 
                public speaking, conflict resolution, team building, 
                and other critical skills;
                    ``(C) service-learning curricula linked to academic 
                goals; and
                    ``(D) the opportunity to work with older AmeriCorps 
                members who can organize service projects and act as 
                mentors.''.
    (b) Eligibility.--Section 137 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 12591) is 
amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsection (c) as subsection (d); and
            (2) by inserting after subsection (b) the following:
    ``(c) Special Rules for Rite of Passage Program.--An individual 
shall be considered to be a participant in a Rite of Passage community-
based after school or summer service corps program described in section 
122(a)(15) (42 U.S.C. 12591) that is carried out with assistance 
provided under section 121(a) (42 U.S.C. 12571) if the individual--
            ``(1) satisfies the requirements of paragraphs (1), (2), 
        and (6) of subsection (a); and
            ``(2) is between the ages of 12 and 16, inclusive, at the 
        time the individual begins the term of service.''.
    (c) Terms of Service.--Section 139(b) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
12593(b)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
            ``(4) Special rule for rite of passage program.--An 
        individual participating in a Rite of Passage community-based 
        after school or summer service corps program described in 
        section 122(a)(15) shall agree to participate in the program 
        for not less than 150 hours during a period of not less than 2 
        months and not more than 1 year.''.
    (D) National Service Educational Award.--
            (1) Special rule for rite of passage program.--Section 141 
        of such Act (42 U.S.C. 12595) is amended by adding at the end 
        the following:
    ``(c) Special Rule for Rite of Passage Program.--An individual 
participating in a Rite of Passage community-based after school or 
summer service corps program described in section 122(a)(15), upon 
completion of the required 150 hours of service shall receive an 
education award of $500.''.
            (2) Eligible individuals.--Section 146 is amended--
                    (A) in subsection (a)(2) by striking ``or a program 
                described in section 122(a)(9);'' and inserting ``, a 
                program described in section 122(a)(9), or a program 
                described in section 122(a)(15);''; and
                    (B) in subsection (d)(2)--
                            (i) in subparagraph (A), by striking 
                        ``or'';
                            (ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking 
                        ``period.'' and inserting ``period; or''; and
                            (iii) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(C) participated in a program described in 
                section 12572(a).''.

SEC. 4. REPORT.

    Not later than March 1 of each of the first 3 years following the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Corporation for National and 
Community Service shall transmit to the Congress a report and 
evaluation of the program authorized by this Act.
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