[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3503 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3503

 To establish a national Civilian Volunteer Service Reserve program, a 
   national volunteer service corps ready for service in response to 
                 domestic or international emergencies.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 17, 2003

  Mr. Rangel introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
             Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To establish a national Civilian Volunteer Service Reserve program, a 
   national volunteer service corps ready for service in response to 
                 domestic or international emergencies.

    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 ``Civilian Volunteer Service Reserve 
Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) The changing threats and issues that face the Nation 
        require a new and innovative approach to mobilizing the 
        citizenry in times of need.
            (2) The Civilian Volunteer Service Reserve program offers a 
        flexible approach to the needs of specific crises, such as 
        natural disasters, incidents of terrorism, or other emergencies 
        at home or abroad.
            (3) Citizenship entails responsibilities as well as rights. 
        The Civilian Volunteer Service Reserve program will challenge 
        all Americans to sacrifice for their country.
            (4) The Civilian Volunteer Service Reserve program will 
        make it possible to draw on the vast array of skills and the 
        ingenuity of ordinary Americans in times of need.

SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT.

    The Secretary of Homeland Security shall establish the Civilian 
Volunteer Service Reserve (referred to in this Act as the ``Civilian 
Reserve''), a national volunteer service corps ready for service in 
response to domestic or international emergencies, or other 
circumstances determined by the President pursuant to section 6.

SEC. 4. GENERAL AUTHORITY.

    The Secretary of Homeland Security shall appoint a Director and 
such other officers as the Secretary considers appropriate to organize 
and administer the Civilian Reserve program consistent with the 
provisions of this Act. The Secretary is authorized to promulgate 
regulations necessary to carry out this Act.

SEC. 5. ELIGIBILITY, COMMITMENT, AND REGISTRATION.

    (a) Eligibility.--All citizens and legal residents of the United 
States over the age of 18 shall be eligible to serve in the Civilian 
Reserve.
    (b) Commitment.--Individuals who volunteer with the Civilian 
Reserve shall be enrolled for a 5-year period, and shall be expected 
during such period to serve in full-time active duty status for a total 
period of 6 months, when called to such service under section 6. There 
shall be no limit to the number of 5-year periods of service that an 
individual may register to serve.
    (c) Registration.--Registration for the Civilian Reserve shall be 
administered in a manner determined by the Secretary of Homeland 
Security. At minimum, such registration shall include--
            (1) the applicant's name, address, telephone number, Social 
        Security number, and E-mail address;
            (2) the applicant's occupation, areas of study, and skills; 
        and
            (3) the applicant's preference for local, national, or 
        international service.

SEC. 6. MOBILIZATION.

    (a) Mobilization.--
            (1) In general.--The President shall have the authority to 
        issue a voluntary call to action by issuing an executive order 
        to mobilize certain members of the Civilian Reserve to full-
        time active duty status for a period not exceeding 6 months, in 
        order to meet the pressing needs of the Nation in times of 
        emergency, as determined by the President in consultation with 
        the Secretary of Homeland Security.
            (2) Considerations.--In selecting members of the Civilian 
        Reserve to call to action pursuant to paragraph (1), the 
        President shall consider the relevant skills required by the 
        emergency, the geographic location of the volunteers, and the 
        logistics of such a mobilization.
            (3) Methodology of call to action.--To the extent 
        practicable, for a voluntary call to action issued under 
        paragraph (1), members of the Civilian Reserve shall be 
        contacted via telephone, E-mail, and mail service.
    (b) Voluntary Acceptance of Call to Action.--Members of the 
Civilian Reserve may choose to accept a call to action issued pursuant 
to subsection (a)(1) and enter full-time active duty status for the 
period specified in such call to action, not exceeding 6 months. 
Members of the Civilian Reserve may also decline such a call to action, 
so long as such members remain committed to serving in full-time active 
duty status for some period or periods, not to exceed a total of 6 
months, during their 5-year enrollment.
    (c) Mandatory Service.--The President may, under extreme 
circumstances, issue a mandatory mobilization of members of the 
Civilian Reserve, requiring such members to begin full-time active duty 
service for a period not exceeding 6 months. Such mobilization may 
apply to any members of the Civilian Reserve notwithstanding whether 
such members have fulfilled their expected 6-month period of service 
described in section 5(b) prior to such mandatory mobilization. 
Exemptions from such mandatory service shall be made for hardship due 
to family or other circumstances, upon appeal by an individual member 
of the Civilian Reserve.

SEC. 7. FULL-TIME ACTIVE DUTY SERVICE AND BENEFITS.

    (a) In General.--Members of the Civilian Reserve serving in full-
time active duty status shall work side-by-side with officers and 
agencies of the Federal, State, and local governments, non-profit and 
non-governmental organizations, supplementing but not supplanting 
existing systems for responding to emergencies and other pressing 
needs.
    (b) Transportation and Accommodations.--The Civilian Reserve 
program shall provide members serving in full-time active duty status 
with any necessary transportation and accommodations in order to 
facilitate such service.
    (c) Stipend.--Members of the Civilian Reserve serving in full-time 
active duty status shall receive a stipend in order to pay for 
necessary cost of living expenses, for such period of full-time active 
duty status. The amount of the stipend shall be determined by the 
Secretary of Homeland Security.
    (d) Health Insurance.--Members of the Civilian Reserve serving in 
full-time active duty status shall be eligible for health insurance 
under a program to be established, by regulation, by the Secretary of 
Homeland Security.
    (e) Reemployment Protection.--The Secretary of Homeland Security 
shall promulgate regulations to provide reemployment protection and 
other benefits for members of the Civilian Reserve who complete a 
period of full-time active duty service.

SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of 
Homeland Security such sums as may be necessary for fiscal years 2005 
through 2009 to carry out this Act.
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