II 110th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 3028 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES May 15, 2008 Mr. Reid (for Mrs. Clinton) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions A BILL To amend the National and Community Service Act of 1990 to promote community service among United States youth by connecting secondary school seniors to community service opportunities.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Senior Year Community Service Act.

2.

Purpose

The purpose of this Act is to promote community service among United States youth by connecting secondary school seniors to community service opportunities.

3.

Program

The National and Community Service Act of 1990 is amended by inserting after section 198D (42 U.S.C. 12653d) the following:

198E.

Senior year community service pilot program

(a)

Definition

In this section: (1)

Community service opportunity

The term community service opportunity, used with respect to a student, means a service opportunity in the student's community or school. (2)

Graduation rate

The term graduation rate means the percentage described in section 1111(b)(2)(C)(vi) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311(b)(2)(C)(ii)). (b)

Senior year community service pilot program

(1)

In general

The Corporation shall establish and carry out a national pilot program. In carrying out the program, the Corporation shall make grants on a competitive basis to local educational agencies, to enable the agencies to establish local programs to match secondary school seniors to community service opportunities. (2)

Amount, number, and duration of grants

(A)

Amount of grants

In determining the amount of a grant to be made to a local educational agency under paragraph (1), the Corporation shall consider the number and percentage of secondary school seniors the local educational agency plans to match to community service opportunities under the local program involved. (B)

Number and duration of grants

The Corporation shall make not less than 6 grants under paragraph (1) and the grants shall be for periods of 2 years. (3)

Application

To be eligible to receive a grant under paragraph (1), a local educational agency shall submit an application to the Corporation at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Corporation may require. The local educational agency shall demonstrate in the application that the local educational agency— (A)is well-positioned to successfully implement a local program through the national pilot program; (B)demonstrates that appropriate leaders in the education, civic, and private sectors exhibit a strong commitment to community service; (C)is able to leverage additional funds to support the local program; (D)has a full commitment to match as many secondary school seniors as possible with service opportunities within the community or school involved; and (E)has worked with a local community-based organization to establish goals for the service that participating secondary school seniors will provide. (4)

Use of funds

A local educational agency that receives a grant under paragraph (1) shall use the grant funds to— (A)establish a partnership with the local community-based organization described in paragraph (3)(E) to carry out the local program; (B)provide meaningful community service opportunities for students in their senior year, for terms of service described in section 139(b)(1); (C)supply a service coordinator to assist secondary schools participating in the local program; and (D)provide information to students in their junior year of secondary school regarding the community service opportunities available under the local program. (5)

Responsibilities of the corporation

The Corporation shall support the local educational agencies participating in the national pilot program, by— (A)providing a downloadable template for the local educational agencies to use when providing information to students in their junior year as described in paragraph (4)(D); (B)offering assistance to the local educational agencies in finding community service opportunities for all participating seniors; (C)offering assistance to the local educational agencies regarding completing the paperwork necessary for participating seniors to be eligible for national service educational awards under subtitle D; and (D)providing any technical assistance the Corporation determines to be necessary. (6)

Eligibility for national service educational award

A participant under this section shall be eligible for the national service educational award described in subtitle D if the participant meets the requirements of sections 139(b)(1) and 146(b). (7)

Evaluation

(A)

In general

The Corporation shall award a contract to an independent agency with expertise in evaluating trends in student achievement to study the effects of the national pilot program on the achievement of participating students. (B)

Measurement

The evaluation described in subparagraph (A)— (i)shall compare— (I)secondary school seniors who are participating in the program; to (II)similar secondary school seniors who are not participating in the program; (ii)shall include measurements of— (I)academic achievement on the student academic assessments described in section 1111(b)(3) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311(b)(3)); (II)graduation rates; (III)student attendance rates; (IV)student rates of enrollment, persistence, and attainment in institutions of higher education; and (V)success with respect to any other academic factor the Corporation determines is necessary; and (iii)shall measure whether the goals established by the local educational agency under paragraph (3)(E) were met. (8)

Building on the senior year community service pilot program

If the evaluation under paragraph (7) demonstrates that the national pilot program was effective in improving student achievement, as measured by the indicators described in paragraph (7)(B)(ii), the Corporation, in collaboration with the agency described in paragraph (7)(A), shall develop a plan to include in the program as many secondary school seniors as possible.

.

4.

Educational awards

(a)

National service position eligible for national service educational award

Section 123 of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12573) is amended— (1)by redesignating paragraph (7) as paragraph (8); and (2)by inserting before paragraph (8) the following: (7)A position involving service as a participant under section 198E. . (b)

Reservation of approved positions

Section 129 of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12581) is amended— (1)in subsection (b)— (A)by striking The Corporation and inserting the following: (1)

VISTA volunteers and Civilian Community Corps participants

The Corporation ; and (B)by adding at the end the following: (2)

Senior year community service participants

The Corporation shall ensure that each individual selected by a local educational agency during a fiscal year as a participant under section 198E shall receive the national service educational award described in subtitle D if the individual satisfies the eligibility requirements for the award. Funds for approved national service positions required by this paragraph for a fiscal year shall be deducted from the funds appropriated under section 501(a)(2)(B)(ii). ; and (2)in subsection (f)— (A)by inserting before The Corporation the following: (1)

In general

; and (B)by striking the second sentence and inserting the following: (2)

Adjustments

The Corporation is authorized to make necessary and reasonable adjustments to the program rules— (A)relating to participants described in subsection (b)(2), if appropriations under section 501(a)(2)(B)(ii) are insufficient to provide the maximum allowable national service educational awards under subtitle D for all those participants who are eligible for such an award; and (B)relating to participants (other than those referred to in subparagraph (A)), if appropriations under section 501(a)(2)(A) are insufficient to provide the maximum allowable national service educational awards under subtitle D for all those participants who are eligible for such an award. .

5.

Authorization of appropriations

Section 501(a)(2) of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12681(a)(2)) is amended— (1)in subparagraphs (A) and (B), by inserting (other than assistance described in subparagraph (B)(i)) after H of title I; (2)in subparagraph (A), by inserting (other than awards described in subparagraph (B)(ii)) after subtitle D of title I; (3)by redesignating subparagraph (B) as subparagraph (C); and (4)by inserting after subparagraph (A) the following: (B)

Senior year community service pilot program

(i)

Financial assistance

There are authorized to be appropriated to provide financial assistance under section 198E, such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2009 through 2011. (ii)

National service positions for senior year community service participants

There are authorized to be appropriated to provide national service educational awards under subtitle D of title I for participants under section 198E, such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2009 through 2011. .