I 111th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 1047 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES February 12, 2009 Mr. Sestak (for himself and Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor A BILL To amend the National and Community Service Act of 1990 to establish the Silver Scholarship program to encourage increased volunteer work by seniors.

1.

Silver scholarship programs

(a)

In general

Subtitle H of title I of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12653 et seq.), is amended by adding at the end the following:

198F.

Silver scholarship programs

(a)

Establishment

The Corporation is authorized to award grants to eligible entities, to enable the entities to provide volunteers participating in service projects in accordance with this section with scholarships that may be used by the volunteers or by individuals designated by the volunteers. (b)

Eligible entities

To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, an entity shall be a public agency or private nonprofit organization with experience in administering service programs (including the programs described in or administered under title II of the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 (42 U.S.C. 5000 et seq.)). (c)

Applications

To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, an entity shall submit to the Corporation an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Corporation may reasonably require. (d)

Criteria and priorities for grants

The Corporation shall establish criteria and priorities for awarding grants under this section. (e)

Requirements for scholarship

An entity that receives a grant under subsection (a) shall use the funds made available through the grant to award a scholarship described in subsection (a) to recipients, each of whom— (1)is, or has been designated for the scholarship by, a volunteer who— (A)has performed not less than 500 hours of volunteer service, of a type specified by the Corporation under subsection (f)(1), during a 12-month period that is— (i)after the volunteer at issue has attained age 55; and (ii)after the date of the enactment of this section; or (B)has performed not less than 250 hours but less than 500 hours of volunteer service of that type during such a 12-month period, based on compelling personal circumstances; and (2)has received, during the 5-year period preceding the date that the scholarship is awarded, fewer than 2 scholarships under this section. (f)

Services, criteria, and priorities for scholarships

The Corporation shall— (1)specify the types of volunteer service a volunteer may engage in to meet term of service requirements for a scholarship under this section, which shall include— (A)tutoring or mentoring in a school, after-school program, or other community-based educational setting; and (B)assisting persons with special needs, including persons who are homebound, to continue living independently; and (2)establish criteria and priorities for eligible entities to use in awarding scholarships under this section. (g)

Amount of scholarship

The entities shall award the scholarships— (1)in an amount of not more than $1,000; or (2)in a amount that is prorated based on the individual’s hours of service, for an individual who meets the requirements of subsection (e) with a term of service described in subsection (e)(2)(B). (h)

Use of scholarships

A scholarship awarded under this section may be used— (1)by the volunteer or the person designated by the volunteer, in accordance with subsection (e); (2)only for qualified tuition and related expenses, as defined in section 117 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, and only under such conditions as are set forth by the Corporation through regulation; and (3)not later than 20 years after the date of the award of the scholarship, to allow time for an individual designated under subsection (e)(1) to use the scholarship. (i)

Authorization of appropriations

Of the funds appropriated to carry out this section— (1)not more than 15 percent shall be used for administrative purposes by the Corporation; (2)not less than 50 percent shall be made available for grants under subsection (a) and used to award scholarships to volunteers who have met the term of service requirements for the scholarships by providing tutoring or mentoring described in subsection (f)(1)(A); (3)not less than 10 percent shall be made available for such grants and used to award scholarships to volunteers who have met the requirements by providing assistance described in subsection (f)(1)(B); and (4)not more than 10 percent shall be made available for such grants and used for administrative purposes by the eligible entities receiving the grants.

. (b)

Authorization of appropriations

Section 501(a)(2), as amended by section 202(b) of this Act, is further amended— (1)by striking section 198E each place it appears and inserting sections 198E and 198F; and (2)by adding at the end the following: (D)

Silver scholarship program

There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out section 198F, $20,000,000 for the first fiscal year beginning after the date of the enactment of section 198F and such sums as are necessary for each fiscal year thereafter. . (c)

Table of contents

The table of contents of the Act is further amended in the items relating to subtitle H of title I, by adding at the end the following: Sec. 198F. Silver scholarship programs. .