[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 253 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 253

 Designating June 16, 2023, as National Service and Conservation Corps 
                                  Day.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 14, 2023

  Mr. Heinrich (for himself and Mr. Cassidy) submitted the following 
             resolution; which was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Designating June 16, 2023, as National Service and Conservation Corps 
                                  Day.

Whereas there exists a network of more than 150 Service and Conservation Corps 
        across the United States that provides education, workforce development, 
        and support services to approximately 22,000 young adults and post-9/11 
        veterans annually;
Whereas the Service and Conservation Corps are locally-based organizations that 
        engage young adults between 18 and 30 years of age and veterans younger 
        than 35 years of age in service projects that address recreation, 
        conservation, disaster response, and community needs;
Whereas the Service and Conservation Corps are direct descendants of the 
        Civilian Conservation Corps, a Great Depression-era Federal work relief 
        program in existence from 1933 to 1942 that--

    (1) mobilized 3,000,000 young men to dramatically improve the public 
lands of the United States;

    (2) provided participants with food, shelter, education, and a $30 per 
month stipend; and

    (3) planted 3,000,000,000 trees and helped build trails, roads, 
campgrounds, and other park infrastructure still in use today;

Whereas April 5, 2023, was the 90th anniversary of President Franklin D. 
        Roosevelt establishing the Civilian Conservation Corps with a 
        presidential Executive order (Executive Order 6101 (relating to relief 
        of unemployment through the performance of useful public work));
Whereas, unlike the Civilian Conservation Corps, which was a large, Federal 
        program that was only open to young men, while Black and Native American 
        participants faced discrimination, modern Service and Conservation Corps 
        are equitable, diverse, and inclusive;
Whereas most modern Service and Conservation Corps are nonprofit organizations 
        or are operated by units of State or local government;
Whereas, through public-private partnerships, Service and Conservation Corps 
        work with a range of organizations, government agencies, and 
        institutions to engage Corps participants in meaningful projects that 
        address local and national issues;
Whereas, throughout a term of service that could last from a few months to a 
        year, Corps participants experience the ``Corps Model'' by--

    (1) gaining work experience and developing in-demand skills;

    (2) serving on crews alongside other young adults, or in ``individual 
placement'' or internship positions, that provide additional capacity to 
Federal, State, and local resource management agencies;

    (3) receiving a stipend or living allowance and often an education 
award or scholarship upon completion of service; and

    (4) receiving educational programming, mentoring, and access to career 
and personal counseling;

Whereas some Service and Conservation Corps operate or partner with charter 
        schools to help Corps participants earn their high school diploma or GED 
        certificate;
Whereas Corps participants complete thousands of community improvement, 
        resilience, and resource conservation projects every year;
Whereas Service and Conservation Corps have longstanding partnerships with 
        Federal, State, and local community development and resource management 
        agencies to engage Corps participants in meaningful and necessary 
        projects across the United States;
Whereas Corps projects include--

    (1) enhancing neighborhoods and community public spaces, including 
urban gardens;

    (2) preserving and protecting public lands, shorelines, waterways, 
habitats, and wildlife;

    (3) preserving historic structures;

    (4) providing access to and enhancing recreation on public lands and 
waters;

    (5) enhancing resilience to climate change and natural disasters;

    (6) mitigating, responding to, and recovering from natural disasters, 
including hurricanes and wildfires;

    (7) improving energy efficiency and resource conservation; and

    (8) building and maintaining alternative transportation and sustainable 
infrastructure;

Whereas the United States urgently needs to transition to more sustainable 
        infrastructure, respond to decades of deferred maintenance on public 
        lands and waters, restore critical ecosystems, and make communities more 
        resilient to climate change;
Whereas unemployment and barriers to opportunity affect millions of young people 
        in the United States and disproportionately affect young people of 
        color; and
Whereas the existing network of more than 150 Service and Conservation Corps is 
        ready to meet the needs of young people in the United States: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) designates June 16, 2023, as National Service and 
        Conservation Corps Day;
            (2) congratulates the existing network of more than 150 
        Service and Conservation Corps on their contributions to the 
        United States;
            (3) urges the people of the United States to recognize the 
        importance of national service; and
            (4) supports the continuation and expansion of the national 
        network of Service and Conservation Corps.
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