[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 24 (Thursday, February 7, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1143-S1145]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 160. Ms. McSALLY (for herself, Mr. Udall, Mr. Alexander, Ms.
Sinema, and Mr. Bennet) submitted an amendment intended to be proposed
to amendment SA 111 proposed by Ms. Murkowski (for herself and Mr.
Manchin) to the bill S. 47, to provide for the management of the
natural resources of the United States, and for other purposes; which
was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
Strike section 9003 and insert the following:
[[Page S1144]]
SEC. 9003. JOHN S. MCCAIN III 21ST CENTURY CONSERVATION
SERVICE CORPS ACT.
(a) Short Title.--This section may be cited as the ``John
S. McCain III 21st Century Conservation Service Corps Act''.
(b) Definitions.--Section 203 of the Public Lands Corps Act
of 1993 (16 U.S.C. 1722) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (2), by striking ``under section 204'' and
inserting ``by section 204(a)(1)'';
(2) by redesignating paragraphs (8) through (13) as
paragraphs (9) through (14), respectively;
(3) by inserting after paragraph (7) the following:
``(8) Institution of higher education.--
``(A) In general.--The term `institution of higher
education' has the meaning given the term in section 102 of
the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002).
``(B) Exclusion.--The term `institution of higher
education' does not include--
``(i) an institution described in section 101(b) of the
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(b)); or
``(ii) an institution outside the United States, as
described in section 102(a)(1)(C) of the Higher Education Act
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002(a)(1)(C)).'';
(4) in paragraph (9) (as so redesignated)--
(A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking
``, as follows'' and inserting ``and other conservation and
restoration initiatives, as follows''; and
(B) by adding at the end the following:
``(E) To protect, restore, or enhance marine, estuarine,
riverine, and coastal habitat ecosystem components--
``(i) to promote the recovery of threatened species,
endangered species, and managed fisheries;
``(ii) to restore fisheries, protected resources, and
habitats impacted by oil and chemical spills and natural
disasters; or
``(iii) to enhance the resilience of coastal ecosystems,
communities, and economies through habitat conservation.'';
(5) in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (11) (as so
redesignated), by striking ``individuals between the ages of
16 and 30, inclusive,'' and inserting ``individuals between
the ages of 16 and 30, inclusive, or veterans age 35 or
younger'';
(6) in paragraph (13) (as so redesignated)--
(A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``and'' at the end;
(B) in subparagraph (B), by striking the period at the end
and inserting ``; and''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(C) with respect to the National Marine Sanctuary System,
coral reefs, and other coastal, estuarine, and marine
habitats, and other land and facilities administered by the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the
Secretary of Commerce.''; and
(7) by adding at the end the following:
``(15) Veteran.--The term `veteran' has the meaning given
the term in section 101 of title 38, United States Code.''.
(c) Public Lands Corps Program.--Section 204 of the Public
Lands Corps Act of 1993 (16 U.S.C. 1723) is amended--
(1) by striking subsection (a) and inserting the following:
``(a) Establishment of Public Lands Corps.--
``(1) In general.--There is established in the Department
of the Interior, the Department of Agriculture, and the
Department of Commerce a corps, to be known as the `Public
Lands Corps'.
``(2) No effect on other agencies.--Nothing in this
subsection precludes the establishment of a public lands
corps by the head of a Federal department or agency other
than a department described in paragraph (1), in accordance
with this Act.'';
(2) in subsection (b)--
(A) in the first sentence, by striking ``individuals
between the ages of 16 and 30, inclusive,'' and inserting
``individuals between the ages of 16 and 30, inclusive, and
veterans age 35 or younger''; and
(B) in the second sentence, by striking ``section 137(b) of
the National and Community Service Act of 1990'' and
inserting ``paragraphs (1), (2), (4), and (5) of section
137(a) of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42
U.S.C. 12591(a))''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(g) Effect.--Nothing in this section authorizes the use
of the Public Lands Corps for projects on or impacting real
property owned by, operated by, or within the custody,
control, or administrative jurisdiction of the Administrator
of General Services without the express permission of the
Administrator of General Services.''.
(d) Transportation.--Section 205 of the Public Lands Corps
Act of 1993 (16 U.S.C. 1724) is amended by adding at the end
the following:
``(e) Transportation.--The Secretary may provide to Corps
participants who reside in their own homes transportation to
and from appropriate conservation project sites.''.
(e) Resource Assistants.--
(1) In general.--Section 206(a) of the Public Lands Corps
Act of 1993 (16 U.S.C. 1725(a)) is amended by striking the
first sentence and inserting the following: ``The Secretary
may provide individual placements of resource assistants to
carry out research or resource protection activities on
behalf of the Secretary.''.
(2) Direct hire authority.--Section 121(a) of the
Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
Appropriations Act, 2012 (16 U.S.C. 1725a), is amended--
(A) in paragraph (1)--
(i) by striking ``Secretary of the Interior'' and inserting
``Secretary (as defined in section 203 of the Public Lands
Corps Act of 1993 (16 U.S.C. 1722))'';
(ii) by striking ``paragraph (1)'' and inserting
``paragraph (2)''; and
(iii) by striking ``with a land managing agency of the
Department of the Interior''; and
(B) in paragraph (2)(A), by striking ``with a land managing
agency'' and inserting ``with the Secretary (as so
defined)''.
(f) Compensation and Employment Standards.--Section 207 of
the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 (16 U.S.C. 1726) is
amended--
(1) by striking the section heading and inserting
``compensation and terms of service'';
(2) by redesignating subsections (b) and (c) as subsections
(c) and (d), respectively;
(3) by inserting after subsection (a) the following:
``(b) Educational Credit.--The Secretary may provide a
Corps participant with an educational credit that may be
applied toward a program of postsecondary education at an
institution of higher education that agrees to award the
credit for participation in the Corps.'';
(4) in subsection (c) (as so redesignated)--
(A) by striking ``Each participant'' and inserting the
following:
``(1) In general.--Each participant''; and
(B) by adding at the end the following:
``(2) Indian youth service corps.--With respect to the
Indian Youth Service Corps established under section 210, the
Secretary shall establish the term of service of participants
in consultation with the affected Indian tribe.'';
(5) in subsection (d) (as so redesignated)--
(A) by redesignating paragraphs (1) and (2) as
subparagraphs (A) and (B), respectively, and indenting the
subparagraphs appropriately;
(B) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A) (as so
redesignated), by striking ``The Secretary'' and inserting
the following:
``(1) In general.--The Secretary''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(2) Time-limited appointment.--For purposes of section
9602 of title 5, United States Code, a former member of the
Corps hired by the Secretary under paragraph (1)(B) for a
time-limited appointment shall be considered to be appointed
initially under open, competitive examination.''; and
(6) by adding at the end the following:
``(e) Applicability to Qualified Youth or Conservation
Corps.--The hiring and compensation standards described in
this section shall apply to any individual participating in
an appropriate conservation project through a qualified youth
or conservation corps, including an individual placed through
a contract or cooperative agreement, as approved by the
Secretary.''.
(g) Reporting and Data Collection.--Title II of the Public
Lands Corps Act of 1993 (16 U.S.C. 1721 et seq.) is amended--
(1) by redesignating sections 209 through 211 as sections
211 through 213, respectively;
(2) by inserting after section 208 the following:
``SEC. 209. REPORTING AND DATA COLLECTION.
``(a) Report.--Not later than 2 years after the date of
enactment of the John S. McCain III 21st Century Conservation
Service Corps Act, and annually thereafter, the Chief
Executive Officer of the Corporation for National and
Community Service, in coordination with the Secretaries,
shall submit to Congress a report that includes data on the
Corps, including--
``(1) the number of participants enrolled in the Corps and
the length of the term of service for each participant;
``(2) the projects carried out by Corps participants,
categorized by type of project and Federal agency;
``(3) the total amount and sources of funding provided for
the service of participants;
``(4) the type of service performed by participants and the
impact and accomplishments of the service; and
``(5) any other similar data determined to be appropriate
by the Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation for
National and Community Service or the Secretaries.
``(b) Data.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of the John S. McCain III 21st Century Conservation
Service Corps Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretaries
shall submit to the Chief Executive Officer of the
Corporation for National and Community Service the data
described in subsection (a).
``(c) Data Collection.--The Chief Executive Officer of the
Corporation for National and Community Service may coordinate
with qualified youth or conservation corps to improve the
collection of the required data described in subsection (a).
``(d) Coordination.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretaries shall, to the maximum
extent practicable, coordinate with each other to carry out
activities authorized under this Act, including--
``(A) the data collection and reporting requirements of
this section; and
``(B) implementing and issuing guidance on eligibility for
noncompetitive hiring status under section 207(d).
``(2) Designation of coordinators.--The Secretary shall
designate a coordinator to coordinate and serve as the
primary point of contact for any activity of the Corps
carried out by the Secretary.''; and
(3) in subsection (c) of section 212 (as so redesignated),
by striking ``211'' and inserting ``213''.
(h) Indian Youth Service Corps.--Title II of the Public
Lands Corps Act of 1993 (16
[[Page S1145]]
U.S.C. 1721 et seq.) (as amended by subsection (g)) is
amended by inserting after section 209 the following:
``SEC. 210. INDIAN YOUTH SERVICE CORPS.
``(a) In General.--There is established within the Public
Lands Corps a program to be known as the `Indian Youth
Service Corps' that--
``(1) enrolls participants between the ages of 16 and 30,
inclusive, and veterans age 35 or younger, a majority of whom
are Indians;
``(2) is established pursuant to an agreement between an
Indian tribe and a qualified youth or conservation corps for
the benefit of the members of the Indian tribe; and
``(3) carries out appropriate conservation projects on
eligible service land.
``(b) Authorization of Cooperative Agreements.--The
Secretary may enter into cooperative agreements with Indian
tribes and qualified youth or conservation corps for the
establishment and administration of the Indian Youth Service
Corps.
``(c) Guidelines.--Not later than 18 months after the date
of enactment of the John S. McCain III 21st Century
Conservation Service Corps Act, the Secretary of the
Interior, in consultation with Indian tribes, shall issue
guidelines for the management of the Indian Youth Service
Corps, in accordance with this Act and any other applicable
Federal laws.''.
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