[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 136 (Sunday, August 1, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S5247]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 2130. Ms. KLOBUCHAR submitted an amendment intended to be proposed
by her to the bill H.R. 3684, to authorize funds for Federal-aid
highways, highway safety programs, and transit programs, and for other
purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
At the appropriate place, insert the following:
SEC. __. SENIOR CORPS DISTANCE VOLUNTEERING.
(a) Short Title.--This section may be cited as the ``Senior
Corps Distance Volunteering Act''.
(b) Online Service Platform.--Title IV of the Domestic
Volunteer Service Act of 1973 is amended--
(1) by redesignating section 421 (42 U.S.C. 5061) as
section 401;
(2) by moving that section 401 so as to follow the title
heading for title IV; and
(3) by inserting after section 420 (42 U.S.C. 5059) the
following:
``SEC. 421. ONLINE SERVICE PLATFORM.
``(a) Definition.--In this section, the term `COVID-19
public health emergency period' means the period of the
public health emergency declared by the Secretary of Health
and Human Services under section 319 of the Public Health
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d) on January 31, 2020, with
respect to COVID-19.
``(b) Establishment.--Not later than 30 days after the date
of enactment of the Senior Corps Distance Volunteering Act,
the Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation shall
establish an online service platform to connect volunteers in
the National Senior Service Corps with service projects, and
enable the volunteers to carry out distance volunteering on
an online network. The platform shall be linked to and placed
prominently on the website of the Corporation. The
Corporation may enter into a contract with a public entity to
create the platform.
``(c) Information and Guidance.--
``(1) Information.--The Corporation shall provide
information to regional offices of the Corporation about how
to get volunteers in the National Senior Service Corps
connected to the platform.
``(2) Guidance.--The Corporation shall issue guidance for
the regional offices about how to transfer the programs of
the National Senior Service Corps to the platform.
``(d) Outreach.--The Corporation shall provide outreach
services to promote the platform, including outreach to
institutions of higher education, the Department of Veterans
Affairs for mentorship projects, and State and local
governments for community engagement projects.
``(e) Report on Impact of Online Service Platform.--
``(1) Definition.--In this subsection, the term
`appropriate committees of Congress' means--
``(A) the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of
Representatives;
``(B) the Special Committee on Aging of the Senate;
``(C) the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and
Pensions of the Senate; and
``(D) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation of the Senate.
``(2) Report.--
``(A) Preparation.--The Corporation shall prepare a report
that--
``(i) describes the use of funds appropriated to carry out
this section, concerning the online service platform
described in subsection (b);
``(ii) describes the ways in which the platform has enabled
volunteers in the National Senior Service Corps, many of whom
are at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19, to apply
their skills, knowledge, and expertise to directly serve the
community through distance volunteering by providing
assistance during the COVID-19 public health emergency
period;
``(iii) measures the number of volunteers in the National
Senior Service Corps volunteers who do, and the number of
such volunteers who do not, serve through the online service
platform, during the COVID-19 public health emergency period;
and
``(iv) assesses the impact of volunteers in the National
Senior Service Corps who do, and the number of such
volunteers who do not, serve through the online service
platform, during the COVID-19 public health emergency period.
``(B) Submission.--Not later than 1 year after the end of
the COVID-19 public health emergency period, the Corporation
shall submit the report to the appropriate committees of
Congress.
``(f) Recommendation.--Not later than 6 months after the
end of the COVID-19 public health emergency period, the Chief
Executive Officer of the Corporation shall submit a
recommendation to Congress regarding whether the Corporation
should continue to use the platform as a main resource for
connecting volunteers in the National Senior Service Corps
with service projects and enabling the volunteers to carry
out distance volunteering.''.
(c) Emergency Appropriation.--The following sums are hereby
appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise
appropriated, for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2022,
and for other purposes, namely:
Corporation for National and Community Service
operating expenses
For an additional amount for ``Operating Expenses'', for
necessary expenses for the Corporation for National and
Community Service to carry out section 421 of the Domestic
Volunteer Service Act of 1973, $5,000,000: Provided, That
the amount appropriated under this heading is designated by
Congress as being for an emergency requirement pursuant to
section 251(b)(2)(A)(i) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency
Deficit Control Act of 1985 (2 U.S.C. 901(b)(2)(A)(i)).
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