[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 11]
[House]
[Pages 15461-15462]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   STRENGTHEN AMERICORPS PROGRAM ACT

  Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the 
Speaker's table the Senate bill (S. 1276) to improve the manner in 
which the Corporation for National and Community Service approves, and 
records obligations relating to national service positions, and ask for 
its immediate consideration in the House.
  The Clerk read the title of the Senate bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Ohio?
  There was no objection.
  The Clerk read the Senate bill, as follows:

                                S. 1276

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Strengthen AmeriCorps 
     Program Act''.

     SEC. 2. PROCESS OF APPROVAL OF NATIONAL SERVICE POSITIONS.

       (a) Definitions.--In this Act, the terms ``approved 
     national service position'' and ``Corporation'' have the 
     meanings given the terms in section 101 of the National and 
     Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12511).
       (b) Timing and Recording Requirements.--
       (1) In general.--Notwithstanding subtitles C and D of title 
     I of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 
     U.S.C. 12571 et seq., 12601 et seq.), and any other provision 
     of law, in approving a position as an approved national 
     service position, the Corporation--
       (A) shall approve the position at the time the 
     Corporation--
       (i) enters into an enforceable agreement with an individual 
     participant to serve in a program carried out under subtitle 
     E of title I of that Act (42 U.S.C. 12611 et seq.) or title I 
     of the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 (42 U.S.C. 4951 
     et seq.); or
       (ii) except as provided in clause (i), awards a grant to 
     (or enters into a contract or cooperative agreement with) an 
     entity to carry

[[Page 15462]]

     out a program for which such a position may be approved under 
     section 123 of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 
     (42 U.S.C. 12573); and
       (B) shall record as an obligation an estimate of the net 
     present value of the national service educational award 
     associated with the position, based on a formula that takes 
     into consideration historical rates of enrollment in such a 
     program, and of earning and using national service 
     educational awards for such a program.
       (2) Formula.--In determining the formula described in 
     paragraph (1)(B), the Corporation shall consult with the 
     Director of the Congressional Budget Office.
       (3) Certification report.--The Chief Executive Officer of 
     the Corporation shall annually prepare and submit to Congress 
     a report that contains a certification that the Corporation 
     is in compliance with the requirements of paragraph (1).
       (4) Approval.--The requirements of this subsection shall 
     apply to each approved national service position that the 
     Corporation approves--
       (A) during fiscal year 2003 (before or after the date of 
     enactment of this Act); and
       (B) during any subsequent fiscal year.
       (c) Reserve Account.--
       (1) Establishment and contents.--
       (A) Establishment.--Notwithstanding subtitles C and D of 
     title I of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 
     U.S.C. 12571 et seq., 12601 et seq.), and any other provision 
     of law, within the National Service Trust established under 
     section 145 of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 
     (42 U.S.C. 12601), the Corporation shall establish a reserve 
     account.
       (B) Contents.--To ensure the availability of adequate funds 
     to support the awards of approved national service positions 
     for each fiscal year, the Corporation shall place in the 
     account--
       (i) during fiscal year 2003, a portion of the funds that 
     were appropriated for fiscal year 2003 or a previous fiscal 
     year under section 501(a)(2) (42 U.S.C. 12681(a)(2)), were 
     made available to carry out subtitle C or D of title I of 
     that Act, and remain available; and
       (ii) during fiscal year 2004 or a subsequent fiscal year, a 
     portion of the funds that were appropriated for that fiscal 
     year under section 501(a)(2) and were made available to carry 
     out subtitle C or D of title I of that Act.
       (2) Obligation.--The Corporation shall not obligate the 
     funds in the reserve account until the Corporation--
       (A) determines that the funds will not be needed for the 
     payment of national service educational awards associated 
     with previously approved national service positions; or
       (B) obligates the funds for the payment of such awards for 
     such previously approved national service positions.
       (d) Audits.--The accounts of the Corporation relating to 
     the appropriated funds for approved national service 
     positions, and the records demonstrating the manner in which 
     the Corporation has recorded estimates described in 
     subsection (b)(1)(B) as obligations, shall be audited 
     annually by independent certified public accountants or 
     independent licensed public accountants certified or licensed 
     by a regulatory authority of a State or other political 
     subdivision of the United States in accordance with generally 
     accepted auditing standards. A report containing the results 
     of each such independent audit shall be included in the 
     annual report required by subsection (b)(3).
       (e) Availability of Amounts.--Except as provided in 
     subsection (c), all amounts included in the National Service 
     Trust under paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of section 145(a) of 
     the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 
     12601(a)) shall be available for payments of national service 
     educational awards under section 148 of that Act (42 U.S.C. 
     12604).

  The Senate bill was ordered to be read a third time, was read the 
third time, and passed, and a motion to reconsider was laid on the 
table.

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