[Senate Report 118-173]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
Calendar No. 384
118th Congress} { Report
SENATE
2d Session } { 118-173
======================================================================
UNITY THROUGH SERVICE ACT OF 2023
__________
R E P O R T
OF THE
COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY AND
GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS
UNITED STATES SENATE
TO ACCOMPANY
S. 2150
TO ESTABLISH AN INTERAGENCY COUNCIL ON SERVICE TO
PROMOTE AND STRENGTHEN OPPORTUNITIES FOR MILITARY
SERVICE, NATIONAL SERVICE, AND PUBLIC SERVICE FOR
ALL PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
May 9, 2024.--Ordered to be printed
__________
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
WASHINGTON : 2024
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COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS
GARY C. PETERS, Michigan, Chairman
THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware RAND PAUL, Kentucky
MAGGIE HASSAN, New Hampshire RON JOHNSON, Wisconsin
KYRSTEN SINEMA, Arizona JAMES LANKFORD, Oklahoma
JACKY ROSEN, Nevada MITT ROMNEY, Utah
JON OSSOFF, Georgia RICK SCOTT, Florida
RICHARD BLUMENTHAL, Connecticut JOSH HAWLEY, Missouri
LAPHONZA R. BUTLER, California ROGER MARSHALL, Kansas
David M. Weinberg, Staff Director
Alan S. Kahn, Chief Counsel
Lena C. Chang, Director of Governmental Affairs
Devin M. Parsons, Professional Staff Member
William E. Henderson III, Minority Staff Director
Christina N. Salazar, Minority Chief Counsel
Andrew J. Hopkins, Minority Counsel
Laura W. Kilbride, Chief Clerk
Calendar No. 384
118th Congress} { Report
SENATE
2d Session } { 118-173
======================================================================
UNITY THROUGH SERVICE ACT OF 2023
_______
May 9, 2024.--Ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Peters, from the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental
Affairs, submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany S. 2150]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental
Affairs, to which was referred the bill (S. 2150), to establish
an Interagency Council on Service to promote and strengthen
opportunities for military service, national service, and
public service for all people of the United States, and for
other purposes, having considered the same, reports favorably
thereon with an amendment in the nature of a substitute and
recommends that the bill, as amended, do pass.
CONTENTS
Page
I. Purpose and Summary..............................................1
II. Background and Need for the Legislation..........................2
III. Legislative History..............................................4
IV. Section-by-Section Analysis of the Bill, as Reported.............5
V. Evaluation of Regulatory Impact..................................7
VI. Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate........................7
VII. Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported............8
I. Purpose and Summary
S. 2150, the Unity through Service Act of 2023, would
establish an Interagency Council on Service (the Council) to
oversee and coordinate initiatives that extend across military,
national, and public service. The Council would consult with
state, local, tribal, and cross-sector entities about service
initiatives and submit a Service Strategy report to the
President and Congress every four years, starting two years
after the bill's enactment. The bill would also authorize a
joint advertising, market research, and recruiting program
involving the Department of Defense (DoD), the Corporation for
National and Community Service (CNCS), and the Peace Corps.
Additionally, the bill would enhance the information provided
to individuals transitioning out of the military or national
service programs about other forms of service opportunities.
The bill would require the Council to report findings on
lessons learned regarding service recruitment and retention
and, in coordination with DoD, CNCS, and the Peace Corps,
submit a report to Congress every four years with
recommendations related to cross-service marketing, research,
and promotion. The bill would also direct the Government
Accountability Office (GAO) to report to Congress on the
effectiveness of the Council and other provisions of this bill.
II. Background and Need for the Legislation
The United States has a longstanding tradition of service,
including public service, military service, and national
service, reflected across communities and in government
programs.\1\ The Unity through Service Act of 2023 recognizes
the importance of service to our nation in all forms and
supports further actions to increase service participation. In
his remarks accompanying the introduction of this bill, Senator
Jack Reed (D-RI) described the need to promote service,
stating, ``Americans are ready and willing to answer the call
to serve, to come together and meet the challenges that we face
at the local, national, and international level. We just need
to create the conditions to mobilize them.''\2\
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\1\National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service,
Inspired to Serve: The Final Report of the National Commission on
Military, National, and Public Service (Mar. 2020).
\2\Statement of Senator Jack Reed, Congressional Record, S2228
(June 22, 2023).
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The Unity through Service Act defines public service as
employment in federal, state, local, and tribal governments.
Over 21 million individuals dedicate their careers to serving
the public, including teachers, law enforcement officers,
nurses, firefighters, postal workers, and numerous other
occupations within the civil service.\3\ However, the public
sector faces significant recruitment and retention challenges.
State and local employment rates continue to fall short of
staffing levels prior to the COVID-19 public health emergency,
despite heightened demands for community services and the need
for public professionals to oversee infrastructure upgrades.\4\
Furthermore, public schools struggle to fill a higher number of
educator vacancies each year in most states.\5\ At the federal
level, 56% of recent graduates said they would not consider
employment in the federal government, according to a 2022
survey.\6\ Testimony from the Deputy Director of the Office of
Management and Budget in 2022 noted that only 8% of the federal
workforce is under the age of 30 and 15% of federal employees
are eligible for retirement, which will expand to 30% within 5
years.\7\
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\3\U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and
Wage Statistics, May 2022 National Occupational Employment and Wage
Estimates by ownership: Federal, state, and local government, including
government-owned schools and hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service
(www.bls.gov/oes/current/999001.htm) (accessed Nov. 13, 2023).
\4\Jobs Sit Empty in the Public Sector, So Unions Pitch In to
Recruit, New York Times (July 27, 2023) (www.nytimes.com/2023/07/27/
business/economy/local-government-jobs-unions.html).
\5\Tuan D. Nguyen, Chanh B. Lam, and Paul Bruno, Is There a
National Teacher Shortage? A Systematic Examination of Reports of
Teacher Shortages in the United States, Annenberg Institute at Brown
University (Aug. 2022); See also Teacher Shortages in the United
States: A systemic examination of reports of teacher vacancy and
shortages (teachershortages.com/) (accessed Nov. 13, 2023).
\6\Qualtrics, 2022 Federal Study: Improving Early Career
Recruitment to Federal Jobs (Aug. 2022) (success.qualtrics.com/rs/542-
FMF-412/images/US%20Federal%20Recruitment%20Report
%20_%20Qualtrics.pdf).
\7\House Committee on Oversight and Reform Subcommittee on
Government Operations, Testimony Submitted for the Record of Deputy
Director Jason S. Miller, Office of Management and Budget, The Future
of Federal Work II, 117th Cong. (July 21, 2022) (H. Hrg. 117-XX).
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Military service is another fundamental form of service to
the nation. Over 41 million people have served in the United
States military throughout the nation's history.\8\ Currently,
over 1.3 million active duty members serve across the Army,
Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard.\9\
However, the U.S. military faces new and ongoing recruitment
challenges. According to the latest annual report on DoD
demographics, overall military recruitment decreased by nearly
3% in 2022 compared to 2021.\10\ In 2020, DoD reported that 77%
of youth ages 17 to 24 would not qualify for service without a
waiver based on health and other factors, and nearly half of
the remaining 23% would not be available for service due to
college enrollment.\11\ Under Secretary of the Army Gabriel
Camarillo also raised the issue of a lack of youth inclination
to serve in the military during a March 2023 hearing held by
the Senate Committee on Armed Services, noting, ``About 75% [of
young adults] have little to no knowledge about the Army, and
only 9% have the propensity to serve, the lowest it has been in
over a decade.''\12\
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\8\U.S. Census Bureau, Those Who Served: America's Veterans From
World War II to the War on Terror (ACS-43) (June 2020) (www.census.gov/
content/dam/Census/library/publications/2020/demo/acs-43.pdf).
\9\U.S. Department of Defense (Defense Manpower Data Center), DoD
Personnel, Workforce Reports & Publications (dwp.dmdc.osd.mil/dwp/app/
dod-data-reports/workforce-reports) (accessed Nov. 13, 2023).
\10\U.S. Department of Defense: Defense Department Report Shows
Decline in Armed Forces Population While Percentage of Military Women
Rises Slightly (Nov. 6, 2023).
\11\Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and
Readiness, 2020 Qualified Military Available (QMA) Study Key Findings
(prod-media.asvabprogram.com/CEP_PDF_Contents/
Qualified_Military_Available.pdf) (accessed Nov. 13, 2023).
\12\Senate Committee on Armed Services, Testimony Submitted for the
Record of Under Secretary Gabriel O. Camarillo, United States Army,
Hearing to Receive Testimony on the Recruiting Challenges Facing the
United States Military, 118th Cong. (Mar. 22, 2023) (S Hrg. 118-XX).
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In addition, volunteers in national service programs play a
vital role in fulfilling the needs of their communities.
Examples of national service programs include AmeriCorps,
Senior Corps, YouthBuild, and the Peace Corps and involve
initiatives related to disaster relief, housing, conservation,
economic development, and educational opportunities, among
other activities to strengthen community resources.\13\
Biennial research conducted by AmeriCorps in coordination with
the Census Bureau estimates that over 23.2% of Americans, or
60.7 million individuals, formally volunteered with
organizations in 2021, resulting in over 4.1 billion hours of
service and over $120 billion in economic impact. The same
research notes that formal participation in national service in
2021 was 7% lower than the 30% participation rate in 2019.\14\
During a 2021 congressional hearing, the Chairman of the
National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service
made note of a finding that ``[n]early a third of millennials
state that they are unaware of existing national service
opportunities.''\15\ The Unity through Service Act of 2023 aims
to increase awareness about each critical form of service
opportunity.
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\13\National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service,
supra note 1, at 9.
\14\AmeriCorps, Volunteering and Civic Life in America: Research
Summary (Jan. 2023) (https://americorps.gov/sites/default/files/
document/volunteering-civic-life-america-research-summary.pdf); U.S.
Census Bureau, Current Population Survey 2021 Volunteering and Civic
Life Supplement (Jan. 2023).
\15\Senate Committee on Armed Services, Hearing to Examine the
Final Recommendations and Report of the National Commission on
Military, National, and Public Service, 117th Cong. (Mar. 11, 2021) (S.
Hrg. 117-XX).
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The Unity through Service Act of 2023 incorporates findings
and recommendations from the National Commission on Military,
National, and Public Service. The National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 established this
Commission in part to ``consider methods to increase
participation in military, national, and public service.''\16\
That legislation also directed the Commission to develop
recommendations and submit a report to Congress regarding
service participation, which the Commission released in March
2020.\17\ The report recommended that the federal government
establish a dedicated service council to coordinate
governmentwide service efforts and take steps to conduct cross-
service marketing, recruitment, and retention.\18\ The Unity
through Service Act of 2023 would implement the Commission's
recommendations by establishing an Interagency Council on
Service and authorizing additional collaborative efforts among
military departments, veteran transition assistance programs,
national service programs, and public service recruitment
efforts to increase participation across each area of service.
The bill would result in a whole-of-government Service Strategy
and ongoing reporting on initiatives to assess, promote, and
coordinate service initiatives. This bill would contribute
toward the Commission's vision that by 2031, five million
Americans begin participating in military, national, or public
service each year.\19\
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\16\National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017, Pub.
L. 114-328, Subtitle F.
\17\National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service,
supra note 1.
\18\Id. at 7.
\19\Id. at 10.
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III. Legislative History
Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) introduced S. 2150, the Unity
through Service Act of 2023, on June 22, 2023, with original
cosponsor Senator Todd Young (R-IN). The bill was referred to
the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
The Committee considered S. 2150 at a business meeting on
October 25, 2023. At the business meeting, Chairman Peters
offered a substitute amendment to the bill and a modification
to the substitute amendment. The substitute amendment adjusted
language in the bill related to the Chair of the Interagency
Council on Service, clarifying that the individual designated
as Chair must already hold a presidentially appointed, Senate-
confirmed position in the federal government. The modification
to the substitute amendment included the following changes to
the bill language: (1) striking text regarding the sharing of
marketing and recruiting research among Council agencies; (2)
adding ``faith-based organizations''' to the list of entities
outside of the federal government with which the Council may
consult; (3) clarifying which congressional committees would
receive the Council's quadrennial report on cross-service
promotion and requiring the report to include a description of
the information and data used to develop relevant initiatives;
(4) directing the Council to conduct a study on past
advertising campaigns for different areas of service and the
role of vaccine requirements on service participation; (5)
specifying that the bill does not authorize additional
appropriations; and (6) requiring GAO to report to Congress on
the effectiveness of the bill. The Committee adopted the
modification to the substitute amendment, and the substitute
amendment as modified, by unanimous consent, with Senators
Peters, Hassan, Sinema, Rosen, Ossoff, Blumenthal, Butler,
Paul, Lankford, Romney, Scott, Hawley, and Marshall present.
The bill, as amended by the Peters substitute amendment as
modified, was ordered reported favorably by roll call vote of
11 yeas to 1 nay, with Senators Peters, Hassan, Sinema, Rosen,
Ossoff, Blumenthal, Butler, Lankford, Romney, Scott, and Hawley
voting in the affirmative and Senator Paul voting in the
negative. Senators Carper and Marshall voted yea by proxy, and
Senator Johnson voted nay by proxy, for the record only.
IV. Section-by-Section Analysis of the Bill, as Reported
Section 1. Short title
This section establishes the short title of the bill as the
``Unity through Service Act of 2023.''
Section 2. Interagency Council on Service
Subsection (a) would establish the Interagency Council on
Service, tasked with advising the President on promoting,
strengthening, and expanding opportunities for military
service, national service, and public service in the United
States. The Council would review and coordinate recruitment
strategies and federal government initiatives to increase a
sense of service and civic responsibility.
Subsection (b) describes the composition of the Council in
terms of agency participation and directs the Council to meet
on a quarterly basis. The President would designate which
member of the Council would serve as Chair, selecting from
Council members who hold presidentially appointed and Senate-
confirmed positions in the federal government.
Subsection (c) outlines the responsibilities of the
Council. The Council would develop recruitment strategies to
increase participation in military service, national service,
and public service. It would provide a forum for the federal
officials responsible for military service, national service,
and public service programs to coordinate and share best
practices for service recruitment. The Council could consult
with state, local, and tribal entities, including governments,
institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations,
faith-based organizations, philanthropic organizations, and the
private sector, as well as identify notable initiatives by
those entities to improve participation in national service
programs. Every four years, starting two years after the bill's
enactment, the Council would submit to the President and
Congress a Service Strategy reviewing relevant federal programs
and initiatives, online content, and trends for service. The
Strategy would recommend opportunities related to service
recruitment, joint messaging, and branding.
Section 3. Joint market research to advance military and national
service
This section authorizes DoD, CNCS, and the Peace Corps to
carry out a joint program for market research, market studies,
recruiting, and advertising, to complement existing programs.
Section 4. Transition opportunities for military servicemembers and
national service participants
Subsection (a) amends a provision in military law related
to employment assistance for servicemembers separating from the
military. This subsection would add CNCS as an entity with
which DoD and DHS can establish procedures to release the names
and other pertinent information of individuals separating from
the military and their spouses for the purpose of locating
civilian employment and training opportunities.
Subsection (b) amends a provision in military law related
to employment assistance, job training assistance, and other
transitional services offered to servicemembers separating from
the military in a program administered by the Department of
Labor. This subsection would require the Department of Labor to
provide information to transition counselors about public
service opportunities, training on public service job
recruitment, and the advantages of careers with the federal
government. It would also add an option for program
participants to receive two days of instruction on national and
community service.
Subsection (c) amends federal statute that outlines the
duties of the CEO of CNCS. It would add the duty of ensuring
individuals completing terms of service in domestic volunteer
programs, such as AmeriCorps, receive information about
military and public service opportunities.
Section 5. Joint report to congress on initiatives to integrate
military and national service
This section requires that every four years, the Chair of
the Council, in coordination with DoD, CNCS, and the Peace
Corps, submit a report to relevant congressional committees
regarding cross-service marketing, research, and promotion. The
report would include the number of individuals serving in
national service programs who previously served in the military
and vice versa. It would also include assessments and
recommendations related to joint advertising and recruitment
initiatives, as well as a description of the information and
data used to develop related initiatives or campaigns.
Section 6. Reports to Congress on lessons learned regarding retention
and recruitment
This section would require the Chair of the Council to
conduct a study on the effectiveness of past advertising
campaigns for each area of service, as well as a study on the
role of vaccine requirements on service retention and
recruitment. The Council would submit a report on the findings
of study to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs and the House Committee on Homeland
Security within 270 days after the bill's enactment.
Section 7. Definitions
This section defines the terms ``Interagency Council on
Service,'' ``military department,'' ``military service,''
``national service,'' ``public service,'' ``service,'' and
``State Service Commission'' for the purpose of this bill.
Section 8. No Additional funds
This section specifies that the bill does not authorize the
appropriation of additional funding for carrying out the bill's
provisions.
Section 9. GAO report
This section directs GAO to report to Congress on the
effectiveness of the provisions in this bill within 30 months
after the bill's enactment.
V. Evaluation of Regulatory Impact
Pursuant to the requirements of paragraph 11(b) of rule
XXVI of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee has
considered the regulatory impact of this bill and determined
that the bill will have no regulatory impact within the meaning
of the rules. The Committee agrees with the Congressional
Budget Office's statement that the bill contains no
intergovernmental or private sector mandates as defined in the
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) and would impose no costs
on state, local, or tribal governments.
VI. Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate
S. 2150 would establish the Interagency Council on Service
which would be composed of representatives from at least 16
federal agencies. The Council would coordinate efforts by those
agencies aimed at increasing public awareness of opportunities
for service in the military, civilian employment in federal,
state, local, and tribal governments, and other opportunities
for service that meets the needs of communities, states, and
the nation. The Council would be required to produce a report
on the effectiveness of previous advertising efforts to
increase public service and on the effect of vaccine
requirements on recruiting and retention.
The bill also would authorize the Department of Defense,
the Peace Corps, and the Corporation for National and Community
Service to conduct a joint recruitment and advertising
campaign. The bill would require the Council to quadrennially
submit implementation reports to the Congress and issue
recommendations for increasing interagency marketing and
promotion initiatives.
S. 2150 also would require the Government Accountability
Office to report on the effectiveness of the legislation within
30 months of enactment.
Using information about the cost of similar entities, CBO
estimates that implementing S. 2150 would cost $2 million over
the 2024-2028 period for compensation, travel, activities, and
other administrative expenses of the Council's staff. CBO
estimates that satisfying the bill's other reporting and
research requirements would cost an additional $1 million over
the same timeframe. In total, implementing the bill would cost
$3 million over the 2024-2028 period. Any spending would be
subject to the availability of appropriated funds.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Christopher
Mann. The estimate was reviewed by Christina Hawley Anthony,
Deputy Director of Budget Analysis.
Phillip L. Swagel,
Director, Congressional Budget Office.
VII. Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported
In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, changes in existing law made by
the bill, as reported, are shown as follows (existing law
proposed to be omitted is enclosed in brackets, new matter is
printed in italic, and existing law in which no change is
proposed is shown in roman):
UNITED STATES CODE
* * * * * * *
TITLE 10--ARMED FORCES
* * * * * * *
SUBTITLE A--GENERAL MILITARY LAW
* * * * * * *
PART II--PERSONNEL
* * * * * * *
CHAPTER 58--BENEFITS AND SERVICES FOR MEMBERS BEING SEPARATED OR
RECENTLY SEPARATED
* * * * * * *
SEC. 1143. EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE
(a) * * *
(b) * * *
(c) Information to Civilian Entities.--
(1) For the purpose of assisting members covered by
subsection (a) and their spouses in locating civilian
employment and training opportunities, the Secretary of
Defense and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall
establish and implement procedures to release to
civilian employers, organizations, State employment
agencies, the Corporation for National and Community
Service, and other appropriate entities the names (and
other pertinent information) of such members and their
spouses. Such names may be released for such purpose
only with the consent of such members and spouses.
* * * * * * *
SEC. 1144. EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE, JOB TRAINING ASSISTANCE, AND OTHER
TRANSITIONAL SERVICES: DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
(a) * * *
(b) Elements of Program.--In establishing and carrying out
a program under this section, the Secretary of Labor shall do
the following:
(1) * * *
* * * * * * *
(11) Provide information on public service
opportunities, training on public service job
recruiting, and the advantages of careers with the
Federal Government.
* * * * * * *
(f) Program Contents.--
(1) The program carried out under this section shall
consist of instruction as follows:
(A) * * *
* * * * * * *
(D) Two days of instruction regarding a topic
selected by the member from the following
subjects:
(i) Preparation for employment.
(ii) Preparation for education.
(iii) Preparation for vocational
training.
(iv) Preparation for
entrepreneurship.
(v) National and community service,
taught in conjunction with the Chief
Executive Officer of the Corporation
for National and Community Service.
([v]vi) Other options determined by
the Secretary concerned.
* * * * * * *
NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE ACT OF 1990
* * * * * * *
TITLE I--NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE STATE GRANT PROGRAM
* * * * * * *
PART III--NATIONAL SERVICE PARTICIPANTS
* * * * * * *
SUBTITLE G--CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE
* * * * * * *
SEC. 193A. AUTHORITIES AND DUTIES OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER.
(a) * * *
(b) Duties.--In addition to the duties conferred on the
Chief Executive Officer under any other provision of the
national service laws, the Chief Executive Officer, in
collaboration with the State Commissions, shall--
(1) * * *
* * * * * * *
(24) conduct outreach to ensure the inclusion of
economically disadvantaged individuals in national
service programs and activities authorized under the
national service laws; [and]
(25) ensure that outreach, awareness, and recruitment
efforts are consistent with the Americans with
Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.) and
section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973[.]; and
(26) ensure that individuals completing a partial or
full term of service in a program under subtitle C or E
or part A of title I of the Domestic Volunteer Service
Act of 1973 (42 U.S.C. 4951 et seq.) receive
information about military and public service
opportunities for which they may qualify or in which
they may be interested.
* * * * * * *
[all]