Sec. 321. National service fellowships
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Section 198B of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 ( 42 U.S.C. 12653b ) is amended to read as follows: In this section: The term area of national need means targeted efforts to— improve education in schools for economically disadvantaged students; expand and improve access to health care; improve energy efficiency and conserve natural resources; improve economic opportunities for economically disadvantaged individuals; improve disaster preparedness and response; or support the reintegration of ex-offenders.
The term disadvantaged youth has the meaning given that term in section 101(13). The term eligible fellowship applicant means an individual who is selected by the Corporation through a randomized lottery and, as a result of such selection, is eligible for a national service fellowship. The term fellow means an eligible fellowship applicant who is awarded a national service fellowship and is designated a fellow under subsection (e)(2). The term State means each of the several States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and any other territory or possession of the United States.
From the amounts appropriated to carry out this section, the Corporation shall award national service fellowships in accordance with this section. The Corporation shall allot 80 percent of the eligible fellowship positions supported under this section in a fiscal year on a formula basis to be distributed evenly among the congressional districts in each of the States, to include districts of nonvoting delegates to the Congress, in accordance with the selection process described in subsection (c)(1).
The Corporation shall, to the extent practicable, reserve a percentage of eligible fellowship positions approximately equal to the percentage of disadvantaged youth residing in that district. In any district in which one or more Indian tribes are located, a portion of the positions shall be reserved for applicants who are members of any such Indian tribe. The Corporation shall allot 20 percent of the eligible fellowship positions supported under this section in a fiscal year to service sponsor organizations, regardless of congressional district, that have targeted service strategies for utilizing fellows, in accordance with the selection processes described in subsections (c)(2) and (f)(2).
The Corporation shall, to the extent practicable, reserve a percentage of eligible fellowship positions approximately equal to the nationwide percentage of disadvantaged youth. The Corporation shall— establish the number of approved positions under this section at 25,000 for the first fiscal year that begins after the date of the enactment of the Inspire to Serve Act of 2020; and increase the number of such approved positions by 25,000 for each fiscal year thereafter until the number of approved positions is at least 250,000.
For positions described in subsection (b)(2)(A), the Corporation shall select, from the applications received under this section, the number of eligible fellowship applicants that may be supported for that fiscal year based on the amount of funds appropriated for that fiscal year to carry out this section. Such selection shall be done by randomized lottery for all applicants, except that— for those positions reserved for disadvantaged youth applicants under such subsection, selection shall be done by randomized lottery for disadvantaged youth applicants; and for those positions reserved for Indian tribal applicants under such subsection, selection shall be done by randomized lottery for Indian tribal applicants.
For positions described in subsection (b)(2)(B), the Corporation shall select, from the applications received, the number of eligible fellowship applicants that may be supported for that fiscal year based on the amount of funds appropriated for that fiscal year to carry out this section. Such selection shall be done by randomized lottery for all applicants, except that for those positions reserved for disadvantaged youth applicants under such subsection, selection shall be done by randomized lottery for disadvantaged youth applicants.
In the regulations issued to carry out this section, the Corporation shall— establish the randomized lottery system for positions described in subsection (b)(2)(A) and (b)(2)(B); establish preference for those individuals who have not previously been an eligible fellowship applicant or a fellow; and create a waitlist for eligible fellowship applicants if any individual selected as such an applicant does not become a fellow. An applicant desiring to become an eligible fellowship applicant shall submit an application to the Corporation at such time and in such manner as the Corporation may require and containing information on the applicant’s age, educational status, disadvantaged youth status, Indian tribal status, and contact information, and stating whether the applicant elects to be considered for placement in a position in a congressional district under subsection (b)(2)(A) or in a position described in subsection (b)(2)(B).
Each applicant may apply for only one national service fellowship for any fiscal year. An applicant may be selected as an eligible fellowship applicant only if the applicant— is not less than age 18 and not more than age 25 on the date on which the application is made; and holds a high school diploma or recognized equivalent or will be working towards such diploma or recognized equivalent during the applicant’s term of service as a fellow. An eligible fellowship applicant is eligible to participate in a service project as a fellow and receive a national service fellowship if— within 3 months after being selected as an eligible fellowship applicant, the applicant selects a registered service sponsor organization described in subsection (f)— with which the applicant is interested in serving under this section; and with which the applicant would serve in a position that is located in the congressional district in which the fellow resides or a district adjoining the district in which the fellow resides, for a position allotted under subsection (b)(2)(A), or would serve in a position allotted under subsection (b)(2)(B); enters into an agreement with the organization— that specifies the service the applicant will provide if the placement is approved; and in which the applicant agrees to serve for at least 1700 hours during the applicant’s fellowship year, including training, high school equivalency coursework, and special fellow events, except that the Chief Executive Officer may, on a case-by-case basis, authorize a fellow to serve on a part-time basis for a lesser number of hours; and submits such agreement to the Corporation.
Upon receiving the eligible fellowship applicant's agreement under paragraph (1), the Corporation shall award a national service fellowship to the applicant and designate the applicant as a fellow. The Corporation shall award to each fellow a stipend equal to the living allowance under section 199K. In the case of a fellow who is authorized to serve on a part-time basis under paragraph (1)(B)(ii), the amount provided to a fellow under this paragraph shall be prorated accordingly.
A fellow who serves in a service project under this section shall be considered to have served in an approved national service position and, upon meeting the requirements of section 147 for full-time or part-time national service, shall be eligible for an educational award described in such section or the alternative discounted end-of-service cash stipend described in section 332 of the Inspire to Serve Act of 2020. The Corporation shall transfer an appropriate amount of funds to the National Service Trust to provide for the educational award for such fellow.
An organization is eligible to be a service sponsor organization if the organization— is a nonprofit organization, a local government agency, a State government agency, or an agency of an Indian tribe; satisfies qualification criteria established by the Corporation, including standards relating to organizational capacity, financial management, and programmatic oversight; and at the time of registration with a State Commission, enters into an agreement with the State Commission providing that the service sponsor organization shall— abide by all program requirements; be responsible for certifying the number of hours served by each fellow and whether each fellow serving with the organization successfully completes the national service fellowship; provide supervision, supplies, and training for fellows, including a quarterly performance review; provide educational resources, funding for coursework, and other necessary resources to support fellows working towards their high school equivalency degrees; and provide, to the State Commission, the Corporation, and the Inspector General of the Corporation, timely access to records relating to the national service fellowships.
An organization is eligible to be considered for an allotment of positions under subsection (b)(2)(B) if the organization— satisfies the requirements of this subsection; submits an application to the Corporation that includes a detailed description of the area of national need that fellows will address with the organization, along with other requirements that the Corporation may establish; and is selected by the Corporation in accordance with a selection process established by the Corporation.
Each service sponsor organization may provide additional benefits to fellows, including additional funding. A service sponsor organization may not receive a fellow under this section until the organization registers with the State Commission of any State in which a fellow will be serving with the organization. Each State Commission shall maintain on a public website a list of service sponsor organizations registered with that State Commission. If the Corporation determines that a service sponsor organization is in violation of any of the applicable provisions of this subsection, or a State Commission determines that a service sponsor organization is in violation of any requirement for registration under paragraph (4)— the State Commission shall revoke the registration of the organization; the organization shall not be eligible to receive assistance, approved national service fellows, or approved summer of service positions under this title for a period of not less than 5 years; and the Corporation shall have the right to remove a fellow from the organization and relocate the fellow to another site.
The Corporation may award grants to service sponsor organizations to offset the costs of providing ancillary services in support of fellows serving with those service sponsor organizations, including costs for— attending the convention described in subsection (j); courses and exams necessary to obtain a high school diploma or recognized equivalent; recruitment or training activities for fellows; and other activities approved by the Corporation. To be eligible to receive a grant under this subsection, a service sponsor organization shall submit an application to the Corporation at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Corporation may require.
Service sponsor organizations shall coordinate with other service sponsor organizations on training and events beneficial to fellows serving within the same congressional district and ensure that the offices of Members of Congress in those districts are kept apprised of such coordination. The Corporation may provide fellows with branded attire to wear where appropriate. The Corporation may sponsor a yearly convention to convene a geographically diverse group of fellows in a central location to provide the fellows with the opportunity to share experiences and to provide the fellows with information on opportunities to continue in national, public, or military service after their fellowships end.
Service under a national service fellowship shall comply with section 132(a). For purposes of applying that section to this subsection, a reference to assistance shall be considered to be a reference to assistance provided under this section. The Chief Executive Officer shall consult with the Council on Military, National, and Public Service established under section 201 of the Inspire to Serve Act of 2020 regarding opportunities to place fellows in public service positions at the State, local, and tribal levels.
The Corporation may survey fellows about their experiences as fellows, and shall make data acquired from any such survey publicly available. The Corporation shall promulgate such regulations as may be necessary to carry out this section. There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section. . The item relating to section 198B of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 in the table of contents for that Act is amended to read as follows: .
Section 123(7) of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 ( 42 U.S.C. 12573(7) ) is amended by striking ServeAmerica and inserting National Service . Section 501(a)(4)(B) of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 ( 42 U.S.C. 12681(a)(4)(B) ) is repealed.
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