National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993/Title III/Subtitle B/Chapter 1

SEC. 321. PURPOSE OF THE VISTA PROGRAM.

 * The last sentence of section 101 (42 U.S.C. 4951) is amended to read as follows: ``In addition, the objectives of this part are to generate the commitment of private sector resources, to encourage volunteer service at the local level, and to strengthen local agencies and organizations to carry out the purpose of this part.´´.

SEC. 322. ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR VISTA PROGRAM.

 * (a) IN GENERAL—
 * Section 102 (42 U.S.C. 4952) is amended by striking ``The Director´´ and inserting ``This part shall be administered by one of the Assistant Directors appointed pursuant to section 194(d)(1)(A) of the National and Community Service Act of 1990. Such Director´´.
 * (b) EFFECTIVE DATE—
 * The amendments made by subsection (a) shall take effect on the effective date of section 203(b).

SEC. 323. SELECTION AND ASSIGNMENT OF VISTA VOLUNTEERS.

 * (a) VOLUNTEER ASSIGNMENTS—
 * Section 103(a) (42 U.S.C. 4953(a)) is amended—
 * (1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking ``a public´´ and inserting ``public´´;
 * (2) in paragraph (2), by striking ``and´´ at the end;
 * (3) in paragraph (3), by striking ``illiterate or functionally illiterate youth and other individuals,´´;
 * (4) in paragraph (5), by striking ``and´´ at the end;
 * (5) in paragraph (6)—
 * (A) by striking ``or the Community Economic´´ and inserting ``the Community Economic´´;
 * (B) by inserting ``or other similar Acts,´´ after ``1981,´´; and
 * (C) by striking the period and inserting ``; and´´; and
 * (6) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
 * ``(7) in strengthening, supplementing, and expanding efforts to address the problem of illiteracy throughout the United States.´´.
 * (b) RECRUITMENT PROCEDURES—
 * Section 103(b) (42 U.S.C. 4953(b)) is amended—
 * (1) in paragraph (2)—
 * (A) by amending subparagraph (A) to read as follows:
 * ``(2)—
 * ``(A) The Director shall establish and maintain within the national headquarters of the ACTION Agency (or any successor entity of such agency) a volunteer placement office which shall be responsible for all functions related to the recruitment and placement of volunteers under this part. Such functions and activities shall be carried out in coordination or in conjunction with recruitment and placement activities carried out under the National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993. Upon the transfer of the functions of the ACTION Agency to the Corporation for National and Community Service, the office established under this subparagraph shall be merged with the recruitment office of such Corporation. At no time after such transfer of functions shall more than one office responsible primarily for recruitment exist within the Corporation.´´;
 * (B) by striking subparagraph (C); and
 * (C) by redesignating subparagraph (D) as subparagraph (C);
 * (2) by striking paragraphs (4) and (6); and
 * (3) by redesignating paragraphs (5) and (7) as paragraphs (4) and (6), respectively.
 * (c) PUBLIC AWARENESS AND RECRUITMENT—
 * Subsection (c) of section 103 (42 U.S.C. 4953(c)) is amended—
 * (1) in paragraph (1)—
 * (A) in the 1st sentence by striking ``regional or State employees designated in subparagraphs (C) and (D) of subsection (b)(2)´´ and inserting ``personnel described in subsection (b)(2)(C)´´;
 * (B) in the second sentence, by striking ``shall include´´ and inserting ``may include´´;
 * (C) by redesignating subparagraphs (F) and (G) as subparagraphs (G) and (H), respectively; and
 * (D) by inserting after subparagraph (E) the following new subparagraph:
 * ``(F) publicizing national service educational awards available under the National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993;´´;
 * (2) by striking paragraphs (4) and (5); and
 * (3) by redesignating paragraph (6) as paragraph (4).
 * (d) COORDINATION WITH OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES—
 * Section 103 (42 U.S.C. 4953) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
 * ``(h) The Director is encouraged to enter into agreements with other Federal agencies to use VISTA volunteers in furtherance of program objectives that are consistent with the purposes described in section 101.´´.

SEC. 324. TERMS AND PERIODS OF SERVICE.

 * (a) CLARIFICATION AND PERIODS OF SERVICE—
 * Subsection (b) of section 104 (42 U.S.C. 4954(b)) is amended to read as follows:
 * ``(b)—
 * ``(1) Volunteers serving under this part may be enrolled initially for periods of service of not less than 1 year, nor more than 2 years, except as provided in paragraph (2) or subsection (e).
 * ``(2) Volunteers serving under this part may be enrolled for periods of service of less than 1 year if the Director determines, on an individual basis, that a period of service of less than 1 year is necessary to meet a critical scarce skill need.
 * ``(3) Volunteers serving under this part may be reenrolled for periods of service in a manner to be determined by the Director. No volunteer shall serve for more than a total of 5 years under this part.´´.
 * (b) SUMMER PROGRAM—
 * Section 104 (42 U.S.C. 4954) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
 * ``(e)—
 * ``(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this part, the Director may enroll full-time VISTA summer associates in a program for the summer months only, under such terms and conditions as the Director shall determine to be appropriate. Such individuals shall be assigned to projects that meet the criteria set forth in section 103(a).
 * ``(2) In preparing reports relating to programs under this Act, the Director shall report on participants, costs, and accomplishments under the summer program separately.
 * ``(3) The limitation on funds appropriated for grants and contracts, as contained in section 108, shall not apply to the summer program.´´.

SEC. 325. SUPPORT FOR VISTA VOLUNTEERS.

 * (a) POSTSERVICE STIPEND—
 * Section 105(a)(1) (42 U.S.C. 4955(a)(1)) is amended—
 * (1) by inserting ``(A)´´ after ``(a)(1)´´; and
 * (2) by striking the second sentence and inserting the following:
 * ``(B) Such stipend shall not exceed $95 per month in fiscal year 1994, but shall be set at a minimum of $100 per month, and a maximum of $125 per month assuming the availability of funds to accomplish such maximum, during the service of the volunteer after October 1, 1994. The Director may provide a stipend of a maximum of $200 per month in the case of persons who have served as volunteers under this part for at least 1 year and who, in accordance with standards established in such regulations as the Director shall prescribe, have been designated volunteer leaders on the basis of experience and special skills and a demonstrated leadership among volunteers.
 * ``(C) The Director shall not provide a stipend under this subsection to an individual who elects to receive a national service educational award under subtitle D of title I of the National and Community Service Act of 1990.´´.
 * (b) SUBSISTENCE ALLOWANCE—
 * Section 105(b) (42 U.S.C. 4955(b)) is amended—
 * (1) in paragraph (3)—
 * (A) by striking subparagraph (A);
 * (B) in subparagraph (B), by striking the subparagraph designation; and
 * (C) by adding at the end the following new sentence: ``The Director shall review such adjustments on an annual basis to ensure that the adjustments are current.´´; and
 * (2) by striking paragraph (4).
 * (c) CHILD CARE—
 * Section 105 (42 U.S.C. 4955) is amended by adding at the end the following:
 * ``(c)—
 * ``(1) The Director shall—
 * ``(A) make child care available for children of each volunteer enrolled under this part who need such child care in order to participate as volunteers; or
 * ``(B) provide a child care allowance to each such volunteer who needs such assistance in order to participate as volunteers.
 * ``(2) The Corporation shall establish guidelines regarding the circumstances under which child care shall be made available under this subsection and the value of any child care allowance to be provided.´´.

SEC. 326. PARTICIPATION OF YOUNGER AND OLDER PERSONS.

 * Section 107 (42 U.S.C. 4957) is amended to read as follows:
 * ``SEC. 107. PARTICIPATION OF YOUNGER AND OLDER PERSONS.
 * ``In carrying out this part and part C, the Director shall take necessary steps, including the development of special projects, where appropriate, to encourage the fullest participation of individuals 18 through 27 years of age, and individuals 55 years of age and older, in the various programs and activities authorized under such parts.´´.

SEC. 327. LITERACY ACTIVITIES.

 * Section 109 (42 U.S.C. 4959) is amended—
 * (1) in subsection (g)—
 * (A) by striking paragraph (1); and
 * (B) by striking the paragraph designation of paragraph (2); and
 * (2) in subsection (h)—
 * (A) in paragraph (1) by striking ``paragraphs (2) and (3)´´ and inserting ``paragraph (2)´´; and
 * (B) by striking paragraph (3).

SEC. 328. APPLICATIONS FOR ASSISTANCE.

 * Section 110 (42 U.S.C. 4960) is amended to read as follows:
 * ``SEC. 110. APPLICATIONS FOR ASSISTANCE.
 * ``In reviewing an application for assistance under this part, the Director shall not deny such assistance to any project or program, or any public or private nonprofit organization, solely on the basis of the duration of the assistance such project, program, or organization has received under this part prior to the date of submission of the application. The Director shall grant assistance under this part on the basis of merit and to accomplish the goals of the VISTA program, and shall consider the needs and requirements of projects in existence on such date as well as potential new projects.´´.

SEC. 329. REPEAL OF AUTHORITY FOR STUDENT COMMUNITY SERVICE PROGRAMS.

 * Section 114 (42 U.S.C. 4974) is repealed.

SEC. 330. UNIVERSITY YEAR FOR VISTA.

 * (a) PROGRAM TITLE—
 * Part B of title I (42 U.S.C. 4971 et seq.) is amended—
 * (1) in the part heading, to read as follows:
 * ``Part B—University Year for VISTA´´;
 * (2) by striking ``University Year for ACTION´´ each place that such term appears in such part and inserting ``University Year for VISTA´´;
 * (3) by striking ``UYA´´ each place that such term appears in such part and inserting ``UYV´´; and
 * (4) in section 112 (42 U.S.C. 4972) by striking the section heading and inserting the following new section heading:
 * ``AUTHORITY TO OPERATE UNIVERSITY YEAR FOR VISTA PROGRAM´´.
 * (b) SPECIAL CONDITIONS—
 * Section 113(a) (42 U.S.C. 4973(a)) is amended—
 * (1) by striking ``of not less than the duration of an academic year´´ and inserting ``of not less than the duration of an academic semester or its equivalent´´; and
 * (2) by adding at the end the following new sentence: ``Volunteers may receive a living allowance and such other support or allowances as the Director determines to be appropriate.´´.

SEC. 331. AUTHORITY TO ESTABLISH AND OPERATE SPECIAL VOLUNTEER AND DEMONSTRATION PROGRAMS.

 * Section 122 (42 U.S.C. 4992) is amended to read as follows:
 * ``SEC. 122. AUTHORITY TO ESTABLISH AND OPERATE SPECIAL VOLUNTEER AND DEMONSTRATION PROGRAMS.
 * ``(a) IN GENERAL—
 * ``The Director is authorized to conduct special volunteer programs for demonstration programs, or award grants to or enter into contracts with public or nonprofit organizations to carry out such programs. Such programs shall encourage wider volunteer participation on a full-time, part-time, or short-term basis to further the purpose of this part, and identify particular segments of the poverty community that could benefit from volunteer and other antipoverty efforts.
 * ``(b) ASSIGNMENT AND SUPPORT OF VOLUNTEERS—
 * ``The assignment of volunteers under this section, and the provision of support for such volunteers, including any subsistence allowances and stipends, shall be on such terms and conditions as the Director shall determine to be appropriate, but shall not exceed the level of support provided under section 105. Projects using volunteers who do not receive stipends may also be supported under this section.
 * ``(c) CRITERIA AND PRIORITIES—
 * ``In carrying out this section and section 123, the Director shall establish criteria and priorities for awarding grants and entering into contracts under this part in each fiscal year. No grant or contract exceeding $100,000 shall be made under this part unless the recipient of the grant or contractor has been selected by a competitive process that includes public announcement of the availability of funds for such grant or contract, general criteria for the selection of recipients or contractors, and a description of the application process and application review process.´´.

SEC. 332. TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.

 * Section 123 (42 U.S.C. 4993) is amended to read as follows:
 * ``SEC. 123. TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.
 * ``The Director may provide technical and financial assistance to Federal agencies, State and local governments and agencies, private nonprofit organizations, employers, and other private organizations that utilize or desire to utilize volunteers in carrying out the purpose of this part.´´.

SEC. 333. ELIMINATION OF SEPARATE AUTHORITY FOR DRUG ABUSE PROGRAMS.

 * Title I (42 U.S.C. 4951 et seq.) is amended—
 * (1) by repealing section 124; and
 * (2) by redesignating section 125 as section 124.