Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act/Title II/Subtitle A

Subtitle A—National Volunteer Antipoverty Programs

CHAPTER 1—Volunteers in Service to America

Sec. 2101. Statement of Purpose.

Section 101 (42 U.S.C. 4951) is amended—

(1) in the second sentence, by striking `exploit' and all that follows through the period and inserting `increase opportunities for self-advancement by persons affected by such problems.'; and

(2) in the third sentence, by striking `at the local level' and all that follows through the period and inserting `at the local level, to support efforts by local agencies and community organizations to achieve long-term sustainability of projects, and to strengthen local agencies and community organizations to carry out the objectives of this part.'.

Sec. 2102. Selection and Assignment of Volunteers.

Section 103 (42 U.S.C. 4953) is amended—

(1) in subsection (a)—

(A) in paragraph (1), by inserting `the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands,' after `American Samoa,';

(B) in paragraph (2), by striking `handicapped individuals' and all that follows through the semicolon and inserting `individuals with disabilities, especially individuals with severe disabilities;';

(C) in paragraph (3), by striking `the jobless, the hungry,' and inserting `unemployed individuals,';

(D) in paragraph (4), by striking `prevention, education,' and inserting `through prevention, education, rehabilitation, treatment,';

(E) in paragraph (5), by striking `chronic and life-threatening illnesses' and inserting `mental illness, chronic and life-threatening illnesses,';

(F) in paragraph (6)—

(i) by striking `Head Start Act' and inserting `Head Start Act'; and

(ii) by striking `and' after the semicolon at the end;

(G) in paragraph (7), by striking the period at the end and inserting a semicolon; and

(H) by adding at the end the following:

`(8) in assisting with the reentry and reintegration of formerly incarcerated youth and adults into society, including providing training and counseling in education, employment, and life skills;

`(9) in developing and carrying out financial literacy, financial planning, budgeting, saving, and reputable credit accessibility programs in low-income communities, including those programs that educate individuals about financing home ownership and higher education;

`(10) in initiating and supporting before-school and after-school programs, serving children in low-income communities, that may engage participants in mentoring, tutoring, life skills and study skills programs, service-learning, physical, nutrition, and health education programs, and other activities addressing the needs of the children;

`(11) in establishing and supporting community economic development initiatives, with a priority on work on such initiatives in rural areas and the other areas where such initiatives are needed most;

`(12) in assisting veterans and their family members through establishing or augmenting programs that assist such persons with access to legal assistance, health care (including mental health care), employment counseling or training, education counseling or training, affordable housing, and other support services; and

`(13) in addressing the health and wellness of individuals in low-income communities and individuals in underserved communities, including programs to increase access to preventive services, insurance, and health services.';

(2) in subsection (b)—

(A) in paragraph (1), by striking `recruitment and placement procedures' and inserting `placement procedures that involve sponsoring organizations and';

(B) in paragraph (2)—

(i) in subparagraph (A), by striking `Community Service Trust Act of 1993' and all that follows through the period at the end of the fourth sentence and inserting `Community Service Act of 1990.';

(ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking `central information system that shall, on request, promptly provide' and inserting `database that provides'; and

(iii) in subparagraph (C), in the second sentence, by inserting `and management' after `the recruitment'; and

(C) in paragraph (5)(B), by striking `information system' and inserting `database';

(3) in subsection (c)—

(A) in paragraph (1)—

(i) in subparagraph (A), by inserting `the Internet and related technologies,' before `radio,';

(ii) in subparagraph (B), by inserting `Internet and related technologies,' before `print media,';

(iii) in subparagraph (C), by inserting `State or local offices of economic development, State employment security agencies, employment offices,' before `and other institutions'; and

(iv) in subparagraph (F), by striking `Community Service Trust Act of 1993' and inserting `Community Service Act of 1990'; and

(B) by striking paragraph (4);

(4) in subsection (d), in the second sentence, by striking `private industry council established under the Job Training Partnership Act or';

(5) in subsection (g), in the first sentence, by striking `, and such' and all that follows through the period and inserting a period; and

(6) by adding at the end the following:

`(i) The Director may enter into agreements under which public and private nonprofit organizations, with sufficient financial capacity and size, pay for all or a portion of the costs of supporting the service of volunteers under this part.'.

Sec. 2103. Support Service.

Section 105(a)(1)(B) (42 U.S.C. 4955(a)(1)(B)) is amended—

(1) by striking the first sentence and inserting the following: `Such stipend shall be set at a rate that is not less than a minimum of $125 per month and not more than a maximum of $150 per month, subject to the availability of funds to provide such a maximum rate.'; and

(2) in the second sentence, by striking `stipend of a maximum of $200 per month' and inserting `stipend set at a rate that is not more than a maximum of $250 per month'.

Sec. 2104. Repeal.

Section 109 (42 U.S.C. 4959) is repealed.

Sec. 2105. Redesignation.

Section 110 (42 U.S.C. 4960) is redesignated as section 109.

CHAPTER 2—University Year for VISTA

Sec. 2121. University Year for VISTA.

Part B of title I (42 U.S.C. 4971 et seq.) is repealed.

CHAPTER 3—Special Volunteer Programs

Sec. 2131. Statement of Purpose.

Section 121 (42 U.S.C. 4991) is amended in the second sentence by striking `situations' and inserting `organizations'.

Sec. 2132. Literacy Challenge Grants.

Section 124 (42 U.S.C. 4995) is repealed.