For purposes of this subchapter:
The term "adult volunteer" means an individual, such as an older adult, an individual with a disability, a parent, or an employee of a business or public or private nonprofit organization, who—
(A) works without financial remuneration in an educational institution to assist students or out-of-school youth; and
(B) is beyond the age of compulsory school attendance in the State in which the educational institution is located.
The term "Alaska Native-serving institution" has the meaning given the term in
The term "approved national service position" means a national service position for which the Corporation has approved the provision of a national service educational award described in
The term "approved silver scholar position" means a position, in a program described in
The term "approved summer of service position" means a position, in a program described in
The term "Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving institution" has the meaning given the term in
The term "authorizing committees" means the Committee on Education and Labor of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate.
The term "carry out", when used in connection with a national service program, means the planning, establishment, operation, expansion, or replication of the program.
The term "Chief Executive Officer", except when used to refer to the chief executive officer of a State, means the Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation appointed under
The term "community-based agency" means a private nonprofit organization (including a church or other religious entity) that—
(A) is representative of a community or a significant segment of a community; and
(B) is engaged in meeting human, educational, environmental, or public safety community needs.
The term "community-based entity" means a public or private nonprofit organization that—
(A) has experience with meeting unmet human, educational, environmental, or public safety needs; and
(B) meets other such criteria as the Chief Executive Officer may establish.
The term "Corporation" means the Corporation for National and Community Service established under
The term "disadvantaged youth" includes those youth who are economically disadvantaged and 1 or more of the following:
(A) Who are out-of-school youth, including out-of-school youth who are unemployed.
(B) Who are in or aging out of foster care.
(C) Who have limited English proficiency.
(D) Who are homeless or who have run away from home.
(E) Who are at-risk to leave secondary school without a diploma.
(F) Who are former juvenile offenders or at risk of delinquency.
(G) Who are individuals with disabilities.
The term "economically disadvantaged" means, with respect to an individual, an individual who is determined by the Chief Executive Officer to be low-income according to the latest available data from the Department of Commerce.
The term "elementary school" has the same meaning given such term in
The term "encore service program" means a program, carried out by an eligible entity as described in subsection (a), (b), or (c) of
(A) involves a significant number of participants age 55 or older in the program; and
(B) takes advantage of the skills and experience that such participants offer in the design and implementation of the program.
The term "Hispanic-serving institution" has the meaning given such term in
The term "historically black college or university" means a part B institution, as defined in
The term "Indian" means a person who is a member of an Indian tribe, or is a "Native", as defined in
The term "Indian lands" means any real property owned by an Indian tribe, any real property held in trust by the United States for an Indian or Indian tribe, and any real property held by an Indian or Indian tribe that is subject to restrictions on alienation imposed by the United States.
The term "Indian tribe" means—
(A) an Indian tribe, band, nation, or other organized group or community, including—
(i) any Native village, as defined in
(ii) any Regional Corporation or Village Corporation, as defined in subsection (g) or (j), respectively, of
that is recognized as eligible for the special programs and services provided by the United States under Federal law to Indians because of their status as Indians; and
(B) any tribal organization controlled, sanctioned, or chartered by an entity described in subparagraph (A).
Except as provided in
The term "institution of higher education" has the same meaning given such term in
The term "local educational agency" has the same meaning given such term in
The term "medically underserved population" has the meaning given that term in
The term "national service laws" means this chapter and the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 (
The term "Native American-serving, nontribal institution" has the meaning given the term in
The term "Native Hawaiian-serving institution" has the meaning given the term in
The term "out-of-school youth" means an individual who—
(A) has not attained the age of 27;
(B) has not completed college or the equivalent thereof; and
(C) is not enrolled in an elementary or secondary school or institution of higher education.
The term "participant" means—
(i) for purposes of division C, an individual in an approved national service position; and
(ii) for purposes of any other provision of this chapter, an individual enrolled in a program that receives assistance under this subchapter.
A participant shall not be considered to be an employee of the organization receiving assistance under the national service laws through which the participant is engaging in service.
The term "partnership program" means a program through which an adult volunteer, a public or private nonprofit organization, an institution of higher education, or a business assists a local educational agency.
The term "Predominantly Black Institution" has the meaning given the term in
The term "principles of scientific research" means principles of research that—
(A) apply rigorous, systematic, and objective methodology to obtain reliable and valid knowledge relevant to the subject matter involved;
(B) present findings and make claims that are appropriate to, and supported by, the methods that have been employed; and
(C) include, appropriate to the research being conducted—
(i) use of systematic, empirical methods that draw on observation or experiment;
(ii) use of data analyses that are adequate to support the general findings;
(iii) reliance on measurements or observational methods that provide reliable and generalizable findings;
(iv) strong claims of causal relationships, only with research designs that eliminate plausible competing explanations for observed results, such as, but not limited to, random-assignment experiments;
(v) presentation of studies and methods in sufficient detail and clarity to allow for replication or, at a minimum, to offer the opportunity to build systematically on the findings of the research;
(vi) acceptance by a peer-reviewed journal or critique by a panel of independent experts through a comparably rigorous, objective, and scientific review; and
(vii) consistency of findings across multiple studies or sites to support the generality of results and conclusions.
The term "program", unless the context otherwise requires, and except when used as part of the term "academic program", means a program described in
The term "project" means an activity, carried out through a program that receives assistance under this subchapter, that results in a specific identifiable service or improvement that otherwise would not be done with existing funds, and that does not duplicate the routine services or functions of the employer to whom participants are assigned.
The term "qualified organization" means a public or private nonprofit organization with experience working with school-age youth that meets such criteria as the Chief Executive Officer may establish.
The term "school-age youth" means—
(A) individuals between the ages of 5 and 17, inclusive; and
(B) children with disabilities, as defined in section 602(3) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (
The term "scientifically valid research" includes applied research, basic research, and field-initiated research in which the rationale, design, and interpretation are soundly developed in accordance with principles of scientific research.
The term "secondary school" has the same meaning given such term in
The term "service-learning" means a method—
(A) under which students or participants learn and develop through active participation in thoughtfully organized service that—
(i) is conducted in and meets the needs of a community;
(ii) is coordinated with an elementary school, secondary school, institution of higher education, or community service program, and with the community; and
(iii) helps foster civic responsibility; and
(B) that—
(i) is integrated into and enhances the academic curriculum of the students, or the educational components of the community service program in which the participants are enrolled; and
(ii) provides structured time for the students or participants to reflect on the service experience.
The term "service-learning coordinator" means an individual who provides services as described in subsection (a)(3) or (b) of
The term "service sponsor" means an organization, or other entity, that has been selected to provide a placement for a participant.
The term "State" means each of the several States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
The term "State Commission" means a State Commission on National and Community Service maintained by a State pursuant to
The term "State educational agency" has the same meaning given such term in
The term "student" means an individual who is enrolled in an elementary or secondary school or institution of higher education on a full- or part-time basis.
The term "territory" means the United States Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
The term "tribally controlled college or university" has the meaning given such term in
The term "veteran" has the meaning given the term in
(
Act of June 18, 1934 (commonly known as the "Indian Reorganization Act";
This chapter, referred to in pars. (26) and (30)(A)(ii), was in the original "this Act", meaning
The Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973, referred to in par. (26), is
Section 198G, referred to in par. (34), is unidentifiable in the original, since
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, referred to in par. (37)(B), is title VI of
2015—Pars. (15), (24), (39), (45).
2009—
Par. (3).
Par. (13).
Par. (17)(B).
Par. (19).
Par. (21)(B).
Par. (24).
Par. (26).
Pars. (30) to (49).
2004—Par. (21)(B).
2002—Pars. (8), (14), (22), (28).
1998—Par. (12).
Par. (13).
1994—Par. (8).
Par. (14).
Par. (22).
Par. (28).
1993—
1992—Par. (29).
Par. (30).
1991—Par. (7).
Par. (8).
Pars. (9) to (13).
Par. (14).
Pars. (15) to (22).
Par. (23).
Par. (24).
Pars. (25) to (29).
Par. (30).
Amendment by
Amendment by
Amendment by
Amendment by
Amendment by
1 See References in Text note below.
Section,
Repeal effective Oct. 1, 1993, see section 123 of
Not later than 12 months after April 21, 2009, the Comptroller General of the United States shall develop performance measures for each program receiving Federal assistance under the national service laws.
The performance measures developed under subsection (a) shall—
(1) to the maximum extent practicable draw on research-based, quantitative data;
(2) take into account program purpose and program design;
(3) include criteria to evaluate the cost effectiveness of programs receiving assistance under the national service laws;
(4) include criteria to evaluate the administration and management of programs receiving Federal assistance under the national service laws; and
(5) include criteria to evaluate oversight and accountability of recipients of assistance through such programs under the national service laws.
Not later than 2 years after the development of the performance measures under subsection (a), and every 5 years thereafter, the Comptroller General of the United States shall prepare and submit to the authorizing committees and the Corporation's Board of Directors a report containing an assessment of each such program with respect to the performance measures developed under subsection (a).
In this section:
The terms "authorizing committees", "Corporation", and "national service laws" have the meanings given the terms in
The term "program" means an entire program carried out by the Corporation under the national service laws, such as the entire AmeriCorps program carried out under subtitle C.1
(
Subtitle C, referred to in subsec. (d)(2), probably means subtitle C (§121 et seq.) of title I of
Section was enacted as part of the Serve America Act, and not as part of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 which comprises this chapter.
Section effective Oct. 1, 2009, see section 6101(a) of
1 See References in Text note below.