Daily Congressional- Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education "GIVE" Act

US Congress ^

[mnehring]

The Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education “GIVE” Act reauthorizes and reforms the national service laws.

Some of the key highlights include:

*expand and strengthen service-learning programs through year-round opportunities, including during the summer months, to improve the education of children and youth and to maximize the benefits of national and community service, in order to renew the ethic of civic responsibility and the spirit of community to children and youth throughout the United States;

*assist in coordinating and strengthening Federal and other citizen service opportunities, including opportunities for participation in emergency and disaster preparedness, relief, and recovery;

*increase service opportunities for our Nation's retiring professionals, including such opportunities for those retiring from the science, technical, engineering, and mathematics professions to improve the education of our Nation's youth and keep America competitive in the global knowledge economy, and to further utilize the experience, knowledge, and skills of older Americans;

*Allotments to States, Territories, and Indian Tribes- The Corporation, in consultation with the Secretary of Education, may make allotments to State educational agencies, Territories, and Indian tribes to pay for the Federal share of--

`(1) planning and building the capacity within the State, Territory, or Indian tribe to implement service-learning programs that are based principally in elementary and secondary schools, including--

`(A) providing training for teachers, supervisors, personnel from community-based agencies (particularly with regard to the recruitment, utilization, and management of participants), and trainers, to be conducted by qualified individuals or organizations that have experience with service-learning;

`(B) developing service-learning curricula, consistent with State or local academic content standards, to be integrated into academic programs, including an age-appropriate learning component that provides participants an opportunity to analyze and apply their service experiences;

`(C) forming local partnerships described in paragraph (2) or (4) to develop school-based service-learning programs in accordance with this part;

`(D) devising appropriate methods for research and evaluation of the educational value of service-learning and the effect of service-learning activities on communities;

`(E) establishing effective outreach and dissemination of information to ensure the broadest possible involvement of community-based agencies with demonstrated effectiveness in working with school-age youth in their communities; and

`(F) establishing effective outreach and dissemination of information to ensure the broadest possible participation of schools throughout the State, with particular attention to schools identified for school improvement under title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.);

`(2) implementing, operating, or expanding school-based service-learning programs, which may include paying for the cost of the recruitment, training, supervision, placement, salaries, and benefits of service-learning coordinators, through distribution of Federal funds by State educational agencies, Territories, and Indian tribes made available under this part to projects operated by local partnerships among--

`(A) local educational agencies; and

`(B) 1 or more community partners that--

`(i) shall include a public or private nonprofit organization that--

`(I) has a demonstrated expertise in the provision of services to meet unmet human, education, environmental, or public safety needs;

`(II) will make projects available for participants, who shall be students; and

`(III) was in existence at least 1 year before the date on which the organization submitted an application under section 113; and

`(ii) may include a private for-profit business, private elementary or secondary school, or Indian tribe (except that an Indian tribe distributing funds to a project under this paragraph is not eligible to be part of the partnership operating that project);

`(3) planning of school-based service-learning programs, through distribution by State educational agencies, Territories, and Indian tribes of Federal funds made available under this part to local educational agencies and Indian tribes, which planning may include paying for the cost of--

`(A) the salaries and benefits of service-learning coordinators; or

`(B) the recruitment, training, supervision, and placement of service-learning coordinators who may be participants in a program under subtitle C or receive a national service educational award under subtitle D, who may be participants in a project under section 201 of the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 (42 U.S.C. 5001), or who may participate in a Youthbuild program under section 173A of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2918a),

who will identify the community partners described in paragraph (2)(B) and assist in the design and implementation of a program described in paragraph (2);

`(4) implementing, operating, or expanding school-based service-learning programs to utilize adult volunteers in service-learning to improve the education of students, through distribution by State educational agencies, Territories, and Indian tribes of Federal funds made available under this part to--

`(A) local educational agencies;

`(B) Indian tribes (except that an Indian tribe distributing funds under this paragraph is not eligible to be a recipient of those funds);

`(C) public or private nonprofit organizations; or

`(D) partnerships or combinations of local educational agencies and entities described in subparagraph (B) or (C); and

`(5) establishing or implementing summer of service programs during the summer months, including the cost of recruitment, training, and placement of service-learning coordinators--

`(A) for youth who will be enrolled in any grade from grade 6 through grade 12 at the end of the summer concerned;

`(B) for community-based service-learning projects that--

`(i) shall--

`(I) meet unmet human, educational, environmental (including energy conservation and stewardship), emergency and disaster preparedness, and public service needs; and

`(II) be intensive, structured, supervised, and designed to produce identifiable improvements to the community; and

`(ii) may include the extension of academic year service-learning programs into the summer months;

`(C) through the distribution of Federal funds made available under this part to projects operated by local partnerships that consist of local educational agencies and--

`(i) public or private elementary schools or secondary schools;

`(ii) institutions of higher education;

`(iii) public or private non-profit organizations that--

`(I) have a demonstrated expertise in providing services to meet unmet human, educational, environmental, or public safety needs; and

`(II) have been in existence for at least 1 year before the date on which the organization submitted an application under section 113;

`(iv) for-profit businesses; or

`(v) a consortia of such entities;

`(D) under which any student who completes 100 hours of service in an approved summer of service position, as certified through a process determined by the Corporation through regulations consistent with section 139(f), shall be eligible for a summer of service educational award of not more than $500 (or, at the discretion of the Chief Executive Officer, not more than $1,000 in the case of a participant who is economically disadvantaged) from funds deposited in the National Service Trust and distributed by the Corporation as described in section 148; and

`(E) subject to the limitation that a student may not receive more than 2 summer of service educational awards from funds deposited in the National Service Trust.

`(b) Programs To Encourage Civic Engagement in Service Learning-

`(1) IN GENERAL- From funds appropriated under section 501(a)(1), and without regard to section 112(b), the Corporation shall reserve up to 3 percent for competitive grants to partnerships described in subsection (a)(2) for the development of service-learning programs that promote greater civic engagement among elementary and secondary school students.

`(2) APPLICATION- To be eligible to receive a grant under this subsection, a partnership shall submit an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Corporation may require.

`(3) ACTIVITIES- Partnerships receiving grants under this subsection shall use funds to develop service-learning curricula that--

`(A) promote a better understanding of the principles of the Constitution of the United States, the heroes of American history (including military heroes), and the meaning of the Oath of Allegiance;

`(B) promote a better understanding of how the Nation's government functions; and

`(C) promote a better understanding of the importance of service in the Nation's character.

`(c) Duties of Service-Learning Coordinator- A service-learning coordinator referred to in paragraph (2), (3), or (5) of subsection (a) shall provide services that may include--

`(1) providing technical assistance and information to, and facilitating the training of, teachers and assisting in the planning, development, execution, and evaluation of service-learning in their classrooms;

`(2) assisting local partnerships described in subsection (a) in the planning, development, and execution of service-learning projects, including summer of service programs; and

`(3) carrying out such other duties as the recipient of assistance under this part may determine to be appropriate.

`(d) Related Expenses- An entity that receives financial assistance under this part may, in carrying out the activities described in subsection (a), use such assistance to pay for the Federal share of reasonable costs related to the supervision of participants, program administration, transportation, insurance, and evaluations and for other reasonable expenses related to the activities.

[mnehring]

This bill passed, 221 to 191. Two Republicans crossed over and voted with the Democrats- Paul and Gilchrest (Votes- http://clerk.house.gov/cgi-bin/vote.asp?year=2008&rollnumber=107 )

In addition to what I've posted above, there are many provisions to fund workplace training programs (section 1300), government 'encourage and oversight' of volunteer programs under the guise of the 'Community Corps'(seciton 1500), & expanding the family medical leave act (section 1600).

The initial appropriations for 2008 for this are $65,000,000 and disbursements are detailed in section 501. Appropriations are renewable and expandable (as departments see fit) through 2012.

From what I can find, this is almost a one thousand percent increase over the program it is replacing (the DOMESTIC VOLUNTEER SERVICE ACT OF 1973)

[mnehring]

Ping- Guess who crossed over with the dems again for a massive program expansion and spending increase.

[mnehring]

Here is an update. Cost estamate from the Congressional Budget Office. Although the bill only calls for $65 million in appropriations, the CBO estamates actual cost of $1 Billion for 2008 and $6.2 Billion through 2012.

http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/85xx/doc8529/hr2857.pdf

[wideawake]

Remember, if you're a Paulestinian you believe that there is no Constitutional warrant for a Federal Reserve Bank, but there is Constitutional warrant for this:paying for the cost of the recruitment, training, supervision, placement, salaries, and benefits of service-learning coordinators

[mnehring]

Funny thing is, this isn't even a story about Paul, once again though, his lone (almost in this case) crossing over with the dems makes his vote stand out.

[BenLurkin]

Wasteful nonsense.

What’s worse — none of this is a legitimate action by the Federal government. None.

Who was it that said “the era of big government is over”?

They lied.

[mnehring]

Here is an update. Townhall has a good article on the GIVE Act- The Proposed GIVE Act - Government Usurpation of Volunteerism

I'll post this as a separate thread.

[wideawake]

I take it as a middle finger to the conservative Republicans who backed Chris Peden.

He's saying: "I'm untouchable now. I can vote with the Democrats now like I've always wanted, because my Truther money makes me unbeatable in any primary."

[SJackson]

Ping- Guess who crossed over with the dems again for a massive program expansion and spending increase.

Let me guess, the one true conservative in Congress who never, ever votes for anything not specificly authorized by the Constitution, including the super-secret text in invisible ink on the back of course.

[mnehring]

Here is a new thread on Town Hall's take on the bill (written prior to the vote)

[BenLurkin]

Perhaps this will be vetoed.

[lormand]

"Guess who crossed over with the dems again..."

Maverick Libertarian?

[longtermmemmory]

translation.

mandatory work without pay. (IOW slavery by consent)

[mnehring]

It only stands to reason that where there's sacrifice, there's someone collecting the sacrificial offerings. Where there's service, there is someone being served. The man who speaks to you of sacrifice is speaking of slaves and masters, and intends to be the master. - Ayn Rand

[jmc813]

I take it as a middle finger to the conservative Republicans who backed Chris Peden. He's saying: "I'm untouchable now. I can vote with the Democrats now like I've always wanted, because my Truther money makes me unbeatable in any primary."

Someone's bitter.

[wideawake]

Someone's bitter.

About a longshot bid to unseat a multiterm incumbent in a primary?

Hardly. 99.9% of such bids end in failure, even when the incumbent doesn't have 20 times the challenger's funds.

So, you think this was a good vote by Paul, then?

[jmc813]

So, you think this was a good vote by Paul, then?

Don't care one way or another. The government wastes so damned much that one tends to get apathetic. That as well as the lousy candidates we're stuck with this year. As long as this pisses you people off, I'm down with it.

[mnehring]

Hey JMC, just curious. Where in the Constitution is the authorization for congress to oversee and fund state and private volunteer programs?

[mnehring]

That as well as the lousy candidates we're stuck with this year. As long as this pisses you people off, I'm down with it.

I think JMC really does hit on the core of why certain candidate's votes certain ways, it isn't the Constitution, it is narcissism. Just like this thread, instead of talking about the absurdity of the government overseeing volunteer programs, we are talking about X candidate.

[jmc813]

Where in the Constitution is the authorization for congress to oversee and fund state and private volunteer programs?

The same part which authorizes the federal drug war, federal involvement in education, gun laws, etc. Y'know, stuff a lot of the Paul-haters dig.