I
110th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3698
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 27, 2007
Ms. McCollum of Minnesota (for herself, Mr. Lewis of Georgia, Mr. Ellison, Mr. Delahunt, Mr. Honda, Mr. George Miller of California, Mr. McDermott, Mr. Cohen, Mr. Payne, Ms. Sutton, and Ms. Jackson-Lee of Texas) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
A BILL
To establish a Global Service Fellowship Program, and for other purposes.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the
Global Service Fellowship Program Act
of 2007
.
Findings
Congress finds the following:
In confronting terrorism the United States
must reach out to other regions of the world to maintain, as well as establish,
strong relationships as recommended by the Final Report of the National
Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (commonly referred to as
the 9/11 Commission Report
), which stated that The United
States should rebuild the scholarship, exchange, and library programs that
reach out to young people and offer them knowledge and hope. Where such
assistance is provided, it should be identified as coming from the citizens of
the United States.
.
International volunteering opportunities are effective means of addressing critical human needs, building bridges across cultures, and promoting mutual understanding.
Current volunteer programs, such as the Peace Corps, remain an important component of Federal efforts to promote volunteer service, cross-cultural understanding, and the values of the United States.
The duration of volunteer service opportunities and financial limitations are common barriers to qualified individuals of all backgrounds and ages interested in volunteering overseas, which would be significantly reduced by a global service fellowship program.
A global service fellowship program would provide funding and programmatic flexibility for volunteers of all backgrounds and ages.
Eligible organizations willing to participate in the fellowship program as sponsoring organizations would be in a better position to recruit volunteers for their programs overseas.
Global Service Fellowship Program
Establishment and purpose
The Secretary of
State, in consultation with representatives of the Volunteers for Prosperity
program administered by the United States Agency for International Development,
shall establish and administer a grant program to be known as the Global
Service Fellowship Program
(in this section referred to as the
Program
) to fund fellowships to promote international
volunteering opportunities as a means of addressing critical human needs and
promoting mutual understanding by building bridges across cultures, addressing
critical human needs, and promoting mutual understanding.
Fellowships
Grants awarded under the Program shall be used to fund fellowships as follows:
Fellowships between 7 days and 14 days in duration may be funded at levels of up to $1,000.
Fellowships between 15 days and 90 days in duration may be funded at levels of up to $2,500.
Fellowships between 91 days and 180 days may be funded at levels of up to $5,000.
Fellowships between 181 days and one year may be funded at levels of up to $7,500.
Coordination with sponsoring organizations
In general
Fellowships funded under the Program shall be coordinated and supervised by participating volunteer sponsoring organizations. The sponsoring organizations shall be registered with the Secretary of State and shall collaborate with host country organizations in developing programs that appropriately address local needs for the transfer of volunteer skills, capacity building, and cross-cultural service organizations.
Prioritization of projects
Sponsoring organizations shall recommend and prioritize fellowship projects based on one or more of the following objectives:
Eradication of extreme poverty in conjunction with the goals of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals.
Achievement of universal primary education.
Promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women and families.
Reducing child mortality and improving maternal health.
Providing medical and dental health care and prevention.
Providing assistance for the elderly, orphans, people with disabilities, and refugees.
Promoting environmental sustainability.
Providing economic and social opportunities for youth in countries with growing cohorts of young people.
Promoting youth service by building related volunteer-sector capacity in host countries.
Combating HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other infectious diseases.
Helping to build or provide decent housing.
Providing disaster and humanitarian response, preparedness, and reconstruction.
Promoting cross-cultural exchange, conflict resolution, and peace.
Developing global partnerships for development in the areas of economic growth, microenterprise, asset development, and agricultural and rural development.
Advancing access to information technology and strengthening civil society.
Providing services to orphans and vulnerable children.
Carrying out additional activities in impact areas designated by the Secretary of State in accordance with the purposes of this Act.
Application process
Submission of applications
Applicants shall submit applications for fellowships under the Program to sponsoring organizations.
Review of applications
The Secretary of State, or an agent appointed by the Secretary, shall determine the eligibility of candidates and, in consultation with sponsoring organizations, award and administer fellowships under the Program.
Criteria
The Secretary of State shall develop and publish criteria for fellowships in accordance with the following guidelines:
Sponsoring organizations
Applicants for Global Service Fellowships shall be registered with sponsoring organizations such as—
nongovernmental organizations based in the United States that sponsor international volunteer service;
faith-based organizations engaged in the delivery of nonsectarian services;
universities and colleges operating international service learning and volunteer service programs; and
nongovernmental organizations based in the United States that collaborate with local or national host government agencies or nongovernmental organizations in promoting volunteer capacity and national and community service in impact areas designated by the Secretary of State under subsection (c)(2)(Q).
Applicants
Applicants shall be nominated and selected for Global Service Fellowships as follows:
Applicants shall have clearly defined and structured goals for their proposed fellowships, including a plan for assessing and monitoring progress toward such goals with sponsoring organizations and a basis for follow-up and review by the Secretary of State.
Priority should be given to—
applicants from households with an income that is less than 200 percent of the poverty level established pursuant to current census figures;
applicants who have demonstrated prior community service experience;
applicants with skills and experience suited to the specific needs of host countries; and
applicants who demonstrate a clear plan to communicate their volunteer experiences to their community upon their return.
Reporting requirement
Individuals receiving Global Service Fellowships shall submit such reports, including post-fellowship reports prepared for their home communities, as the Secretary of State may require.
Eligible costs
In general
Funds awarded under this section may be used to cover the following costs associated with the Program:
Airfare, in-country travel, accommodations.
Fees assessed by sponsoring organizations to defray international service program costs and administrative costs.
Subsistence allowance in accordance with local market conditions.
Program and local service project materials and tools to be expressly used for implementing and executing individual fellowship projects.
Language and cultural training and other costs associated with pre-service project orientation.
Tuition not covered
Funds awarded under this section may not be used for tuition costs.
Nondiscrimination requirements
Nomination and selection of applicants
The nomination and selection of applicants under subsection (d) shall be without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, political affiliation, or disability.
Sponsoring organizations
In general
A sponsoring organization shall not discriminate against a Global Service Fellowship Program participant or applicant, a beneficiary of any project in which a Global Service Fellow participates, or, except as provided in subparagraph (B), an employee of the organization who is paid with Program funds on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, political affiliation, or disability.
Limited exception for employees of sponsoring organizations employed at time of awarding of funds
The prohibition under subparagraph (A) on discrimination on the basis of religion shall not apply to the employment, with assistance provided under this Program, of any employee who was employed with the sponsoring organization on the date that the funds were awarded.
Evaluation and report
Evaluation of Global Service Fellowship Program
The Secretary of State shall establish and implement an evaluation process for determining the effectiveness of the Global Service Fellowship Program.
Report
Not later than March 31, 2010, the Secretary of State shall submit to Congress a report on the Global Service Fellowships Program established under section 3. The report shall describe—
the identity and location of sponsoring organizations;
for each impact issue areas identified by sponsoring organizations, the number of volunteer opportunities and the number of related Global Service Fellowships that have been funded;
the number of local volunteers recruited or engaged with Global Service Fellows and their sponsoring organizations or local host organizations;
the locations of volunteer services;
the effectiveness of such services based upon findings of the evaluation process; and
the total numbers of nominations for Global Service Fellowships that have been received and accepted by the Secretary of State.
Fellowships excluded from gross income
In general
Part III of subchapter B of chapter 1 of subtitle A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (relating to items specifically excluded from gross income) is amended by inserting after section 139A the following new section:
Global Services Fellowships
Gross income does not include amounts received under the Global Services Fellowship Program (within the meaning of section 3 of the Global Service Fellowship Program Act of 2007).
.
Clerical amendment
The table of sections for part III of subchapter B of chapter 1 of subtitle A of such Code is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 139A the following new item:
139B. Global Services Fellowships.
.
Effective date
The amendments made by this section shall apply to taxable years ending after the date of the enactment of this Act.
Regulations
The Secretary of State shall prescribe regulations to carry out the provisions of this Act.
Authorization of appropriations
Funding
There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of State $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2008 through 2010 for purposes of establishing and implementing the Global Service Fellowship Program.
Offset
In order to provide an offset for amounts appropriated pursuant to subsection (a), the Internal Revenue Service shall deposit in the Treasury as miscellaneous receipts all of the fees it receives for services.