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FOIA Number: 2013-0661-F FOIA MARKER This is not a textual record. This is used as an administrative marker by the William J. Clinton Presidential Library Staff. Collection/Record Group: Clinton Presidential Records Subgroup/Office of Origin: Cabinet Affairs Series/Staff Member: Stephen Silverman and Phil Caplan Subseries: OA/ID Number: 4599 FolderID: Folder Title: Miscellaneous and National Service 1993 Stack: Row: Section: Shelf: Position: S 25 1 8 3 COMPARISON of BENEFIT LEVELS for MILITARY AND CIVILIAN NATIONAL SERVICE Military Service National Service Monetary E-1 $753.60 $4.25 (Min. wage) benefits (per mo. for first 4 months of enlistment) or $170/wk or $728.56/mo $814.80 or $8742.72/yr (per mo. after first 4 months) E-2 $913.20 (per mo.) $10,958.40 (per yr.) E-3 $948.90 (per mo.) $11,386.80 (per yr.) Education $325/mo for less $6,500 benefits than 3 yrs of service for 1 yr of national service $3,900.00 for 1 yr $7,800.00 for 2 yrs $13,000.00 $11,700.00 for less than 3 yrs ($6,500 for year 1 $14,400.00 for 3 yrs or more and $6,500 for year two) The military service educational benefits payment includes $1,200 contributed by the recipient at a rate of $100/mo over the first year of her/his enlistment. Comparison of first two years in military and national service. Military Civilian $28,191.20 $30,485.44 Benefits Comparison: Military Service and National Service Military Service* National Service Monetary E-1 $753.60/mo $728.56/mo benefits (1st 4 mos of (based on 40 hr enlistment) @ $4.25/hr) $818.80/mo (after 4 mos) $9,432.80/yr $8,742.72/yr. E-2 $913.20/mo $10,958.40/yr E-3 $947.90/mo Education $325/mo for ea month $6,500 for 1 yr benefits of serv up to 3 yrs of nat'l serv or $3,900 for 1 yr $13,000 for 2 yrs $7,800 for 2 yrs $11,700 for 3 yrs $400/mo for 3 yrs or more of mili serv or $4,800 for 1 yr $9,600 for 2 yrs $14,400 for 3 yrs * -- The military service education benefits payment includes $1,200 contributed by the recipient at a rate of $100/mo during the first year of her/his enlistment. DAILY PHONE LOG DATE: 5-11-93 NAME Leslie w/Riley REMARKS Please call Date 3-11 Time (EMailed ACTION TAKEN message to 35) Phone 401-3001 NAME John Hart REMARKS PIS call ACTION TAKEN Date 3-11 Time 1:15 Phone +2896 NAME Sharon Harris REMARKS Date 3-11 Time 1:30 ACTION Looking TAKEN for a copy of Phone 720-5538 the invitation to the w/ Mike Espy Alabama Dem. Party Event. NAME Jeff 3-11 Pine REMARKS Pls call ACTION TAKEN Date Time 1:30 Phone (212)377-9525 NAME Nick Baldick REMARKS Date 3-11 ACTION TAKEN NE Political Director- DNC Time 3:30 Phone 863-8059 NAME Tom Hufford REMARKS W/ WH Admin office Date 3-11 ACTION TAKEN Time 4:05 Phone x2500 Phone Calls Stephen B. Silverman Date Name Number Action Comment 1. knmn 705 2 Abby S trongin 965-7060 3. Adrian Schwartz DUL 4. Her segal DNC 863-8034 5. Jill Magis le Cryloyment 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. STEPHEN B. SILVERMAN TO DO LIST DATE mon. 22/2 / 1. Call Labor, HHS, HUD 10 #s DONE Await response. J 2. wall Blue sheets though V 3. Pictures to WH CORR. march 19 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. Phone Calls Stephen B. Silverman Date Name Number Action Comment 1. Glassma 703-838-6702 2 Aver 2030 3. Barret 6502 4. Sucharides 224-7432 5. Glyse - 2896 6. Adam Goladne 303-292-2900 7. Bonna Green 219-8271 8. Andrew Frank 619-4355 9. Jach 371-6197 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. Phone Calls Stephen B. Silverman Date Name Number Action Comment 1. Tin Clifford (01626-8476 ray 2 Pan McEluel 6224 3. Joel Legnich - 914-428-7700 4. Belt (nofremy 586-6210 5. 103h 208-7603 6. Onldbez 219-7917 5) 7. Richaw Aintz 8. Sheda Gronpon 1-800-shyperg 801-0575 5012-663-8600 9. maralee - 334-6082 10. Pete O'heefe 737-3500 5:20 5/10 11. Nete 7848 12. Jun Folous 244-0558 13. Belh F. 14. Adam Goloha 303-292-2900 510-843-8576 (w) 526-2413 15. Miho Laza 203-651-7920 16. Pag bardner 863-8076-141546-6113 17. justn Dart 370-0200 Publy Affars 18. Girl Brown 366-5742 Jessportation 376- 19. Dunnand Reect - 219-8271 6200 20. Brant Lee 2702 21. Donna beer 219-8271 22. Brantlee- 2702 - Brefing for Treasury oept. crow 23. Ashy Steviar 965-7060 24. julinmofett 7151 25. Tim Cliffow - 202-626-8476 EPA Conference call 260-4270 Phone Calls Stephen B. Silverman Date Name Number Action Comment 1. Vuonne EPA 260-4700 2 Ann Hardison (~) 260 - 3863 (h)543-0372 3. Phit Wapla 6444 4. Lisa SachsBayn 908-604-8093 5. TON 0' Dunell 6. Whitery polumation 7. Note: 503-228-L000 8. Gabnlle - 994-8925 9. Whaten- 708-0980 10. Andy Franh 619-4355 11. Valeremslah 254-3800 12. mach,hr 7610 13. Mmi Cosk/di 219-8271 14. Jach trumbultz 371-6197 (ull for luch 15. Virginia Cor 690-6610 16. Sean Candrus 212-853-7831 17. Lt Mile lucas- - mass Headgness 18. Morgan Birrenger 732-1871 signatures in Special cetters 19. Caoline Armovit -2-514-2018 20. for Jama call, 702 Collier - Bureau of Reclamation Oas Beard 21. Jillinda. Jullinda-690-7000 Aprl 9 ash prive 22. An dy Rancra 232-7616 23. Chrs - 703-521-1015 24. Gabnile 328-6565 Yvonno 260-4700 Phone Calls Stephen B. Silverman Date Name Number Action Comment 1. Junes lee with 3923 2 Watson 25% 3. 514-2927 JWB 4. Bih Aner 586-6210 5. Culsing 6444 as 6. CHION 2580 I 7. Neggile) 366-5552 8. Gthar 6444 9. mnille 412-261-1500 10. Lee Slev 212-906-2342 11. stune 622 622 0016 0016 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. Agenda Inter-Departmental Working Group On National Service June 30th, 1993 * Introduction: Peter Edelman Welcome Explanation of handouts Brief description of working group's function * Status of National Service Legislation: Shirley Sagawa See Legislative Summary * Building an Ethic of Service - National Service Program Development Efforts: Susan Stroud Overview of program development strategy Examples of national service placements * Departments' Role in Program Development: General Discussion - help determine policy priority areas - help identify experts and constituencies - begin to develop/expand programs in own departments (see handout for funding options) * Next Steps See handout on follow-up tasks Packet Includes: * Memorandum to all Chiefs of Staff describing Inter-Departmental Working Group on National Service. * Brief description of basic program goals for national service. * Summary of National Service Legislation - includes goals of act and description of placement and model program types. * Outline of National Service Legislation. * Description of Federal Departments' relationship to national service. * HHS memo - model for department involvement. * Follow-up agenda for National Service Inter-Departmental Working Group. * List of Working Group members. THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON June 21, 1993 Memorandum to All Chiefs of Staff From: Christine Varney Eli J. Segal Subject: Forming an Inter-Departmental Working Group for National Service Now that national service legislation has been reported to the floor in both houses of Congress, the White House Office of National Service has begun to focus on developing implementation ideas to share with the states and potential applicants as a guide and a stimulus for thinking. To carry out this task successfully, the Office of National Service will need the continued support and assistance of high level officials in the Cabinet Departments. To this end, Eli Segal has asked Peter Edelman, Counselor to Donna Shalala at HHS and a senior policy advisor to Eli Segal at the White House, to establish and chair an inter-departmental working group on national service. The group will have two main functions: * It will involve department representatives in the process of building the national service program. Department representatives will be asked to help identify experts in their fields, both inside and outside their departments, who can help establish basic program priorities and guidelines, solicit the advice and assistance of other experts, and identify the main constituent groups which can help with outreach and information dissemination efforts. Note: As Susan Stroud, Director of Program Development for the Office of National Service, begins to establish working groups to help move program development efforts forward, ONS wants to establish some general policy priorities within the areas of education, public health, public safety, and the environment which can be a guide for all those involved. Since ONS would like the policy priorities in these areas to be consistent with overall Administration policy priorities, the first thing we will ask the representatives to do is to let us know the top policy priorities of their departments as they are applicable to these four priority areas for national service. This will help in thinking through priorities for implementation of national service. * It will give department representatives the opportunity to share ideas and information with each other about planned or existing department-sponsored service initiatives and to encourage the creation of additional department-based service initiatives. Drawing upon each other's ideas and experiences, representatives will help invigorate the ethic of service in the federal government, in general, and in their own departments, in particular, by generating new ideas for program development and additional service components in existing programs, suggesting ways to increase employee volunteerism, and finding ways to form partnerships between departments as program planning moves forward. Representatives to the working group should be able to attend meetings at least once a month and do follow-up work on behalf of the group and their departments when necessary. While we recognize that most departments have already designated community service contacts who have helped the Office of National Service complete an inventory of department-sponsored service initiatives, the status of these contacts varies in each department. Please take the time to carefully select the representative to the working group. The role of the representative will be quite different from that of the initial contact who was identified previously. In order to serve effectively, representatives to the working group must be high level officials who have policy expertise and a great deal of experience in their fields. The first working group meeting will take place on Wednesday, June 30th at 4:00 in the OEOB room 180. Please select a representative from your department and call Kate Frucher in the Office of National Service at (202) 456-6444 with that person's name and phone number by Friday, June 25th. Once selected, the representative should fax a list of the service- relevant top policy priorities of your department (see previous page) to Kate at (202) 456-6420 before the first meeting. Thank you for your attention to these matters. Your help has been and will continue to be greatly appreciated. NATIONAL SERVICE BASIC PROGRAM GOALS THE PRESIDENT'S NEW NATIONAL SERVICE INITIATIVE WILL: 1. Meet pressing national needs in the areas of education, the environment, human services and public safety. 2. Help people pay for post-secondary education by offering a $5,000 education award to those who complete a term of service. 3. Bring Americans together by uniting citizens of every race, religion and age in an effort to rebuild our communities, neighborhood by neighborhood and block by block. 4. Mobilize people, not bureaucracies, by streamlining government and relying on locally-driven initiatives, building on existing community efforts instead of displacing them. 5. Educate Americans for citizenship -- creating the sense of civic responsibility that our democracy requires. 6. Encourage young people to become responsible leaders by working to meet needs in their communities and their country. 7. Make a cost-effective investment that pays back three ways -- in services provided communities, in skills given youth during the program, and in education financed afterwards. 8. Create incentives for excellence through market-like competition, tough performance goals and evaluation requirements, and flexibility in implementation. 9. Supplement, not supplant, means-tested education aid as one way to help people pay for college, joining but in no way replacing Pell Grants and other federal aid. 10. Not displace or duplicate workers because of tough anti-displacement provisions, ensuring that national service meets unmet needs. 11. Support all forms of service at every stage in Americans' lives, including K-12 service learning, college-based programs, the Older American Volunteer Programs, the Civilian Community Corps, and the Points of Light Foundation. 12. Grow at an appropriate pace that respects the limits of the budget, the capacity of the field, and the success of the program in meeting its objectives. National Service Legislation The legislation is designed to support service by all Americans, at all ages, in all forms. It amends two existing laws, the National and Community Service Act and the Domestic Volunteer Service Act, and establishes a Corporation for National Service that combines two existing agencies, the Commission on National and Community Service and ACTION. The legislation authorizes the new National Service Trust program and the school-based and community-based service-learning programs for youth. It also amends and reauthorizes the VISTA program and the Older American Volunteer Programs under the Domestic Volunteer Service Act; reauthorizes the Civilian Community Corps; and speeds up the implementation of the Stafford Loan Cancellation program. National Service Trust Program The National Service Trust Program will enable Americans to perform valuable national service while earning educational awards in return. National service work must meet unmet educational, environmental, public safety and human needs; improve the citizenship ethic and skills of those who serve; and not displace existing workers. In general, Americans over 17 years of age will be eligible to serve in an approved positions for one or two terms that may be full-time or part-time. While serving, participants will be provided a living allowance based at minimum wage, and health care and child care if necessary. In return for each term of service, participants will receive an education award of $5,000, payable for current expenses or against past loans at participating institutions, including trade and graduate schools, under the Higher Education Act. Institutions offering national service opportunities may range from small non-profit organizations to Federal agencies. Programs engaging participants may range from individual placement programs for college graduates, to conservation corps for at-risk youth, to community corps for Americans from a variety of backgrounds. Diversity of models and participants will be encouraged. Programs will be selected on a competitive basis by the State Commissions on National Service and the Corporation for National Service. One-third of funds will be allocated to States on a formula basis; one-third to States on a competitive basis; and one-third reserved by the Corporation for allocation directly to national programs and Federal agencies. Approved programs will be responsible for selecting participants on a nondiscriminatory basis. The Corporation for National Service and State Commissions on National Service will also establish information and recruiting systems for national service that are easily accessible through job and college counselling offices, and by other means. School-based Programs School-based service-learning enables elementary, secondary and post-secondary students to perform service and enjoy educational experiences that are mutually related. Young people in service learning programs meet unmet needs and develop a lifelong ethic of service as well. The Serve-America program offers assistance in order to establish and expand service-learning programs in elementary and secondary schools and through nonprofit organizations. The school-based program encourages partnerships among local educational agencies and other community partners, and will support the work of service-learning coordinators who develop service programs for school-age youth. The program for community- based organizations offers assistance on a competitive basis to such organizations that establish service-learning programs. The Higher Education Innovative Programs offer assistance to institutions and consortia of institutions of higher education to establish or expand service-learning programs for their students. The programs offer funds on a competitive basis, with a priority for initiatives that demonstrate the strong commitment of the institution to service and that involve the community served in planning activities. The legislation expands the authorization for these service- learning programs to double the number of volunteers. One-fourth of funds will be allocated for Higher Education Programs on a competitive basis. The other three-fourths of funds will be allocated to Serve-America Programs, with 85 percent for school- based and 15 percent for community-based initiatives. Three- fourths of school-based program funds are allocated on the basis of school-age youth and chapter one populations, one-fourth a competitive basis. VISTA and Older American Volunteer Programs These programs are reauthorized by this Act. VISTA provides service opportunities to Americans that are particularly targeted at reducing poverty. The Older American Volunteer Programs engage half a million older Americans in service, often unstipended, such as mentoring youth, serving as foster grandparents, and acting as companions to other seniors. Civilian Community Corps (CCC) The CCC will engage military bases no longer in use and discharged military personnel in the operation of service programs for youth. The legislation reauthorizes the CCC. Stafford Cancellation The Stafford cancellation allows minimum wage participants in certain types of service programs to receive loan cancellation. The legislation accelerates implementation of this provision. The Corporation for National Service In order to streamline government and improve efficiency, the Corporation for National Service combines the Commission on National and Community Service and ACTION. The Corporation is designed primarily to "steer," not "row," by establishing performance guidelines, selecting programs on the basis of quality, and guarding against waste, fraud and abuse. The Corporation has a personnel system designed to treat all employees fairly, ensure merit-based, competitive hiring, and provide incentives for excellence. Goals of the Act This Act has two central goals: (1) to benefit communities by meeting their unmet environmental, educational, human and public safety needs; (2) to enhance the lives of participants by enabling them to develop a service ethic, enhancing their bonds to their communities and country, improving their skills and, in the case of the full-time program, providing educational awards. The Act supports all the "streams of service, amending and expanding the K-12 service-learning program and the higher education service program; establishing the new national service program by combining subtitles C and D of the National and Community Service Act; amending and reauthorizing the Domestic Volunteer Service Act, including the VISTA and Older Americans Volunteer Programs; reauthorizing support for the Civilian Community Corps and Points of Light Foundation; and speeding up the implementation of the recently enacted Stafford loan forgiveness program for community service participants. Meeting unmet needs The Committee strongly believes that national service work must meet unmet needs that would not otherwise be met by the Government or the private sector. For this reason, national service cannot displace existing workers; doing so would merely change the providers of services without providing new benefits. At the same time national service cannot represent "make-work," "picking up gum wrappers," that offers no tangible benefits to communities. The Committee is well aware of the failures on both these accounts, perceived and real, of public sector employment programs. The Act has a variety of protections to prevent such problems. Funds are allocated on a competitive basis to ensure that only the best programs receive support. Measurable goals must be defined in terms of community impacts, not number of individuals employed. High performance and independent evaluation are required. Union consultation and, in some cases, concurrence, are included to ensure that national service does not become a source of cheap labor that displaces existing workers. And strong provisions to prevent waste and fraud are included (see below). There are four areas in which national service initiatives may meet unmet needs: education, the environment, human needs, and public safety. While these areas enable national service programs to attack a wide range of problems, in every case, work performed must provide essential services. The list of vital needs that national service participants can meet is practically endless. In health care, the youngest and oldest Americans could gain much from services in this 1 initiative. In the field of immunizations, currently only about half of 2-year-olds are fully vaccinated, with rates as low as 10 percent in inner cities (HHS) Immunizations save money, yet often shortage of outreach and information is as troublesome as cost. And among older Americans, nursing home care is the largest out-of-pocket health care expense, yet many seniors would prefer to remain at home if care were available (HCFA Office of the Actuary). National service can provide the outreach and assistance that Americans young and old need. In schools, it was reported in 1991 that 27 percent of youth aged 16 to 24 from low-income families dropped out of school (Department of Education). In 1992, 72 percent of 8th graders in disadvantaged urban districts did not achieve at the basic competency level in math (NAEP) Mentors, tutors, and other volunteers can provide invaluable aid, yet in a 1990 study, 50 percent of the nation's minority schools reported having no volunteers at all (Volunteers in Public Schools). In the area of crime, an astounding 5 million households in American had at least one member who were a victim of crime during 1991. Between 1987 and 1991, law enforcement agencies reported a 29% increase in their violence-related workload; yet the number of sworn law enforcement offices increased by one 11.5% (National Crime Survey). National service participants can do more than reduce the overwhelming burden on sworn police officers; they can provide the community-based assistance that not only stops crime, but prevents it in advance. Environmental needs that can be met through service are well-established. At least a third of the Nation's rivers, half its' estuaries, and more than half its lakes are unsafe for swimming, fishing, and other uses (EPA) In perhaps half of our National Parks, we do not have adequate information to understand the diversity of life at hand (NPS) And most shocking, 3 million young children -- one in six -- have toxic levels of lead in their blood -- impairing IQs, causing behavioral disorders, and stunting growth. Service corps members can find and reduce the lead that causes poisoning; they can recognize biodiversity; and they can reduce pollution, leaving the Nation safer and stronger. Whatever the measurable benefits that national service can achieve, there is still something else that service offers communities. It can foster a new spirit of responsibility that inspires all the residents to work for an improved future. As Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt stated in testifying before the Committee: The presence of volunteers in a community has a ripple effect that somehow tends to awaken communities toward the 2 possibilities of mutuality and reciprocal obligations It infuses a remarkable spirit into the community. Helping participants With regard to participants, national service can offer a variety of benefits. The Committee intends for the national service initiative to include participants with a broad range of educational attainments, ranging from high school dropouts to professional school graduates. All these can gain from national service in different respects. For those who have not finished high school or have graduated but not considered post-secondary education, national service can provide essential skills, ranging from particular trades to good work habits. In addition, the educational award can offer much-needed assistance for job training or a two- or four-year college education. In many cases, the award will encourage youths who had not considered post-secondary education to think about and achieve that added education. Others will mature in a year of service before college, gaining a self-discipline and sense of purpose that will serve them well throughout their college years. Joseph Duffey, former president of American University in Washington, D.C., has estimated that perhaps one fourth of entering freshmen are unprepared to gain all they can from college. National service can help prepare them. Those who serve after post-secondary education can pay off outstanding loans or save up awards for post-graduate work, while also learning about a career path, gaining perspective on their life options, and meeting important needs in their communities that require significant education. Through a year or two of national service, those who serve after college can lighten or remove the debt loads that otherwise impede too many career choices. All those who serve will develop a sense of civic responsibility. As their ties to their communities grow, their lives will increase in depth. Those who serve America will learn the good of helping fellow citizens that transcends race, religion, gender or income. In service together, they will see the barriers that separate them from others lower, and feel the common values that join them strengthened. Types of national service A great variety of program models are possible under this legislation. All must only share the basic goals and features of national service: meeting unmet needs in one of the four areas; 3 possibilities of mutuality and reciprocal obligations It infuses a remarkable spirit into the community. Helping participants With regard to participants, national service can offer a variety of benefits. The Committee intends for the national service initiative to include participants with a broad range of educational attainments, ranging from high school dropouts to professional school graduates. All these can gain from national service in different respects. For those who have not finished high school or have graduated but not considered post-secondary education, national service can provide essential skills, ranging from particular trades to good work habits. In addition, the educational award can offer much-needed assistance for job training or a two- or four-year college education. In many cases, the award will encourage youths who had not considered post-secondary education to think about and achieve that added education. Others will mature in a year of service before college, gaining a self-discipline and sense of purpose that will serve them well throughout their college years. Joseph Duffey, former president of American University in Washington, D.C., has estimated that perhaps one fourth of entering freshmen are unprepared to gain all they can from college. National service can help prepare them. Those who serve after post-secondary education can pay off outstanding loans or save up awards for post-graduate work, while also learning about a career path, gaining perspective on their life options, and meeting important needs in their communities that require significant education. Through a year or two of national service, those who serve after college can lighten or remove the debt loads that otherwise impede too many career choices. All those who serve will develop a sense of civic responsibility. As their ties to their communities grow, their lives will increase in depth. Those who serve America will learn the good of helping fellow citizens that transcends race, religion, gender or income. In service together, they will see the barriers that separate them from others lower, and feel the common values that join them strengthened. Types of national service A great variety of program models are possible under this legislation. All must only share the basic goals and features of national service: meeting unmet needs in one of the four areas; 3 improving the lives of participants by developing their sense of citizenship; and not displacing existing workers. Certain models are well-established, such as conservation corps, youthbuild programs, and individual placement programs like VISTA. Many other existing programs, while not currently considered under the national service rubric, can easily be adjusted to fit within it. Though national service cannot and should not replace other programs specifically targeted at particular needs, it can provide essential additional support to them. It is the hope of the Committee that, in the words of Martha Diepenbrock of the Los Angeles Conservation Corps, national service will come to be viewed by professionals and communities with a variety of concerns as "a way to get our priorities done." The Committee believes that a wide variety of national service programs are desirable, to determine what works best, to enable diverse participation, and to meet the differing needs of different areas. The examples that follow, like those in the legislation, do not exhaust the range of possibilities. They only indicate the variety of potential program along all their axes: programs targeting differing needs or a variety of needs at once; pre-college, post-college, post-graduate and mixed programs; existing programs, programs currently outside the national service rubric, and new programs; programs requiring extensive training and high skill levels, and programs requiring little training or specialized skill; and programs operated by non- profit organizations, state or local governments, or federal agencies. Public Safety In cities around the country such as San Diego and Tucson, police departments are currently developing programs in which non-sworn police officers contribute significantly to public safety. Working closely with police departments and public housing authorities, and also freeing up regular officers to walk beats, "national service officers" (NSOs) can provide valuable assistance in non-hazardous public safety services. College graduates can be trained to handle minor investigations, analyze crime data, and engage in alternative dispute resolution. NSOs can also counsel crime victims and mentor gang members, and work with community groups and school children to organize prevention efforts, such as anti-drug initiatives and crime patrols. Other crime-related initiatives could draw on diverse young people in community-based anti-crime activities. Youth as Resources and the National Crime Prevention Council are already engaged in such activities. In close partnership with local schools and anti-drug professionals, national service participants could form drug abuse prevention teams to engage in 4 a panoply of activities. The teams could include a range of students, from college graduates trained in psychology to high school dropouts and recovering crack addicts. Each would offer a unique perspective. Teams might spend some time developing a curriculum for drug education during and after school and then implementing it. At other times, team members might work one-on- one with at-risk youths. Part of the time, programs could run after-school programs to keep kids off the streets. At other times, teams might solicit private sector funding to develop billboard advertising videos on drug abuse, and other materials. Education The Committee expects that there will be many opportunities for service as service-learning coordinators in elementary and secondary schools. Working with teachers and community organizations, trained service-learning coordinators organize service projects that fit into the broader curriculum. Such programs have a significant multiplier effect -- a single coordinator working with a half-dozen classrooms can enable young students to contribute thousands of hours of service that enhances their education as well. There are similar opportunities in the fields of education and early childhood development. National service participants could, for example, provide invaluable assistance in Head Start and other child care programs. After receiving training in the summer after college, participants would be assigned in groups as assistant teachers in Head Start centers and other child care facilities for low-income families. Experienced teachers would act as mentors, and assistant teachers would work with small groups of children, developing their cognitive and social skills through sustained attention and education. In addition, the participants would provide services to parents -- literacy training, parenting education, and the like. The assistant teachers would periodically meet to receive additional training, and move on to more challenging tasks when suitable. In Chapter 1 schools that most need help, national service participants at a variety of education levels and in a variety of roles could significantly further efforts to improve education. Some could work with parents to ensure their involvement in their children's education. Others would serve as math or reading tutors. A third group would organize afterschool activities to keep unsupervised children off the streets while enhancing their education through activities like community service and homework clinics. Participants who became interested in teaching careers would be able to receive additional training while serving. A few certified teachers might enter the schools through professional corps in fields like special and bilingual education. Education-related activities, such as mentoring, are especially suited to part-time national service programs. 5 College-age participants in the New York State Mentoring Program (NYSMP), for example, spend time with at-risk - children in local elementary and secondary schools, boosting their self-esteem and broadening their horizons. After learning from their mentors, many children within NYSMP have improved their school achievement and aspire to go to college themselves. Full-time national service participants can also serve in such programs as program coordinators for schools or colleges responsible for recruiting, training, and supervising part-time volunteer mentors and organizing group activities. Environment Conservation corps represent a strong existing model for national service programs. These plant trees, build soil banks to prevent erosion, develop trails, revegetate heavily visited areas, and survey flora and fauna. Such programs primarily involve pre- and non-college participants, but college graduates with special training often serve as team leaders. The Committee hopes that this legislation will increase the quality and expand the scope of existing conservation corps. There are other new and exciting models which might be implemented. For example, college graduates could work with businesses and consumers to devise strategies to reduce waste. After a summer of training, they would be assigned to cover a limited area where they would meet with employers, retailers, and building managers to develop plans for source reduction and recycling. Participants would continue working with these people, helping them meet their recycling goals. In areas where there are legal requirements for recycling, participants could work with local law enforcement agencies to ensure compliance. The overall goal of the program, however, would be to help people fulfill requirements before legal action becomes necessary. Human Services In the broad field of human services, there are a broad variety of possible programs. Health care is a field in which national service participants can make a particular impact. For example, national service participants without advanced degrees could become an integral part of the effort to improve health care in medically underserved areas. Working with a school of nursing or public health agencies to provide the training necessary, nonprofit community health centers could involve young people in a variety of health-related activities. Some young people could provide daily services to the home- bound elderly, enabling to stay at home instead of being forced to enter a nursing home. These services might include the administration of medications, meal delivery, light housekeeping, and companionship. Other youths could provide outreach services as part of prenatal and immunization programs, making home 6 visits, arranging for transportation, serving as translators, referring parents to substance abuse programs if needed, and so on. Still other youths could provide administrative assistance after hours in clinics, enabling them to stay open late to serve working parents. There are many opportunities for service in housing and economic development. Programs like Habitat for Humanity and YouthBuild are already well-established. The latter, in particular, provides at-risk youth with remedial education, job training, and practical experience while building much-needed shelter for homeless and low-income individuals. By leveraging non-profit and private dollars, and by converting the "served" into "servers" in low-income communities, programs like YouthBuild accomplish greater good at less cost than traditional programs. Other housing-related initiatives could include renovation of abandoned buildings for use as community centers and child care facilities. Some programs could not only build housing, but provide essential supportive services like counseling as well. 7 (This outline reflects the bill transmitted to Congress in early May. As amended, the legislation is somewhat different with regard to organization, but the program and participation requirements are essentially the same.) OUTLINE OF LEGISLATION NATIONAL SERVICE INITIATIVE President Clinton's national service program will expand educational opportunity, reward individual responsibility, and build the American community by bringing citizens together to tackle common problems. The President's support for service extends from the youngest elementary students to our oldest citizens, and includes everything from part-time volunteer activities to full-time public service jobs. The centerpiece of the President's initiative to support service is a new program to offer educational awards to Americans who make a substantial commitment to service. In addition to this program, which builds on the youth corps and demonstration programs of the National and Community Service Act of 1990, the National Service Trust Act includes: Extension and improvement of programs in the National and Community Service Act of 1990 that enhance elementary and secondary education through community service in schools, support after-school and summer programs for school-age youth, and fund service programs on college campuses. Support for the Civilian Community Corps, to provide service opportunities in areas adversely affected by defense cutbacks. Support for the Points of Light Foundation, to support volunteerism. Extension and improvement of VISTA and the Older American Volunteer Programs authorized by the Domestic Volunteer Service Act. Creation of a new Investment Fund for Quality and Innovation to support model service programs and activities designed to ensure the development of high quality national service programs. 1 NATIONAL SERVICE TRUST ACT Focus of Service National service must address unmet educational, environmental, human, or public safety needs. National priorities may be established within these areas. National service must improve the life of the participants, through citizenship education and training. Participants may not displace or duplicate the functions of existing workers. Corporation for National Service Structure The national service program will be administered by a new government Corporation for National Service, created by combining two existing independent federal agencies, the Commission on National and Community Service and ACTION. The corporation will be responsible for administering all programs authorized under the National and Community Service Act and Domestic Volunteer Service Act, including VISTA and the Older American Volunteer Programs. The Corporation will also fund training and technical assistance, service clearinghouses and other activities. The investment division of the corporation will administer the new trust program and programs currently administered by the Commission on National and Community Service. The operating division will administer programs currently run by the ACTION agency, including VISTA and the Older American Volunteer Programs. Flexible and quality-driven personnel policies will include pay-for-performance and a 7-year limit on most tenures. The Corporation may solicit and accept private funds. Governance The corporation will have an eleven-member volunteer Board of Directors appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. It will be bipartisan and include persons experienced in national service, experts in providing educational, environmental, human, or public safety service, and representatives of States. The first Board members will be appointed primarily from the Board of Directors of the Commission on National and Community Service. Seven Cabinet secretaries will serve as non-voting ex-officio members. 2 The Board will approve grant decisions, develop the corporation's strategic plan, review other policy and personnel decisions, receive and act on reports from the Inspector General, supervise evaluations, and advise the Corporation on all issues. A Chairperson of the Board and a Managing Director for each division will be full- time employees appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. Oversight An Inspector General will oversee programs to guard against fraud and abuse. Programs must arrange for independent audits and evaluations, and may also be required to participate in national or state evaluations. State Commissions Structure In order to receive a grant, each state must establish a commission on national service. The corporation will provide funding for the state commission. Commissions will have 7 to 13 members appointed by the governors on a bipartisan basis. There must be at least one representative of national service programs, one representative of local governments, and one representative of local labor organizations on each Board. The remaining members of the Board will be selected from among representatives of community-based organizations, youth who participate in service, educators, business, or experts in the delivery of particular services. Not more than 25 percent of voting members may be state officials, although additional state agency representatives may sit on the commissions as non-voting ex-officio members. Commissions will elect their own chair. A representative of the corporation will sit on each commission as a voting member and act as liaison between the commission and the corporation. Duties State commissions will be responsible for selecting programs to be funded under the state formula allocation, and in any competitive grant states may request. State commissions must also design strategic plans for service in the states, recruit participants, and disseminate information about service opportunities. State commissions may also support clearinghouses, training and technical assistance, and other initiatives to support service. They may not operate national service programs, but may use a portion of funds to support programs run by state agencies. 3 Transition For a period of one year, existing state agencies may assume the responsibility of the state commissions. The Corporation may approve an alternative agency in place of a commission at a state's request, if the agency ensures diverse participation in policy making. Allocation of Funds States submitting plans approved by the Corporation will receive one-third of funds according to a population-based formula and one-third on a competitive basis. One-third of funds will be allocated directly by the corporation. Programs eligible for priority consideration include federal programs, national nonprofit organizations operating multiple programs or competitive grant programs, national service initiatives in more than one state and meeting priority needs, proposals to replicate successful programs in more than one state, professional corps, and innovative national service programs. Programs Goals Programs must set measurable goals regarding the impact of the service on the community and on participants. Eligibility Programs eligible for national service designation include diverse community corps, youth corps, specialized service programs focusing on a specific community need, individual placement programs, campus-based service programs, programs that train and place service- learning coordinators in schools or team leaders in corps programs, intergenerational programs, national service entrepreneurship programs, and professional corps. Programs may be run by non-profit organizations, institutions of higher education, local governments, school districts, states, or federal agencies. Programs may not provide direct benefits to for-profit businesses, labor unions, or partisan political organizations, or involve participants in religious activities. Selection Selection criteria include quality (based on criteria developed in consultation with experts in the field), innovation, sustainability, and replicability of programs. 4 Past experience and management skills of program leadership, involvement of participants in leadership roles, and the extent to which the program builds on existing programs will also be taken into account. Programs serving and recruiting participants from communities of need, including those designated as enterprise zones, community redevelopment areas, areas with high poverty rates, environmentally distressed areas, and communities adversely affected by decreased defense spending will also receive special consideration. Funding All participants will receive educational awards. To develop programs, one-year planning grants will be available. To support national service participants, three-year renewable grants will be available for program expansion or replication. Administrative costs will be limited to five percent of all grants other than planning grants. Programs must pay 15 percent of the stipend and health care benefits in cash and 25 percent of other program costs receiving federal support. The 25 percent match may be in cash or in kind from any source other than programs funded under the National and Community Service or Domestic Volunteer Service Acts. Federal funds must supplement, not supplant, state and local dollars. Participants Eligibility Individuals may serve before, during, or after post-secondary education. In general, participants may be age 17 or older. Youth corps participants may be age 16 or older. Participants must be high school graduates or agree to achieve their GED prior to receiving educational awards. Selection Participants will be recruited and selected on a nondiscriminatory basis and without regard to political affiliation by local programs designated by states or the federal government. A national or state recruitment system will help interested individuals locate placements in local programs. Information about available positions will be widely 5 disseminated through high schools, colleges and other placement offices. A special leadership corps may be recruited, trained, and placed to assist in the development of new national service programs. Term of Service To earn an educational award, a participant one year of full-time or two years of part- time service in a program designated by a state or the federal government. An individual may serve up to two terms and earn up to two educational awards. Educational Awards Educational awards of $5,000 will be provided for a term of service. Educational awards may be used to repay loans for higher education or to pay for higher education or training. Educational awards will be federally funded and deposited into a national service trust on behalf of all participants accepted into the program. Organizations and individuals may donate funds to support national service participants in the donor's community. Payments will be made directly to qualified post-secondary educational institutions, including two- and four-year colleges, training programs, and graduate or professional programs. In the case of participants with outstanding loan obligations for qualified educational activities, awards will be paid directly to lenders. Awards will not be taxable and must be used within five years of receipt. Stipends Programs will set stipends within program guidelines. However, federal support will be limited to a match of 85 percent of an annual stipend equivalent to benefits received by VISTA volunteers. Programs may provide additional stipends up to twice this amount, with no federal match for the portion of the stipend in excess of the VISTA benefit. In the limited case of designated professional corps in areas of great need, such as teaching and public safety in underserved areas, participants may be paid a salary in excess of the guidelines and receive an educational award. However, no federal support will be available for a stipend, and professional corps will be selected on a case-by-case basis directly by the Corporation. Health and Child Care All participants without access to health insurance will receive health coverage. Federal dollars will pay up to 85 percent of the cost of these benefits. Participants will receive child care assistance, if needed. 6 Serve-America The proposal extends and expands the existing Serve-America program for school-age youth and Higher Education Innovative Projects for Community Service. Modifications to these programs are described below. Service-Learning Program Program Goals To build a foundation for service among the nation's youth, inspiring them to serve and instilling in them the values and attitude to serve effectively after graduation. To create opportunities for all American children to serve our country. Types of Programs Programs may be partnerships of local education agencies and community-based organizations. Local educational agencies may receive planning grants to hire service-learning coordinators. Types of Funding School-based programs will be eligible for funding through state educational agencies, partly based on formula and partly through competition. State educational agencies must develop state plans that indicate programs to be funded and detail 3-year strategies for service-learning in their states. The Corporation must approve state plans. Programs may receive one-year planning grants for school-based programs. Subgranting to experienced institutions for school-based programs will also be allowed. All local programs will be required to provide at least 10 percent of total program costs in the first year of funding, increasing to 50 percent in the fourth. Local programs may utilize other federal education funds to meet the match requirement. Training and Technical Assistance Clearinghouses will be expanded to further enable them to disseminate information and curriculum materials; train teachers, service sponsors and participants; and provide needs assessments or technical assistance. States will also receive additional resources to train and educate state educational personnel. 7 Community-based Program for School-Age Youth Community-based organizations working with school-age youth may receive grants from the State Commission for programs to involve such youth in community service. National non-profit organizations may apply to the Corporation to make subgrants or run multi-state community-service programs for this population. Higher Education Innovative Projects Higher Education institutions, consortia of such institutions, or partnerships of higher education institutions and non-profit institutions may receive grants from the Corporation for student community-service programs or programs to train teachers in service-learning methods. Funds may supplement College Work-Study funds being used for community service placements. Extension of the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 The proposal extends and expands VISTA and Older American Volunteer Programs authorized by the Domestic Volunteer Service Act. Following a transition period, these programs will be administered by the corporation for national service. VISTA Extends authority for the VISTA program and increases number of VISTA volunteers. Authorizes new VISTA Summer Associate program. Authorizes a University Year for VISTA program to encourage student volunteer efforts addressing the needs of low-income communities. Removes restrictions limiting the flexibility to manage VISTA, while reaffirming commitment to recruiting a diverse group of VISTA volunteers including young and older adults. Increases post-service stipends by $30 for each month of service. Such stipends are not available if VISTA volunteer accepts an educational award under the national service trust. Continues support for VISTA Literacy Corps. 8 Special Volunteer Programs Provides broadened authority under the Special Volunteer Programs to supporting demonstrations and innovations, provide technical assistance, and promote other entrepreneurial activities. Eliminates specific authority for student community service and drug programs, which are covered under the broadened demonstration authority and under the National and Community Service Act. Older American Volunteer Programs Renames the Older American Volunteer Programs as National Senior Volunteer Corps and the Retired Senior Volunteer Program as the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP). Lowers eligibility age for participation in the RSVP program to 55. Clarifies that Foster Grandparents may work with children with special and exceptional needs in Head Start programs, schools, and day care centers. Provides for a new demonstration authority to enrich and strengthen older American volunteer programs across the country. Eliminates restrictions that limit the flexibility to administer the program. Increases the stipend for low-income Foster Grandparents and Senior Companions once over the next five years to account for inflation. Administration Encourages relationships between ACTION and other federal agencies where ACTION volunteers might help further the purposes of other Federal programs. Authorizes a Center for Research and Training on Volunteerism to strengthen volunteer programs across the country. Provides a technical amendment to restore the crediting of VISTA service for federal pensions. Provides copyright protection for the programs authorized under the Act. 9 National Service and Federal Agencies There are many ways that Federal agencies can contribute to the national service initiative. Four of the most significant would be the following. (1) Either from their discretionary funds or through a specific request to Congress in a departmental budget, Federal agencies can allocate their own resources to national service programs. Currently, many agencies fund such service programs out of their own budgets. Such programs might conform to the requirements of the new national service legislation; or, they might not. In any case, agencies could arrange with the new Corporation for National Service to supervise the allocation of funds, operation of programs, or provision of educational awards. (2) Federal agencies can ask the Corporation to fund their service initiatives. A small but significant amount of the Corporation's funding will be available to Federal agencies on a competitive basis. Because this funding is limited, agencies should probably expect to use the Corporation's funding to get new initiatives started -- not to fund them on a continuing basis. (3) Agencies not wanting funds will have an important role in informing their grantees about national service and encouraging them to apply. The universe of national service providers needs to expand in order for the program to be a success. Many of the nonprofit organizations and local and state governments with which agencies work can become involved in the national service initiative. (4) The Corporation for National Service will likely rely on agencies for advice and assistance in determining national priorities for service in particular areas (looking, for example, to Justice for a sense of priority public safety areas, and Education for priority education areas) The Corporation will need continuing help in designing quality criteria and general program guidelines in the different fields. SERVICES NUMAN THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES Office of the Secretary HEALTH 3 Washington, D.C. 20201 June 25, 1993 MEMORANDUM TO: Lou Enoff Olivia Golden Phil Lee Terry Lewis Fernando Torres-Gil FROM: Peter Edelman SUBJECT: Next Steps in Defining HHS Role in National Service I want to clarify the next steps in our process of defining HHS' role in the President's National Service initiative which we agreed to at our June 10 meeting. I am addressing this memo to those who agreed to take on specific follow-up tasks (for which, thank you), and "cc"ing the others who were at the meeting, or were invited and could not attend, or have an interest. I welcome suggestions from anyone who reads this. Last week, both houses of Congress marked up the President's National Service legislation and reported it to the floor. A vote in the House should be held quite soon, perhaps in the next week, and a Senate vote is likely to occur before the August recess. This rapid progress means that we need to move quickly in exploring and clarifying HHS involvement in National Service. As you know, the legislation requires service opportunities in four broad areas, one of which is "human needs." A working group has been formed to develop service options in each area, and I am chairing the human needs group. Although this component will include some efforts which do not implicate HHS, many of the potential "human needs" projects involve services funded or provided by HHS. Thus, your ideas will inform the development of guidelines for projects in this area which are funded by the Corporation on National Service, as well as providing an outline for HHS participation. As I explained at our meeting, our participation could take several forms. One option, the least likely as a practical matter, would be for HHS to fund one or more major service initiatives such as a Health for America Corps. Second, the Corporation on National Service also is to have some funds which it can allocate to the agencies, and thus could assist in funding an HHS initiative. Third, the Corporation or individual state mini-Commissions could fund initiatives carried out by private groups, but developed with the help of HHS. At our June 10 meeting, each of you agreed to consider service options in the following program areas: Lou Enoff and Elderly; disabled (specifically, home Fernando Torres-Gil care and assistance for disabled, elderly, and HIV+ populations) Olivia Golden Early childhood (specifically, Head Start corps and child care assistance) ; volunteer opportunities related to youth (youth as both recipients and providers of service) Phil Lee Health (specifically, health outreach corps, adolescent health issues, school-based clinics, immunization) Terry Lewis Troubled youth; runaway youth (Also OGC: displacement; confidentiality; liability for volunteers) As you assemble your thoughts, it seems to me there are several issues to consider: 1. Which, if any, HHS program areas are candidates for a significant HHS initiative of our own (i.e., one that costs money) Ken Apfel reminded us that we need to keep this category confined to a very few, if any. A Health for America Corps (health outreach workers attached to community health centers) and a Head Start/Early Childhood Corps seem the most likely; working with the elderly, the disabled, and troubled youth seem possible. 2. Which areas make sense for service initiatives that will be pursued by outside groups? This is presumably the same as the list just above. How would the service roles be configured in any given area? What age (or mix of ages) should servers be and what credentials should they have? Who are potential applicant organizations? Can we begin to describe training and TA needs? How many volunteers could be used nationwide in a given area? By each individual receiving organization? 3. Who are key constituents (e.g., state and local officials, non-profits, foundations, and service providers) who could advise us during the planning process? 4. In what ways could we expand "casual" (i.e., non full-time) service components in existing HHS programs? 5. What new opportunities for HHS employee volunteerism exist? 6. Where could we form effective partnerships with other departments on service projects? 7. Also, I need suggestions for people, inside and outside government, to serve on my working group on human needs. These need to be people who cut across the spectrum of human needs and are senior enough and knowledgeable enough to convene meetings, or otherwise be in touch with constituency groups in their area of expertise. Can I get thoughts from anyone who reads this? Our intent was to meet again within the next month. Thus, I would appreciate it if each of you could develop your thinking on these issues by early July, so that we can circulate some specific recommendations before we talk again as a group. Can I receive your materials by July 12? We'll be in touch to schedule another meeting to occur a few days thereafter. Thanks for your enthusiasm and assistance. cc: The Secretary The Deputy Secretary Ken Apfel Mary Jo Bane Jerry Britten David Ellwood Nan Hunter Jerry Klepner Sarah Kovner Avis LaVelle Kim Parker Wendell Primus Rich Tarplin Kevin Thurm Bruce Vladeck Cheryl Austine Marilyn Gaston Doug Klafehn Ann Segal FOLLOW-UP AGENDA FOR NATIONAL SERVICE INTERAGENCY GROUP 1. Help develop agenda for issue-specific outreach to implement the forthcoming national service legislation: -- Identify constituency groups to be contacted which can in turn reach others to encourage organizational applications for national service slots; -- Identify individuals inside and outside the government who can help in the process of contacting and meeting with constituencies, help to create ideas for service roles and the organization of service roles, and advise about training and technical assistance; -- Develop ideas for service roles connected with agency programs and areas of responsibility, to be shared with outside constituencies who may apply for national service funds; -- Suggest agenda items for issue-specific working groups, including cross-cutting issues like ways to assure diversity; and -- Suggest challenges the President can make to different sectors in the society, e.g., schools, businesses, religious groups, to involve themselves more extensively in service. 2. Begin (or continue) brainstorming within departments and agencies as to their own role in national service, bearing in mind the FY 95 budget cycle for any ideas that require new money: -- Plan for new ideas for service or expansion of existing service programs within the various departments. The same substantive idea could take any of three forms: O A new idea for an agency's own programs, to be funded out of the agency's own budget; o Planning for the federal agency competition portion of the national service legislation, including any technical assistance the agency needs from the Office for National Service or the new Corporation on National Service; or o Ideas that can be shared with constituency groups which might then apply to States and/or the new Corporation for funding. -- Develop ways to incorporate an array of service activities into current programs that merit inclusion of a service component; -- Develop ideas for connecting existing service programs more integrally with the broader national service initiative; and -- Develop additional and expanded opportunities for employee volunteer activities. Inter-Departmental Working Group for National Service Action: William Henry (Hank) Oltman Phone: (202) 606-4921 Fax: (202) 606-4921 Agriculture: Joel Berg Phone: (202) 720-4623 Fax: (202) 720-5043 Council of Economic Advisers: Jonathan Wiener Phone: (202) 456-5012 Commission on National and Community Melinda Hudson Phone: (202) 724-0600 Fax: (202) 724-0608 Commerce: Melissa Moss Phone: (202) 482-4625 Defense: Amy Hickox Phone: (703) 695-5261 Debbie Lee Domestic Policy Council: Shirley Sagawa Phone: (202) 456-2369 Education: Terry Peterson Phone: (202) 401-3414 Madeleine Kunin Phone: (202) 401-1000 Energy: Romulo Diaz Phone: (202) 586-6210 Anne Elliot Phone: (202) 586-1400 Fax: (202)586-6828 EPA: Allison Rainey Phone: (202) 260-7960 Fax: (202)260-0835 HHS: Peter Edelman Phone: (202) 690-8157 Fax: (202) 690-7595 Caitlin Halligan Phone: (202) 690-6625 HUD: Andrew Cuomo Phone: (202) 708-2690 Interior: Bonnie Cohen Mike Sweeny Phone: (202) 208-7551 Fax: (202) 208-4561 Justice: L.D. Acheson Phone: (202) 514-2107 Fax: (202) 514-1724 Labor: Isaac Shapiro Phone: (202) 219-8271 Transportation: Tim Beltz Phone: (202) 366-1111 Treasury: George Munez Phone: (202)622-0410 Veterans Affairs: R. John Vogel Phone: (202)535-7920