Title 42 › Chapter CHAPTER 129— - NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER I— - NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE STATE GRANT PROGRAM › Part Part II— - Application and Approval Process › § 12585
The Corporation must use the rules in subsections (c) and (d) when it decides whether to approve an application for help or to approve national service positions that include the national service educational award. States or other groups that pass federal help to local programs must use the same rules when they pick programs. Their application must say they used the rules, describe the jobs and the tasks participants will do, and list the minimum qualifications for participants. The main things the Corporation looks at are program quality, new ideas and whether they can be copied, chances the program will keep going (including community support and multiple funding sources), leadership and past results, recruiting locally and involving community members, and serving the highest-need places (like empowerment zones, environmentally damaged areas, places hit by federal land actions, areas hurt by defense cuts, or places with unemployment above the national average). The Corporation must make sure projects are spread across regions and reach the poorest urban and rural areas. It can give priority to programs that match national priorities, are innovative, are already in one or more States and want to expand, are run by experienced nonprofits, or are certain professional corps, and it may favor State Commission proposals in some cases. For requests over $250,000 (in grant money or required educational awards), expert panels must review and their advice must be considered. At least 50% of the money given to States in a year must go to projects in the high-need areas or on public lands and must emphasize recruiting local residents. If a State Commission’s application for certain funds is rejected, the Corporation must quickly explain why, allow a reasonable chance to revise and resubmit (and offer technical help if asked), reconsider the revised application promptly, and reallocate any unused State share for that year.
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The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Legislative History
Reference
Citation
42 U.S.C. § 12585
Title 42 — The Public Health and Welfare
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73