Title 42, The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-110
§12581 Provision of Assistance and Approved National Service Positions
Title 42 › CHAPTER 129 — NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE › SUBCHAPTER I — NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE STATE GRANT PROGRAM › Part II — Application and Approval Process › § 12581
Summary
The Corporation must split the national service money each year and set aside specific shares for certain places and purposes. It must reserve 1% for the U.S. territories (U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands) and divide that 1% among them by population. It must set aside at least 1% for Indian tribes through competitive grants. People chosen as VISTA volunteers or NCCC participants who meet the rules must get the national service educational award, and money for those awards is taken out of the pool. Up to 62.7% of the funds may be used for competitive grants to selected States, multi-State nonprofits, and tribes, with fair treatment for urban and rural applicants and different sizes of programs. The Corporation will try to give at least 10% of those competitive funds and service slots to encore service programs and must pick two or more national service corps to get grants. Another 35.3% is for formula grants to the States, D.C., and Puerto Rico, split by population, with each approved State getting at least $600,000 or 0.5% of that formula pool, whichever is larger. If a State or territory does not apply or is not approved, the Corporation can use that money to fund local groups in that place or to reallocate it to other applicants. All applicants must apply under the program rules. The Corporation cannot approve more service positions than the National Service Trust can fund and may adjust rules if appropriations are too low. Private sponsors may pay for educational awards; their money goes into the Trust. The Corporation may reserve up to $10,000,000 for special assistance and must do that before other allocations. The CEO must also set aside at least 2% (but no more than $20,000,000) each year to help increase participation by people with disabilities. The Corporation can give fixed-amount grants (set per person and lower than full cost). Recipients of those grants must return money if participants do not complete required hours, report on performance, allow evaluations, and promise to raise additional funds. Usual admin limits may not apply to fixed grants, but federal audit rules still do.
Full Legal Text
Title 42, §12581
The Public Health and Welfare, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)One percent allotment for certain territories
Of the funds allocated by the Corporation for provision of assistance under section 12571(a) of this title for a fiscal year, the Corporation shall reserve 1 percent for grants to the United States Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands upon approval by the Corporation of an application submitted under section 12582 of this title. The Corporation shall allot for a grant to each such territory under this subsection for a fiscal year an amount that bears the same ratio to 1 percent of the allocated funds for that fiscal year as the population of the territory bears to the total population of all such territories.
(b)Allotment for Indian tribes
Of the funds allocated by the Corporation for provision of assistance under section 12571(a) of this title for a fiscal year, the Corporation shall reserve at least 1 percent for grants to Indian tribes to be allotted by the Corporation on a competitive basis.
(c)Reservation of approved positions
The Corporation shall ensure that each individual selected during a fiscal year for assignment as a VISTA volunteer under title I of the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 (42 U.S.C. 4951 et seq.) or as a participant in the National Civilian Community Corps Program under division E shall receive the national service educational award described in division D if the individual satisfies the eligibility requirements for the award. Funds for approved national service positions required by this paragraph for a fiscal year shall be deducted from the total funding for approved national service positions to be available for distribution under subsections (d) and (e) for that fiscal year.
(d)Allotment for competitive grants
(1)In general
Of the funds allocated by the Corporation for provision of assistance under section 12571(a) of this title for a fiscal year and subject to section 12585(d)(3) of this title, the Corporation shall reserve not more than 62.7 percent for grants awarded on a competitive basis to States specified in subsection (e)(1) for national service programs, to nonprofit organizations seeking to operate a national service program in 2 or more of those States, and to Indian tribes.
(2)Equitable treatment
In the consideration of applications for such grants, the Corporation shall ensure the equitable treatment of applicants from urban areas, applicants from rural areas, applicants of diverse sizes (as measured by the number of participants served), applicants from States, and applicants from national nonprofit organizations.
(3)Encore service programs
In making grants under this subsection for a fiscal year, the Corporation shall make an effort to allocate not less than 10 percent of the financial assistance and approved national service positions provided through the grants for that fiscal year to eligible entities proposing to carry out encore service programs, unless the Corporation does not receive a sufficient number of applications of adequate quality to justify making that percentage available to those eligible entities.
(4)Corps programs
In making grants under this subsection for a fiscal year, the Corporation—
(A)shall select 2 or more of the national service corps described in section 12572(a) of this title to receive grants under this subsection; and
(B)may select national service programs described in section 12572(b) of this title to receive such grants.
(e)Allotment to certain States on formula basis
(1)Grants
Of the funds allocated by the Corporation for provision of assistance under section 12571(a) of this title for a fiscal year, the Corporation shall make a grant to each of the several States, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico that submits an application under section 12582 of this title that is approved by the Corporation.
(2)Allotments
The Corporation shall allot for a grant to each such State under this subsection for a fiscal year an amount that bears the same ratio to 35.3 percent of the allocated funds for that fiscal year as the population of the State bears to the total population of the several States, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, in compliance with paragraph (3).
(3)Minimum amount
Notwithstanding paragraph (2), the minimum grant made available to each State approved by the Corporation under paragraph (1) for each fiscal year shall be at least $600,000, or 0.5 percent of the amount allocated for the State formula under this subsection for the fiscal year, whichever is greater.
(f)Effect of failure to apply
If a State or territory fails to apply for, or fails to give notice to the Corporation of its intent to apply for, an allotment under this section, or the Corporation does not approve the application consistent with section 12585 of this title, the Corporation may use the amount that would have been allotted under this section to the State or territory to—
(1)make grants (and provide approved national service positions in connection with such grants) to other community-based entities under section 12571 of this title that propose to carry out national service programs in such State or territory; and
(2)make reallotments to other States or territories with approved applications submitted under section 12582 of this title, from the allotment funds not used to make grants as described in paragraph (1).
(g)Application required
The Corporation shall make an allotment of assistance (including the provision of approved national service positions) to a recipient under this section only pursuant to an application submitted by a State or other applicant under section 12582 of this title.
(h)Approval of positions subject to available funds
The Corporation may not approve positions as approved national service positions under this division for a fiscal year in excess of the number of such positions for which the Corporation has sufficient available funds in the National Service Trust for that fiscal year, taking into consideration funding needs for national service educational awards under division D based on completed service. If appropriations are insufficient to provide the maximum allowable national service educational awards under division D for all eligible participants, the Corporation is authorized to make necessary and reasonable adjustments to program rules.
(i)Sponsorship of approved national service positions
(1)Sponsorship authorized
The Corporation may enter into agreements with persons or entities who offer to sponsor national service positions for which the person or entity will be responsible for supplying the funds necessary to provide a national service educational award. The distribution of those approved national service positions shall be made pursuant to the agreement, and the creation of those positions shall not be taken into consideration in determining the number of approved national service positions to be available for distribution under this section.
(2)Deposit of contribution
Funds provided pursuant to an agreement under paragraph (1) shall be deposited in the National Service Trust established in section 12601 of this title until such time as the funds are needed.
(j)Reservation of funds for special assistance
(1)Reservation
From amounts appropriated for a fiscal year pursuant to the authorization of appropriations in section 12681(a)(2) of this title and allocated to carry out this division and subject to the limitation in such section, the Corporation may reserve such amount as the Corporation considers to be appropriate for the purpose of making assistance available under subsections (b) and (c) of section 12576 of this title.
(2)Limitation
The amount reserved under paragraph (1) for a fiscal year may not exceed $10,000,000.
(3)Timing
The Corporation shall reserve such amount, and any amount reserved under subsection (k) from funds appropriated and allocated to carry out this division, before allocating funds for the provision of assistance under any other provision of this division.
(k)Reservation of funds to increase the participation of individuals with disabilities
(1)Reservation
To make grants to public or private nonprofit organizations to increase the participation of individuals with disabilities in national service and for demonstration activities in furtherance of this purpose, and subject to the limitation in paragraph (2), the Chief Executive Officer shall reserve not less than 2 percent from the amounts, appropriated to carry out this division and divisions D, E, and H for each fiscal year.
(2)Limitation
The amount reserved under paragraph (1) for a fiscal year may not exceed $20,000,000.
(3)Remainder
The Chief Executive Officer may use the funds reserved under paragraph (1), and not distributed to make grants under this subsection for other activities described in section 12681(a)(2) of this title.
(l)Authority for fixed-amount grants
(1)In general
(A)Authority
From amounts appropriated for a fiscal year to provide financial assistance under the national service laws, the Corporation may provide assistance in the form of fixed-amount grants in an amount determined by the Corporation under paragraph (2) rather than on the basis of actual costs incurred by a program.
(B)Limitation
Other than fixed-amount grants to support programs described in section 12581a of this title, for the 1-year period beginning on the effective date of the Serve America Act, the Corporation may provide assistance in the form of fixed-amount grants to programs that only offer full-time positions.
(2)Determination of amount of fixed-amount grants
A fixed-amount grant authorized by this subsection shall be in an amount determined by the Corporation that is—
(A)significantly less than the reasonable and necessary costs of administering the program supported by the grant; and
(B)based on an amount per individual enrolled in the program receiving the grant, taking into account—
(i)the capacity of the entity carrying out the program to manage funds and achieve programmatic results;
(ii)the number of approved national service positions, approved silver scholar positions, or approved summer of service positions for the program, if applicable;
(iii)the proposed design of the program;
(iv)whether the program provides service to, or involves the participation of, disadvantaged youth or otherwise would reasonably incur a relatively higher level of costs; and
(v)such other factors as the Corporation may consider under section 12585 of this title in considering applications for assistance.
(3)Requirements for grant recipients
In awarding a fixed-amount grant under this subsection, the Corporation—
(A)shall require the grant recipient—
(i)to return a pro rata amount of the grant funds based upon the difference between the number of hours served by a participant and the minimum number of hours for completion of a term of service (as established by the Corporation);
(ii)to report on the program’s performance on standardized measures and performance levels established by the Corporation;
(iii)to cooperate with any evaluation activities undertaken by the Corporation; and
(iv)to provide assurances that additional funds will be raised in support of the program, in addition to those received under the national service laws; and
(B)may adopt other terms and conditions that the Corporation considers necessary or appropriate based on the relative risks (as determined by the Corporation) associated with any application for a fixed-amount grant.
(4)Other requirements not applicable
Limitations on administrative costs and matching fund documentation requirements shall not apply to fixed-amount grants provided in accordance with this subsection.
(5)Rule of construction
Nothing in this subsection shall relieve a grant recipient of the responsibility to comply with the requirements of chapter 75 of title 31 or other requirements of Office of Management and Budget Circular A–133.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
References in Text
The Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973, referred to in subsec. (c), is Pub. L. 93–113, Oct. 1, 1973, 87 Stat. 394. Title I of the Act is classified generally to subchapter I (§ 4951 et seq.) of chapter 66 of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see
Short Title
note set out under section 4950 of this title and Tables. For the
Effective Date
of the Serve America Act, referred to in subsec. (l)(1)(B), as Oct. 1, 2009, see section 6101(a) of Pub. L. 111–13, set out as an
Effective Date
of 2009 Amendment note under section 4950 of this title.
Prior Provisions
A prior section 129 of Pub. L. 101–610 was renumbered section 199H and is classified to section 12655h of this title.
Amendments
2009—Pub. L. 111–13 amended section generally. Prior to amendment, section consisted of subsecs. (a) to (g) relating to allotments of assistance and approved national service positions to States and Indian tribes, reservation of the national service educational award for eligible individuals in approved positions, reservation of amounts appropriated as considered appropriate for special assistance, competitive distribution of remaining funds, application requirement, approval of positions subject to available funds, and sponsorship of approved national service positions.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 2009 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 111–13 effective Oct. 1, 2009, see section 6101(a) of Pub. L. 111–13, set out as a note under section 4950 of this title.
Effective Date
Section effective Oct. 1, 1993, see section 123 of Pub. L. 103–82, set out as an
Effective Date
of 1993 Amendment note under section 1701 of Title 16, Conservation.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
42 U.S.C. § 12581
Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare
Last Updated
Sep 22, 2026
Release point: 119-110