§12584a Prohibited Activities and Ineligible Organizations

Summary

Approved national service positions cannot be used for many political, labor, or religious activities. They cannot try to influence laws, run protests or strikes, help or block union organizing, interfere with existing service contracts, take part in partisan politics or election campaigns, join or back events that advocate for or against parties, candidates, or laws, give religious instruction or try to convert people, or provide abortion services or referrals. They also cannot give direct benefits to for-profit businesses, labor unions, partisan groups, certain nonprofits that don’t follow tax rules, or religious groups (unless the service does not support those religious activities). The program can also ban other activities it finds inappropriate. The program cannot give help to any organization that has broken a federal criminal law. Participants must not be assigned work that would replace paid employees or other volunteers, or that would duplicate or supplant services barred under the rules in section 12637.