Title 42, The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-110

§12651g Administration

Title 42 › CHAPTER 129 — NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE › SUBCHAPTER I — NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE STATE GRANT PROGRAM › § 12651g

Last updated Sep 23, 2026|Official source

Summary

May accept help from outside groups and people (not program participants) and may pay their travel costs under section 12651b(d). People who help are not federal employees and are not covered by federal employment rules like pay, leave, unemployment, or benefits, except for three limits: for tort claims they are treated as federal employees under chapter 171 of title 28; for work-injury compensation they are treated as employees under subchapter I of chapter 81 of title 5 and section 8101(1)(B) of title 5 applies; and for certain criminal rules they are special Government employees under chapter 11 of part I of title 18. Those helpers must not do inherently governmental functions. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) must make rules to enforce that. Inherently governmental function means work so tied to the public interest that only a government officer or employee should do it, such as using government authority or making judgment calls for the government. The Corporation may accept and manage money or property gifts and should use them consistent with any donor terms. Gifts are treated as for the United States. The CEO must write rules so gifts do not hurt the Corporation’s fairness or program integrity. When donated property (not money) is no longer used, the Corporation must report it to the General Services Administration and dispose of it under title II of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949. The Corporation may make contracts and agreements with federal and state agencies, private firms, institutions, and individuals, subject to chapters 1–11 of title 40 and division C (except sections 3302, 3307(e), 3501(b), 3509, 3906, 4710, and 4711) of subtitle I of title 41. Office of Management and Budget circulars that apply to agencies also apply to the Corporation.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §12651g

The Public Health and Welfare, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Donations
(1)Services
(A)Organizations and individuals
Notwithstanding section 1342 of title 31, the Corporation may solicit and accept the services of organizations and individuals (other than participants) to assist the Corporation in carrying out the duties of the Corporation under the national service laws, and may provide to such individuals the travel expenses described in section 12651b(d) of this title.
(B)Limitation
A person who provides assistance, either individually or as a member of an organization, in accordance with subparagraph (A) shall not be considered to be a Federal employee and shall not be subject to the provisions of law relating to Federal employment, including those relating to hours of work, rates of compensation, leave, unemployment compensation, and Federal employee benefits, except that—
(i)for the purposes of the tort claims provisions of chapter 171 of title 28, such a person shall be considered to be a Federal employee;
(ii)for the purposes of subchapter I of chapter 81 of title 5 relating to compensation to Federal employees for work injuries, such persons shall be considered to be employees, as defined in section 8101(1)(B) of title 5 and the provisions of such subchapter shall apply; and
(iii)for purposes of the provisions of chapter 11 of part I of title 18, such a person (to whom such provisions would not otherwise apply except for this subsection) shall be a special Government employee.
(C)Inherently governmental function
(i)In general
Such a person shall not carry out an inherently governmental function.
(ii)Regulations
The Chief Executive Officer shall promulgate regulations to carry out this subparagraph.
(iii)“Inherently governmental function” defined
As used in this subparagraph, the term “inherently governmental function” means any activity that is so intimately related to the public interest as to mandate performance by an officer or employee of the Federal Government, including an activity that requires either the exercise of discretion in applying the authority of the Government or the use of value judgment in making a decision for the Government.
(2)Property
(A)In general
The Corporation may solicit, accept, hold, administer, use, and dispose of, in furtherance of the purposes of the national service laws, donations of any money or property, real, personal, or mixed, tangible or intangible, received by gift, devise, bequest, or otherwise. Donations accepted under this subparagraph shall be used as nearly as possible in accordance with the terms, if any, of such donation.
(B)Status of contribution
Any donation accepted under subparagraph (A) shall be considered to be a gift, devise, or bequest to, or for the use of, the United States.
(C)Rules
The Chief Executive Officer shall establish written rules to ensure that the solicitation, acceptance, holding, administration, and use of property described in subparagraph (A)—
(i)will not reflect unfavorably upon the ability of the Corporation, or of any officer or employee of the Corporation, to carry out the responsibilities or official duties of the Corporation in a fair and objective manner; and
(ii)will not compromise the integrity of the programs of the Corporation or any official or employee of the Corporation involved in such programs.
(D)Disposition
Upon completion of the use by the Corporation of any property accepted pursuant to subparagraph (A) (other than money or monetary proceeds from sales of property so accepted), such completion shall be reported to the General Services Administration and such property shall be disposed of in accordance with title II of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949.
(b)Contracts
Subject to chapters 1 to 11 of title 40 and division C (except section 3302, 3307(e), 3501(b), 3509, 3906, 4710, and 4711) of subtitle I of title 41, the Corporation may enter into contracts, and cooperative and interagency agreements, with Federal and State agencies, private firms, institutions, and individuals to conduct activities necessary to assist the Corporation in carrying out the duties of the Corporation under the national service laws.
(c)Office of Management and Budget
Appropriate circulars of the Office of Management and Budget shall apply to the Corporation.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949, referred to in subsec. (a)(2)(D), is act June 30, 1949, ch. 288, 63 Stat. 377. Title II of the Act, which was classified principally to subchapter II (§§ 481, 483, 484, 485, 486, 487 to 490, 491, 492) of chapter 10 and section 758 of former Title 40, Public Buildings, Property, and Works, was repealed by Pub. L. 107–217, § 6(b), Aug. 21, 2002, 116 Stat. 1304, which Act enacted Title 40, Public Buildings, Property, and Works. For disposition of sections of former Title 40 to revised Title 40, see Table preceding section 101 of Title 40. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Tables. Codification In subsec. (b), “chapters 1 to 11 of title 40 and division C (except section 3302, 3307(e), 3501(b), 3509, 3906, 4710, and 4711) of subtitle I of title 41” substituted for “the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949” on authority of Pub. L. 107–217, § 5(c), Aug. 21, 2002, 116 Stat. 1303, which Act enacted Title 40, Public Buildings, Property, and Works, and Pub. L. 111–350, § 6(c), Jan. 4, 2011, 124 Stat. 3854, which Act enacted Title 41, Public Contracts.

Amendments

2009—Subsec. (a)(1)(A). Pub. L. 111–13, § 1707(1)(A), added subpar. (A) and struck out former subpar. (A). Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “Notwithstanding section 1342 of title 31, the Corporation may solicit and accept the voluntary services of individuals to assist the Corporation in carrying out the duties of the Corporation under the national service laws, and may provide to such individuals the travel expenses described in section 12651b(d) of this title.” Subsec. (a)(1)(B). Pub. L. 111–13, § 1707(1)(B)(i), substituted “A person who provides assistance, either individually or as a member of an organization, in accordance with subparagraph (A)” for “Such a volunteer” in introductory provisions. Subsec. (a)(1)(B)(i). Pub. L. 111–13, § 1707(1)(B)(ii), substituted “such a person” for “a volunteer under this division”. Subsec. (a)(1)(B)(ii). Pub. L. 111–13, § 1707(1)(B)(iii), substituted “such persons” for “volunteers under this division”. Subsec. (a)(1)(B)(iii). Pub. L. 111–13, § 1707(1)(B)(iv), substituted “such a person” for “such a volunteer”. Subsec. (a)(1)(C)(i). Pub. L. 111–13, § 1707(1)(C), substituted “Such a person” for “Such a volunteer”. Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 111–13, § 1707(2), struck out par. (3). Text read as follows: “As used in this subsection, the term ‘volunteer’ does not include a participant.” 1993—Subsecs. (a)(1)(A), (2)(A), (b). Pub. L. 103–82, § 203(a)(1)(B), which directed amendment of section 196(a) and (b) of subtitle I of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 by substituting “the national service laws” for “this chapter”, was executed to subsecs. (a)(1)(A), (2)(A) and (b) of this section, which is section 196 of subtitle G of title I of the National Community Service Act of 1990, to reflect the probable intent of Congress.

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

of 1993 AmendmentAmendment by section 203(a)(1)(B) of Pub. L. 103–82 effective Apr. 4, 1994, see section 203(d) of Pub. L. 103–82, set out as a note under section 12651 of this title.

Effective Date

Section effective Oct. 1, 1993, see section 202(i) of Pub. L. 103–82, set out as a note under section 12651 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 12651g

Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Sep 23, 2026

Release point: 119-110