Other Education and Youth Issues

On Thursday, May 14, the Healthy Families and Communities Subcommittee, chaired by U.S. Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY), will hold a hearing to examine how improvements to child nutrition programs can help fight the nation’s childhood obesity crisis.

Child nutrition experts across the board agree that childhood obesity poses the greatest threats to the nation’s physical and financial health. Today, one-third of U.S. children and adolescents, about 25 million, are obese or overweight. Child nutrition programs provide children with access to low-cost, nutritious food to support healthy growth and development.

Below are estimates of the amount of funding that each state and school district would receive to modernize, upgrade and repair school facilities under the 21st Century Green High-Performing Public School Facilities Act, if it were to be enacted.  These are estimates only based on available and current data and may not reflect exact allocations that states or school districts receive when these funds are actually allocated. 

Preliminary estimates from the Congressional Research Service (as calculated on May 5, 2009):

Click here to download state-level data (PDF, 10KB) »
Click here to download school district-level data (PDF, 676KB) »

On Thursday, May 14, the Healthy Families and Communities Subcommittee, chaired by Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, will hold a hearing to examine how improvements to child nutrition programs can help fight the nation’s childhood obesity crisis.

Child nutrition experts across the board agree that childhood obesity poses the greatest threats to the nation’s physical and financial health. Today, one-third of U.S. children and adolescents, about 25 million, are obese or overweight. Child nutrition programs provide children with access to low-cost, nutritious food to support healthy growth and development. 

The House is scheduled to vote this week on the 21st Century Green High-Performing Public School Facilities Act.  The bill would make critical investments to provide more students with modern, healthier, more environmentally-friendly classrooms. It would also support hundreds of thousands of new construction jobs and invest more than half a billion dollars for school facility improvements in the Gulf Coast, where many schools still face considerable damage caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Below is information for workers, families, schools and employers about how to protect our communities by reducing the spread of the H1N1 flu virus.

What is the H1N1 Flu?

General information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about the H1N1 flu (commonly mis-referred to as "swine flu"), including what the H1N1 flu is, how it spreads and how to take care of people sick with it »

School Preparedness

Checklists and other tools to help schools, child care providers, colleges and universities to delay or reduce the spread of the flu virus »

Workplace Preparedness

Checklists and other guidance for businesses and employers to protect employees' health and safety while limiting negative impacts to the economy and society »

More information from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration »

Family Preparedness

Advice and strategies to delay or reduce the spread of the flu virus »

Your Rights in the Workplace

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) requires public agencies, all public and private elementary and secondary schools, and companies with 50 or more employees to provide an eligible employee with up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave each year for reasons, including caring for an immediate family member (spouse, child, or parent) with a serious health condition, and taking medical leave when the employee is unable to work because of a serious health condition.

More about FMLA »

Enthusiasm for service in America is at an all time high. This New York Time's graphic shows the huge increase in applications to Americorp over this time last year.



According to the AmeriCorps' press release:

AmeriCorps is experiencing a significant surge of applications. Last month, AmeriCorps received 17,038 online applications, nearly triple the 6,770 received in March 2008. In the past five months, AmeriCorps received 48,520 online applications, up 234 percent over the 14,532 that came in during the same five month period a year ago. Many volunteer centers and nonprofit groups are also reporting a “compassion boom” of increased numbers of volunteers.

Learn more about the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act.

(This is a guest blog post by Rep. Dale Kildee, Education and Labor Committee Member and Chair of the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education.)

Today is the 40th celebration of Earth Day – a day of action and of giving back to our planet.  Events are taking place in communities across the nation, in schools and on college campuses.   Through acts as simple as changing a light bulb or planting a tree, and as complex as committing themselves to “going green” in all aspects of their lives, people throughout our country are making a big difference.  Congress has also made a commitment to do its part by helping to make our schools part of the green solution.

School buildings should be safe, healthy and modern learning environments for children and teachers.  By helping school districts to make schools environmentally friendly, or “green,” we can create facilities that have tremendous health, educational, financial and environmental benefits. 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY) and U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA) today issued the following joint statement after President Obama signed the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act in to law. McCarthy was the original House sponsor of the legislation. Miller is the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee and chief House co-sponsor of the bill.
 

Chairman Miller will be discussing the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act on ABC News' Top Line program today at noon, Eastern time.  Click here to watch the program live online.

Yesterday, The New York Times' City Room blog reported on New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's announcement of a series of programs and partnerships to encourage volunteerism among city residents.

Today, President Obama is scheduled to sign the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act into law.  This week is also National Volunteer Week (April 19-25).

The idea is to capitalize on the local history of activism and volunteerism and channel New Yorkers’ goodwill into worthy causes that could make a palpable difference in these difficult economic times. One of the initiatives, for example, will create the NYC Civic Corps, which will shepherd volunteers into public agencies and nonprofit groups. Others will expand the city’s auxiliary police force and Block Watch programs, as well as offer legal service and financial counseling to families who are facing foreclosure or otherwise need help managing their debt.

Read the rest of The New York Times blog post here. 

The Associated Press and The Washington Post also reported on Mayor Bloomberg's service program.

Today, Chairman George Miller and Healthy Families and Communities Subcommittee Chair Carolyn McCarthy, the lead House authors of the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, will join President Barack Obama as he signs the legislation into law. The legislation, his first major bipartisan initiative to get enacted, will launch a new era of American service that creates opportunities for citizens of all ages to play a part in our nation’s recovery. First Lady Michele Obama, Former President Bill Clinton, and Former First Lady Rosalyn Carter are also expected to attend today’s signing, which comes during National Volunteer Week (April 19-25).

The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act grows the number of volunteers nationwide to 250,000 – more than triple the current 75,000. These new service opportunities will include the expansion of existing service programs, like AmeriCorps, as well as four new service corps focused on education, health care, energy and veterans. All service programs established under the bill will be overseen by the Corporation for National and Community Service.

The New York Times highlighted an important element of the recently passed Serve America Act in an article yesterday. The Act reserves 10% of the money for AmeriCorps to enroll adults over 55. This is in recognition of the volunteer spirit of older Americans. In 2005, nearly a third of all baby boomers volunteered with formal organizations -– the highest volunteer rate of any group of Americans according to the Corporation for National & Community Service.

Specifically,

the legislation establishes a separate program, a $1,000 educational stipend called a Silver Scholarship, for adults over 55 who serve 350 or more hours with a qualified organization, Mr. Gomperts said. That money can be transferred to a child, foster child or grandchild.

In addition, AmeriCorps volunteers age 55 and older who serve full time for a year would be able to transfer their education award, which would be increased to $5,350 from $4,725, to a child, foster child or grandchild.

The bill also creates Encore Fellowships matching those age 55 and older with public or private nonprofit organizations for one-year management or leadership positions. Just as internships help younger adults enter a new field, these modestly paid positions provide a bridge for professionals from the for-profit world to second careers in the nonprofit world.

As usual, we recommend you read the entire article.

For more information on the role service programs play in each state, click here.

Earlier this month, Chairman Miller hosted a press conference with U.S. Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY), the sponsor of the legislation, House lawmakers and nearly a hundred local area volunteers whose organizations stand to benefit from the Serve America Act. To view footage from the event, click here.

At a hearing in February, the Education and Labor Committee heard from witnesses about the many benefits of service and volunteering, including education initiatives, green service initiatives, veterans work, and more. For more information on that hearing, click here.

CNN has an article about the efforts by Americorps' volunteers to rebuild parts of Cedar Rapids after the floods in June 2008.

In many ways, Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, and dozens of other communities still haven't recovered from the record-setting June 2008 floods that ripped apart homes and lives across eastern Iowa.

But with the help of organizations and programs supported by the AmeriCorps volunteer service program, they are seeing significant improvements.

We encourage you to read the entire article and then read about the recently passed Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act that President Obama will sign upon his return from Europe. What is happening in Cedar Rapids and other communities around the country is exactly why demand to expand this program led to broad bipartisan support in the House and Senate.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – With Americans facing unprecedented challenges in their communities, the U.S. House of Representatives today passed legislation that will launch a new era of national service and volunteerism to help the nation emerge stronger from the economic crisis. The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act was approved by an overwhelming bipartisan vote of 275 to 149.

On March 31, the House is expected to vote on final passage of H.R. 1388, a national service bill now known as the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act.  The bill was previously passed in the House as the Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education (GIVE) Act.  The House will be voting on amendments passed by the Senate on March 26.

Calling Americans to Serve at a Critical Time

President Obama has called on Congress to create new service and volunteer opportunities for Americans that will help to build a stronger country. This legislation answers his call. It will launch a new era of service that will give Americans of all ages the opportunity to help our nation recover and make progress on education, health care, energy and other key goals by volunteering, whether it is helping students achieve in school, weatherizing homes and greening communities, rebuilding cities in times of disaster, feeding the hungry, helping seniors live independently, and much more.

The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act (H.R. 1388), which received final passage by the House on March 31 by a vote of 275-149, includes new changes (highlighted in red below) from the previous version of the bill, the Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education Act. The bill authorizes nearly $6 billion over five years – FY 2010 through FY 2014.

Expanding Service Opportunities for College Students »
Expanding Service Opportunities for Middle and High School Students »
Expanding Service Opportunities for Seniors »
Expanding Green Service for Americans »
Expanding Service Opportunities for Veterans »
Strengthening Volunteer Disaster Relief Efforts »
Find Out About National Service in Your State »

KTVU ran a news report on March 28, 2009 highlighting the GIVE Act (HR 1388) and Chairman Miller's efforts to increase volunteerism and service in California and nationwide.

San Francisco's KGO station ran an excellent story about how artists are benefiting from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The recession is affecting artists, dancers and musicians everywhere, including the Bay Area, but hope is on the way. A House committee in Washington is examining how communities everywhere are being affected. $50 million has been set aside to give a boost to the arts and entertainment industry. The arts are big business generating 5.7 million jobs and $166 billion in economic activity each year. The House Education and Labor Committee, chaired by Congressman George Miller (D) of Concord, was told artists are unemployed and need their share of the stimulus package.

Watch the full report here.

WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee and chief House co-sponsor of the legislation, issued the following statement today after the Senate passed H.R. 1388, the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, national service legislation, by a vote of 78 to 20. Last week the House approved similar legislation with an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of 321 to 105.  

WASHINGTON, DC – Communities across the country are suffering as arts and music organizations struggle with declining budgets, job losses and other effects of the economic crisis, witnesses told the House Education and Labor Committee today.
 

The House Education and Labor Committee will hold a hearing to examine how the economy is affecting jobs in the arts and music industries, and the role these industries play in communities across the country. This is the first in a series of hearings the Committee will hold this Spring.

Recent news reports have highlighted the tough economic realities arts and music organizations are facing – many are cutting budgets and programs that are the engine of the local economy and provide meaningful employment opportunities for workers. According to research conducted by the National Endowment for the Arts, unemployment in the arts rose at a higher rate than the overall workforce in 2008.

On Thursday, March 26, the Committee will hold a hearing to examine how the economy is affecting jobs in the arts and music industries, and the role these industries play in communities across the country. This is the first in a series of hearings the Committee will hold this Spring.

Recent news reports have highlighted the tough economic realities arts and music organizations are facing – many are cutting budgets and programs that are the engine of the local economy and provide meaningful employment opportunities for workers. According to research conducted by the National Endowment for the Arts, unemployment for artists rose at a higher rate than the overall workforce in 2008.

In yesterday's New York Times, they ran an editorial highlighting the GIVE Act and its value to America. The Editorial Board highlights the measure this way:

The nation is close to a major civic breakthrough. By a 321-to-105 vote last week, the House approved an ambitious bipartisan measure to enlarge the opportunities for Americans of all ages and income levels to participate in productive national and community service.

A similar plan is now before the Senate. A favorable vote this week would help speed a worthy initiative to President Obama’s desk.

Essentially, the measure is an expansion of AmeriCorps, the existing domestic service program. It would increase the number of full-time and part-time service volunteers to 250,000 from 75,000 and create new programs focused on special areas like strengthening schools, improving health care for low-income communities, boosting energy efficiency and cleaning up parks.

This editorial sums up the importance of this bi-partisan effort like this:

This is a chance to constructively harness the idealism of thousands of Americans eager to contribute time and energy to solving the nation’s problems — a chance not to be missed.

We recommend you read the entire editorial.

USA Today reported Friday, that unemployment amongst veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan was at 11.2 percent. The GIVE Act could help mitigate this through The GIVE Act by creating opportunities for veterans to provide education, mentoring, and job training to fellow servicemen.

In Saturday’s edition of the Navy Times, Rick Maze highlights one of the provisions of the GIVE Act that would create a separate Veterans’ Corps designed to help veterans meet the needs of their fellow servicemen and women.

A new national service program in which veterans would help other veterans was approved by the House of Representatives this week after an amendment was approved ensuring that volunteers earn extra education benefits — without risking GI Bill benefits already earned — for their additional service.

The Veterans’ Corps is part of a larger national service bill, the Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education Act, or GIVE Act, which passed the House on Wednesday by a 321-105 vote. The bill, HR 1388, now goes to the Senate, where there is also interest in creating a special national service program for veterans.

Read the rest of the article for additional information about the Veterans’ Corps.

President Barack Obama has a new column in Time magazine this week entitled "A New Era of Service" where he explains that through service, he found that his story fit into the larger American story.

In this spirit, Congress is now poised to send me bipartisan legislation — the Serve America and GIVE Acts — that, if passed, will usher in a new era of service in this new century.

This legislation will help connect people at all stages of life with opportunities to serve. It will establish an army of 250,000 Americans a year who are willing to serve part time or full time working to meet our most pressing challenges, from modernizing our schools to building homes for those in need. And this legislation will provide new support for social entrepreneurship, identifying and nurturing promising new service programs around the country.

Members of Congress from across the political spectrum — from Senators Orrin Hatch and Mike Enzi and Representative Howard (Buck) McKeon to Senators Ted Kennedy and Barbara Mikulski and Representative George Miller — have pledged their support for this legislation. I urge Congress to follow their lead and move quickly to pass it so that I can sign it into law. And I pledge that my Administration will also do its part to help more Americans serve their communities. At this time of economic crisis, when so many people are in need of help, this work could not be more urgent.

We encourage you to read the entire column here and learn more about the GIVE Act here.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. House of Representatives today overwhelmingly passed a bill to dramatically expand national service opportunities and help Americans play a role in the economic recovery. The bill, the Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education (GIVE) Act, passed the House with a vote of 321 to 105.

The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act will more than triple the number of volunteer opportunities for Americans, from 75,000 to 250,000, in part by establishing a new Clean Energy Corps focused on energy efficiency and conservation.  The bill will increase the education reward participants receive for this service from $4,725 to $5,350 for next year, the same as the maximum Pell Grant scholarship award.

It will also expand the focus of the National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) to include environmental and energy conservation efforts. Many of the new service and volunteer programs it will establish for younger students could include opportunities that enhance climate change education and introduce young Americans to the green-collar jobs of the future by performing energy audits and retrofits, weatherizing homes, rebuilding trails and parks, building and maintaining gardens and green spaces in communities, managing recycling programs, and more.

The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act will help increase our nation’s preparedness in responding to hurricanes, floods, wildfires, and other disasters that have devastated communities in recent years.

American service organizations and volunteers have played a vital role in relief and recovery efforts in the wake of tragedies. For example, since August 2005, the Corporation for National and Community Service, has provided more than $130 million worth of relief to Gulf Coast states devastated by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and deployed nearly 92,000 national service volunteers who have put in over 3.5 million hours helping communities rebuild. This doesn’t include the additional 260,000 community volunteers involved in the recovery.

Even before floods devastated homes and businesses in southeast Iowa, volunteers were on the ground. To date, AmeriCorps has coordinated over 800,000 volunteer hours to help the state recover.

The Serve America Act creates a greater infrastructure and capacity for respond to disasters by growing the number of volunteers nationwide to 250,000, up from 75,000. The bill also makes it possible for existing programs to respond more effectively by expanding the focus of the National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) to include disaster relief and infrastructure improvement.  The bill also establishes an alumni corps of former participants who can be called to service during times of disaster and other emergencies.

The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act comes as nearly 65,000 college students prepare to volunteer and serve on alternative Spring Breaks this year – up 11 percent over last year. Young Americans are serving in record numbers – and facing a difficult job market in today’s economy. Of the 1.2 million jobs lost last year, 60 percent were held by workers under the age of 25.

National and community service and volunteerism among college students is especially high. From September 2001 to 2006, the overall percent of college students who volunteer has increased to over 30 percent, exceeding the volunteer rate for adults. According to a 2006 report by the Corporation for National and Community Service, college students are twice as likely to volunteer as Americans of the same age who are not enrolled in an institution of higher education.

Specifically, the bill (H.R. 1388) will more than triple the number of volunteer opportunities for Americans, from 75,000 to 250,000, in key areas like education, clean energy, health care, and assistance for veterans. The bill will also increase the education reward they receive from $4,725 to $5,350 for next year, the same as the maximum Pell Grant scholarship award. The education award will be linked to match future boosts in the Pell Grant scholarship in order to keep up with rising college costs.

The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act provides the most significant expansion of national service and volunteer opportunities for middle and high school students in generations.

It will help our nation get through the economic crisis by making Americans of all ages a part of the solution to the many challenges facing the nation, including education. The bill will both increase opportunities for students to get involved with service and boost service initiatives focused on education, including mentoring programs and programs that help boost student achievement. This is the largest expansion of national service since President Kennedy issued his call to service over fifty years ago.

The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act will triple the number of volunteers, including the existing Senior Corp program, nationwide to 250,000, up from 75,000. Currently, Senior Corps is made up of 475,000 volunteers who contribute 116 million hours of service each year. The Senior Corps captures the skills and talents of people over 55 to meet community needs through mentoring, serving as foster grandparents, and helping other seniors continue to live independently. Older Americans will be allowed to transfer their education awards to a child, foster child or grandchild to help them pay for college.

In 2005, nearly a third of all baby boomers volunteered with formal organizations -– the highest volunteer rate of any group of Americans according to the Corporation for National & Community Service. The bill will create Silver Scholarships and Encore Fellowships that will create opportunities for seniors to transition into service after they have retired. Silver Scholars will be able to earn up to $1,000 in exchange for 350 hours of service. For seniors who may need to re-enter the workforce to make ends meet, these programs can also help them transition into new careers in the public or nonprofit sector. 

The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act creates a separate Veteran’s Corps designed to help veterans meet the needs of their fellow servicemen and women. In this economic crisis, this program will help mitigate the disproportionately high levels of unemployment among veterans by creating opportunities for them to continue their highly valued service. To watch a video of Retired Capt. Scott Quilty, who served in Iraq, explain how volunteer opportunities can help veterans recover from war and rebuild communities, click here.

Veterans are uniquely situated to understand and meet the special needs of those returning home from war. The Veteran’s Corps will function similarly to AmeriCorps or Senior Corps by creating opportunities for veterans to continue serving their country. The Serve America Act will support programs that help provide education, mentoring, and job training to fellow veterans. It will be the first program of its kind.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Below are the prepared remarks of U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, during House consideration of the Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education (GIVE) Act, H.R. 1388. 


Madam Speaker, today we consider legislation that is vital to the spirit of America and to our future. A few weeks ago, President Obama called on Congress to quickly deliver legislation that will launch a new era of American service.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Obama administration today commended legislation the House will consider tomorrow that will provide the most significant expansion of service and volunteer opportunities for Americans in over fifty years. In a Statement of Administration Policy issued this evening, the White House vowed to work with Congress to enact the Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education (GIVE) Act as quickly as possible.

The Corporation for National & Community Service offers state-by-state data on which national service programs are currently operating in each state.  Click here to find out about your state »

WASHINGTON, D.C. – More needs to be done to guarantee that at-risk youth educated outside of traditional schools receive a quality education, witnesses told members of House Education and Judiciary subcommittees today. These alternative education settings include certain foster care placements, juvenile justice facilities, alternative education programs and other environments.

The House Education and Labor Subcommittee on Healthy Families and Communities Subcommittee will hold a joint hearing with the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security to examine if at-risk youth are missing out on educational opportunities while in foster care, juvenile justice facilities, alternative education settings and other environments.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The House Education and Labor Committee today overwhelmingly approved legislation to launch a new era of American service and volunteerism. The bill answers President Obama’s call for Americans of all generations to help get the country through the economic crisis by serving and volunteering in their communities

Today, the Committee approved the Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education (GIVE) Act by a bipartisan vote of 34-3.  In his address to a joint session of Congress, President Barack Obama made national service a key priority and asked Congress to take quick action. This legislation, which the House is expected to consider in the coming weeks, answers his call.

The GIVE Act will create new service opportunities for Americans by more than tripling the current number of volunteers, raising the number to 250,000. It will also boost the education awards volunteers receive in exchange for their service - encouraging more young students to get involved in service while helping them pay for college. And it will help prepare current and future generations for jobs in the green economy, and establish a Veterans Corp to meet the unique needs of veterans and military families.

On Wednesday, March 11th, the Committee will vote on bipartisan legislation that will launch a new era of service and volunteerism to help America get through the economic crisis.

President Obama called on Congress to send him similar legislation in his first major address to Congress; the House is expected to consider the measure in the coming weeks.

The Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education (GIVE) Act will create new service opportunities for Americans by more than tripling the current number of volunteers, raising the number to 250,000. It will also boost the education awards volunteers receive in exchange for their service - encouraging more young students to get involved in service while helping them pay for college. And it will help prepare current and future generations for jobs in the green economy, and establish a Veterans Corp to meet the unique needs of veterans and military families.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Reps. George Miller (D-CA) and Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY) today introduced comprehensive legislation that would call generations of Americans to serve and volunteer in areas of national need that are intensifying with the recession.

Please see our page on the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act for the latest version of this legislation.


Calling Americans to Serve at a Critical Time

America is facing unprecedented challenges – the economy, health care, energy, schools in need of improvement and more. With our public needs intensifying in this recession, there’s no better time to support and energize community service and volunteerism to help our country get through this economic crisis, restore confidence and prepare our nation for the future.

President Obama has called on Congress to create new opportunities for Americans to build a stronger country by helping students perform better in school, prepare Americans for green and innovative 21st century jobs, rebuild cities in times of disaster, improve communities and much, much more. This legislation, passed by the Committee by a vote of 34-3 on March 11, 2009, answers his call. It will launch a new era of service that will give Americans of all ages an opportunity to invest through service in our nation’s recovery.

Expanding Service Opportunities for College Students »
Expanding Service Opportunities for Middle and High School Students »
Expanding Service Opportunities for Seniors »
Expanding Green Service for Americans »
Expanding Service Opportunities for Veterans »
Strengthening Volunteer Disaster Relief Efforts »
Find Out About National Service in Your State »

Answering President Obama's call for increased volunteer opportunities, Chairman Miller will be introducing the GIVE Act today. Jonathon Alter's Newsweek story provides excellent background about this bill.

On Monday, Miller will announce that the GIVE Act (don't ask what the acronym means; too clunky) is on its way to passage by the House. Because representatives of the House, Senate and White House have been working together on a bipartisan basis for weeks, the skids are now greased for quick Senate passage of the Kennedy-Hatch Act for national service, the only specific piece of legislation the president mentioned in his address to Congress last month. Differences between the House and Senate versions will be minor.

In addition to Mr. Alter's story, ABC has a short story to accompany a two-minute video on Good Morning America this morning.

On Thursday, March 12, the Subcommittee on Healthy Families and Communities will hold a joint hearing with the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security to examine if at-risk youth are missing out on educational opportunities while in foster care, juvenile justice facilities, alternative education settings and other environments.

WHAT:         
Hearing on “Lost Educational Opportunities in Alternative Settings”

WHO:           
Dr. Thomas Blomberg, Professor of Criminology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL
Ms. Linda Brooke, Director of Government Relations and Education Services, Texas Juvenile Probation Commission, Austin, TX 
Dr. Cynthia Cave, Director, Office of Student Services, Richmond, VA
Leonard Dixon, M.S., Executive Director, Wayne County Juvenile Detention Facility, Detroit, MI
Janeen Steel, Esq., Executive Director, Learning Rights Law Center, Los Angeles, CA
Additional Witnesses TBA

WHEN:         
Thursday, March 12, 2009
10:00 a.m. EDT

WHERE:      
House Education and Labor Committee Hearing Room
2175 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C.

Please check the Committee's schedule for updates.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the chair of the House Education and Labor Committee, today praised President Obama for his significant commitment to investing in national and community service opportunities for Americans in his budget overview. At a committee hearing yesterday, Miller announced that a comprehensive bill to strengthen and grow national service is the next legislative priority for his committee. 

Photos from today's hearing on "Renewing America through National Service and Volunteerism" (click on photos for more information):


Created with flickrSLiDR.

On February 25th, recording artist Usher testified before the Committee on Education and Labor at a hearing examining how to renew America through national service and volunteerism.  Watch the video of Usher here »  The hearing built on the important conversations happening across the country on national service and volunteerism, examining the importance of national and community service in meeting critical economic needs across the country. TIME’s Richard Stengel and former Senator Harris Wofford also testified.  

Chairman George Miller's opening statement:




Usher's testimony:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – With public needs intensifying in the economic crisis, strengthening national service opportunities must be one of the next steps Congress takes to revive the economy, witnesses told the House Education and Labor Committee today.  Today’s hearing came a day after President Obama made national and community service a key part of his agenda during his first joint address to Congress by urging Congress to act quickly to bolster service and volunteer programs.

To build on the important conversations happening across the country on national service and volunteerism, the House Education and Labor Committee will hold a hearing on Wednesday, February 25, to examine the importance of national and community service in meeting critical economic needs across the country. This will be the first full committee education hearing held in the 111th Congress.

Boosting community service is a key priority for President Obama, whose official Inauguration activities included a “National Day of Service” where hundreds of thousands of Americans volunteered in their communities. Among other things, the hearing will focus on reinvigorating civic engagement across all levels of society, expanding opportunities for young people to participate in service, and how national and community service can help “green” America.

Today, Wednesday, February 25th, the House Education and Labor Committee will hold a hearing to build on the important conversations happening across the country on national service and volunteerism and to examine the importance of national and community service in meeting critical economic needs across the country. Recording Artist Usher and TIME’s Richard Stengel are among the witnesses to testify.  Watch live here »

Tomorrow, Thursday, February 26th, the Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness will hold a second hearing about New Innovations and Best Practices Under the Workforce Investment Act at 10:00 am in 2175 Rayburn House Office Building.

All hearings will be broadcast live here.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The House of Representatives today approved legislation to protect teenagers attending residential programs from physical, mental, and sexual abuse and increase transparency to help parents make safe choices for their children. The Stop Child Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens Act of 2009 (H.R. 911) won strong bipartisan support, with a vote of 295 to 102.

Investigations conducted by the Government Accountability Office during the 110th Congress at the request of U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, uncovered thousands of cases and allegations of child abuse and neglect since the early 1990’s at teen residential programs, including therapeutic boarding schools, boot camps, wilderness programs and behavior modification facilities. A separate GAO report also conducted at Miller’s request found major gaps in the licensing and oversight of residential programs. Where state licensing standards exist, these programs are governed by a weak patchwork of state and federal standards, however some are not covered at all.

This evening, the U.S. House of Representatives will vote on legislation to prevent the abuse of teens attending residential treatment facilities, including boot camps, therapeutic boarding schools, wilderness programs and behavior modification facilities.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office uncovered thousands of cases and allegations of physical, emotional and sexual abuse and neglect at residential treatment facilities across the country. In some cases, this abuse resulted in the death of a child. This legislation, the Stop Child Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens Act of 2009 (H.R. 911) is similar to legislation the House passed with overwhelming bipartisan support in the 110th Congress.

WASHINGTON, DC – Today the House Education and Labor Committee approved legislation to protect teenagers attending residential treatment programs, including therapeutic boarding schools, boot camps, wilderness programs and behavior modification facilities, from physical, mental, and sexual abuse and increase transparency to help parents make safe choices for their children.

Today the Committee approved the Stop Child Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens Act of 2009 by a vote of 32-10.  This legislation will protect teenagers attending residential treatment programs, including therapeutic boarding schools, boot camps, wilderness programs and behavior modification facilities, from physical, mental, and sexual abuse and increase transparency to help parents make safe choices for their children.

Investigations conducted by the Government Accountability Office during the 110th Congress uncovered thousands of cases and allegations of child abuse and neglect since the early 1990’s at teen residential programs. Currently, these programs are governed only by a weak patchwork of state and federal standards. A separate GAO report, also conducted last year at the committee’s request, found major gaps in the licensing and oversight of residential programs – some of which are not covered by any state licensing standards at all. More »

 

Keeping Kids Safe

Tens of thousands of U.S. teenagers attend private and public residential programs – including therapeutic boarding schools, wilderness camps, boot camps, and behavior modification facilities – that are intended to help them with behavioral, emotional, mental health, or substance abuse problems. Depending on the state in which the program operates, some of these programs are subject to State law or regulation, while others are not. As a result of this loose patchwork of state oversight, children at some the programs have been subject to abuse and neglect with little to no accountability.

The Government Accountability Office found thousands of allegations of child abuse and neglect at residential programs for teens since the early 1990s. Tragically, in a number of cases, this abuse and neglect led to the death of a child. To address this urgent problem, the “Stop Child Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens Act of 2009” would:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Reps. George Miller (D-CA) and Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY) today reintroduced legislation to protect teenagers attending residential treatment programs from physical, mental and sexual abuse and to prevent deceptive marketing practices by operators of private residential programs for teens. The lawmakers also announced that the House Education and Labor Committee will mark up the legislation on Wednesday. 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – With the arts and music among the many industries being hit hard in economic downturn, U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, today announced plans to hold a series of hearings this Spring to examine how the arts benefit the nation’s economy and schools – and what can be done to improve support for the arts and music fields. 

To build on the important conversations happening across the country on national service and volunteerism, the Committee will hold a hearing on Wednesday, February 25, to examine the importance of national and community service in meeting critical economic needs across the country.  This will be the first full committee education hearing held in the 111th Congress.

Boosting community service is a key priority for President Obama, whose official Inauguration activities included a “National Day of Service” where hundreds of thousands of Americans volunteered in their communities. Among other things, the hearing will focus on reinvigorating civic engagement across all levels of society, expanding opportunities for young people to participate in service, and how national and community service can help “green” America.  

WHAT:        
Hearing on Improving America’s Commitment to Service and Volunteerism

WHO:            
Usher Raymond IV, recording artist, chairman, Usher’s New Look Foundation
James Harris, youth participant, Usher’s New Look Foundation
Richard Stengel, managing editor, TIME Magazine
Van Jones, founder and president, Green for All
Other Witnesses TBD

WHEN:         
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
10:00 A.M. EST

WHERE:       
House Education and Labor Committee Hearing Room
2175 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following new reports that peanuts associated with the widespread salmonella outbreak made it into the nation’s school cafeterias, Democratic lawmakers today called for the U.S. Government Accountability Office to expand an ongoing investigation into the safety of foods used in the federal school lunch program to include contaminated peanuts. This would be the first independent government investigation into the effects of the outbreak on schoolchildren.

On September 26, the House of Representatives approved final bipartisan legislation to strengthen protections and support for America’s runaway and homeless children. The measure, the Reconnecting Homeless Youth Act (S.2982), builds on legislation authored by Rep. John Yarmuth, which the House overwhelmingly passed on June 9, 2008. It now heads to the President’s desk for his signature.

This hearing examined whether the Department of Labor is doing enough to enforce U.S. child labor laws and will explore the impact of child labor on families.

On Thursday, September 11, 2008, the Healthy Families and Communities Subcommittee will hold a hearing on "Examining the Role of Museums and Libraries in Strengthening Communities," scheduled at 10:00 a.m. in room 2175 Rayburn H.O.B.

Witnesses today told the Healthy Families and Communities Subcommittee that the field of social work affects the lives of Americans from all walks of life on a daily basis, and though the field faces some challenges, it is expected to grow in the coming years.

In light of the recent economic downturn and the nation’s aging population, the Healthy Families and Communities Subcommittee will hold a hearing on Tuesday, July 29 to examine how social workers can best meet the changing needs of American families.

Healthy Families and Communities Subcommittee Hearing on “Caring for the Vulnerable: The State of Social Work in America”
Tuesday, July 29, 2008, 3:00 p.m. EDT

With food prices continuing to soar, the Committee will hold a hearing at 10am tomorrow, July 9, to examine how rising food costs are making it harder for the nation’s child nutrition and school meal programs to provide healthy, low-cost meals for children. Nationwide, nearly 50 million children are served by federal child nutrition programs, which include school lunch programs, childcare programs, and summer food programs. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, whole grain breads, milk, and cheese prices increased by as much as 17 percent in 2007, and the costs of fresh fruits and vegetables are also up.

The Committee held a hearing to examine allegations of child abuse and deceptive marketing at residential programs for teens, including boot camps, wilderness camps, therapeutic boarding schools, and behavior modification facilities. The hearing also examined legislation to prevent child abuse in these programs by establishing standards for the programs.

The committee heard about the results of undercover work from the Government Accountability Office and from individuals who attended residential programs when they were teenagers.

The Committee held a hearing to examine how to improve nutrition and food safety in the nation’s schools. Last month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture ordered the largest recall of meat in the nation’s history after investigations revealed that meat from non-ambulatory (or "downer") cows at a California slaughterhouse had been allowed to enter the food supply. More than a third of the tainted meat had gone to federal nutrition programs, including to schools.

* 2 Members voting present