§ 4955. Support services

(a) Stipend; limitation; volunteer leaders; payment upon completion of term; advancement of accrued stipend; beneficiary of deceased volunteer

(1)

(A) The Director may provide a stipend to volunteers, while they are in training and during their assignments, enrolled for periods of service of not less than one year under this part, except that the Director may, on an individual basis, make an exception to provide a stipend to a volunteer enrolled under this part for an extended period of service not totaling one year.

(B) Such stipend shall be set at a rate that is not less than a minimum of $125 per month and not more than a maximum of $150 per month, subject to the availability of funds to provide such a maximum rate. The Director may provide a stipend set at a rate that is not more than a maximum of $250 per month in the case of persons who have served as volunteers under this part for at least 1 year and who, in accordance with standards established in such regulations as the Director shall prescribe, have been designated volunteer leaders on the basis of experience and special skills and a demonstrated leadership among volunteers.

(C) The Director shall not provide a stipend under this subsection to an individual who elects to receive a national service educational award under subtitle D of title I of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 [42 U.S.C. 12601 et seq.].

(2) Stipends shall be payable only upon completion of a period of service, except that under such circumstances as the Director shall determine, in accordance with regulations which the Director shall prescribe, the accrued stipend, or any part of the accrued stipend, may be paid to the volunteer, or, on behalf of the volunteer, to members of the volunteer’s family or others during the period of the volunteer’s service. In the event of the death of a volunteer during service, the amount of any unpaid stipend shall be paid in accordance with the provisions of section 5582 of title 5.

(b) Description of allowances and support services; determination of allowance; adjustments; methodology

(1) The Director shall also provide volunteers such living, travel (including travel to and from places of training and to and from locations to which volunteers are assigned during periods of service) and leave allowances, and such housing, supplies, equipment, subsistence, clothing, health and dental care, transportation, supervision, pre-service training and where appropriate in-service training, technical assistance, and such other support as the Director deems necessary and appropriate to carry out the purpose and provisions of this part, and shall insure that each such volunteer has available such allowances and support as will enable the volunteer to carry out the purpose and provisions of this part and to effectively perform the work to which such volunteer is assigned.

(2) The Director shall set the subsistence allowance for volunteers under paragraph (1) for each fiscal year so that—

(A) the minimum allowance is not less than an amount equal to 95 percent of such poverty line (as defined in section 9902(2) of this title) for a single individual as expected for each fiscal year; and

(B) the average subsistence allowance, excluding allowances for Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa, and Alaska, is no less than 105 percent of such poverty line.

(3) The Director shall adjust the subsistence allowances for volunteers serving in areas that have a higher cost of living than the national average to reflect such higher cost. The Director shall review such adjustments on an annual basis to ensure that the adjustments are current.

(c) Child care

(1) The Director shall—

(A) make child care available for children of each volunteer enrolled under this part who need such child care in order to participate as volunteers; or

(B) provide a child care allowance to each such volunteer who needs such assistance in order to participate as volunteers.

(2) The Corporation shall establish guidelines regarding the circumstances under which child care shall be made available under this subsection and the value of any child care allowance to be provided.

(Pub. L. 93–113, title I, § 105, Oct. 1, 1973, 87 Stat. 398; Pub. L. 94–130, § 5(a), Nov. 14, 1975, 89 Stat. 684; Pub. L. 96–143, § 3, Dec. 13, 1979, 93 Stat. 1074; Pub. L. 98–288, § 6, May 21, 1984, 98 Stat. 191; Pub. L. 99–551, § 10(i)(1), Oct. 27, 1986, 100 Stat. 3078; Pub. L. 101–204, title I, § 102, Dec. 7, 1989, 103 Stat. 1811; Pub. L. 103–82, title III, § 325, Sept. 21, 1993, 107 Stat. 901; Pub. L. 111–13, title II, § 2103, Apr. 21, 2009, 123 Stat. 1583.)

References In Text

References in Text

The National and Community Service Act of 1990, referred to in subsec. (a)(1)(C), is Pub. L. 101–610, Nov. 16, 1990, 104 Stat. 3127. Subtitle D of title I of the Act is classified generally to division D (§ 12601 et seq.) of subchapter I of chapter 129 of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 12501 of this title and Tables.

Amendments

Amendments

2009—Subsec. (a)(1)(B). Pub. L. 111–13 substituted “Such stipend shall be set at a rate that is not less than a minimum of $125 per month and not more than a maximum of $150 per month, subject to the availability of funds to provide such a maximum rate.” for “Such stipend shall not exceed $95 per month in fiscal year 1994, but shall be set at a minimum of $100 per month, and a maximum of $125 per month assuming the availability of funds to accomplish such maximum, during the service of the volunteer after October 1, 1994.” and “stipend set at a rate that is not more than a maximum of $250 per month” for “stipend of a maximum of $200 per month”.

1993—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 103–82, § 325(a), designated first sentence as subpar. (A), added subpars. (B) and (C), and struck out former second sentence which read as follows: “Such stipend shall not exceed $75 per month in fiscal year 1990, $90 per month in fiscal year 1991, and $95 per month in subsequent fiscal years during the volunteer’s service, except that the Director may provide a stipend not to exceed $75 per month in fiscal year 1990, $90 per month in fiscal year 1991, and $95 per month in subsequent fiscal years in the case of persons who have served for at least one year and who, in accordance with standards established in regulations which the Director shall prescribe, have been designated volunteer leaders on the basis of experience and special skills and a demonstrated leadership among volunteers.”

Subsec. (b)(3). Pub. L. 103–82, § 325(b)(1), struck out subpar. (A), struck out subpar. (B) designation before “The Director shall adjust”, and inserted at end: “The Director shall review such adjustments on an annual basis to ensure that the adjustments are current.”. Prior to amendment, subpar. (A) read as follows: “The Director shall consult with regional and State offices of the ACTION Agency to make a determination of the cost of living within each State and whether there are significant local price differentials within the State.”

Subsec. (b)(4). Pub. L. 103–82, § 325(b)(2), struck out par. (4) which read as follows: “The Director, in coordination with regional and State offices of the ACTION Agency and taking into account paragraphs (2) and (3), shall establish a method for setting subsistence allowances. The Director shall submit a report on such methods to the appropriate authorizing committees of Congress not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of the fiscal year 1990 appropriation.”

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 103–82, § 325(c), added subsec. (c).

1989—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 101–204, § 102(1), substituted “$75 per month in fiscal year 1990, $90 per month in fiscal year 1991, and $95 per month in subsequent fiscal years” for “$75 per month” in two places.

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 101–204, § 102(2), designated existing provisions as par. (1), substituted “places of training and to and from locations to which volunteers are assigned during periods of service)” for “places of training),”, and added pars. (2) to (4).

1986—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 99–551 substituted “the Director” for “he” before “deems”.

1984—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 98–288 inserted “pre-service training and where appropriate in-service training,”.

1979—Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 96–143 substituted “under such circumstances as the Director shall determine, in accordance with regulations which the director shall prescribe, the accrued stipend, or any part of the accrued stipend, may be paid to the volunteer, or, on behalf of the volunteer, to members of the volunteer’s family or others during the period of the volunteer’s service” for “in extraordinary circumstances the Director may from time to time advance all or a portion of the accrued stipend to or on behalf of a volunteer”.

1975—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 94–130 substituted “shall not exceed $75” for “shall not exceed $50”.

Effective Date Of Amendment

Effective Date of 2009 Amendment

Amendment 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 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 103–82 effective Oct. 1, 1993, see section 392 of Pub. L. 103–82, set out as a note under section 4951 of this title.

Effective Date of 1986 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 99–551 effective Oct. 1, 1986, except as otherwise provided, see section 11 of Pub. L. 99–551, set out as an Effective Date note under section 4950 of this title.

Miscellaneous

Additional Appropriations Authorization

Pub. L. 94–130, § 5(b), Nov. 14, 1975, 89 Stat. 684, as amended by Pub. L. 96–143, § 17, Dec. 13, 1979, 93 Stat. 1082, provided that: “There are authorized to be appropriated, in addition to the sums authorized to be appropriated pursuant to section 501 of such Act [section 5081 of this title], such additional sums as may be necessary to carry out the amendments made by subsection (a) of this section [amending this section].”