SELECTION AND ASSIGNMENT OF VOLUNTEERS.

SEC. 101. SELECTION AND ASSIGNMENT OF VOLUNTEERS. (a) Recruitment and Placement Procedures.—Subsection (b) of section 103 (42 U.S.C. 4953(b)) is amended to read as follows: “(b)(1) The Director shall establish recruitment and placement procedures that offer opportunities for both local and national placement of volunteers for service under this part. “(2)(A) The Director shall establish and maintain within the national headquarters of the ACTION Agency a volunteer placement office. The office shall be headed by an individual designated by the Director to be the national Administrator of Recruitment and Placement, who shall be responsible for carrying out the functions described in this subsection and subsection (c) and all other functions delegated by the Director relating to the recruitment and placement of volunteers under this part. “(B) Such volunteer placement office shall develop, operate, and maintain a current and comprehensive central information system that shall, on request, promptly provide information— “(i) to individuals, with respect to specific opportunities for service as a volunteer with approved projects or programs to which no volunteer has been assigned; and “(ii) to approved projects or programs, with respect to the availability of individuals whose applications for service as a volunteer have been approved and who are awaiting an assignment with a specific project or program. “(C) The Director shall, at a minimum, designate one employee of the ACTION Agency in each region of the United States whose primary duties and responsibilities shall be to assist the Administrator in carrying out the functions described in this subsection and subsection (c). “(D) The Director shall assign or hire as necessary, such additional national, regional, and State personnel to carry out the functions described in this subsection and subsection (c) as may be necessary to ensure that such functions are carried out in a timely 103 STAT. 1808and effective manner. The Director shall give priority in the hiring of such additional personnel to individuals who have formerly served as volunteers under this part and to individuals who have specialized experience in the recruitment of volunteers. “(3) Volunteers shall be selected from among qualified individuals submitting an application for such service at such time, in such form, and containing such information as may be necessary to evaluate the suitability of each individual for such service and to determine, in accordance with paragraph (7), the most appropriate assignment for each such volunteer. The Director shall approve the application of each individual who applies in conformance with this subsection and who, on the basis of the information provided in the application, is determined by the Director to be qualified to serve as a volunteer under this part. “(4) Each application for service as a volunteer under this part shall— “(A) indicate the period of time during which the applicant is available to serve as a volunteer under this part; “(B) describe the previous education, training, military and work experience, and any other relevant skills or interests of the applicant; “(C) specify the State or geographic region in which the applicant prefers to be assigned; and “(D) specify— “(i) the type of project or program to which the applicant prefers to be assigned; or “(ii) the particular project or program to which the applicant prefers to be assigned. “(5) The Director shall ensure that applications for service as a volunteer under this part are available to the public on request to the ACTION Agency (including any State or regional offices of the Agency) and that an individual making such request is informed of the manner in which such application is required to be submitted. A completed application may be submitted by any interested individual to, and shall be accepted by, any office of the ACTION Agency. “(6) Completed applications received by the ACTION Agency shall be forwarded to the regional ACTION office representing the State in which such applicant resides. The regional or State employees designated in subparagraphs (C) and (D) of paragraph (2) shall assist in evaluating such applications and, to the extent feasible and appropriate, interviewing applicants. “(7)(A) The Director shall provide for the assignment of each applicant approved as a volunteer under this part to a project or program that is, to the maximum extent practicable, consistent with the abilities, experiences, and preferences of such applicant that are set forth in the application described in paragraph (4) and the needs and preferences of projects or programs approved for the assignment of such volunteers. “(B) In carrying out subparagraph (A), the Director shall utilize the information system established under paragraph (2)(B). “(C) A sponsoring organization of VISTA may recruit volunteers for service under this part. The Director shall give a locally recruited volunteer priority for placement in the sponsoring organization of VISTA that recruited such volunteer. “(D) A volunteer under this part shall not be assigned to any project or program without the express approval and consent of such project or program. 103 STAT. 1809 “(E) If an applicant under this part who is recruited locally becomes unavailable for service prior to the commencement of service, the recipient of the project grant or contract that was designated to receive the services of such applicant may replace such applicant with another qualified applicant approved by the Director. “(F) If feasible and appropriate, low-income community volunteers shall be given the option of serving in the home communities of such volunteers in teams with nationally recruited specialist volunteers. The Director shall attempt to assign such volunteers to serve in the home or nearby communities of such volunteers and shall make national efforts to attract other individuals to serve in the VISTA program. The Director shall also, in the assignment of volunteers under this subparagraph, recognize that community-identified needs that cannot be met in the local area and the individual desires of VISTA volunteers in regard to the service in various geographical areas of the United States should be taken into consideration.”. (b) Public Awareness and Recruitment.—Section 103 (42 U.S.C. 4953) is amended— (1) by redesignating subsections (c) through (f) as subsections (d) through (g), respectively; and (2) by inserting after subsection (b) the following new subsection: “(c)(1) The Director, in conjunction with the regional or State employees designated in subparagraphs (C) and (D) of subsection (b)(2), shall engage in public awareness and recruitment activities. Such activities shall include— “(A) public service announcements through radio, television, and the print media; “(B) advertising through the print media, direct mail, and other means; “(C) disseminating information about opportunities for service as a volunteer under this part to relevant entities including institutions of higher education and other educational institutions (including libraries), professional associations, community-based agencies, youth service and volunteer organizations, business organizations, labor unions, senior citizens organizations, and other institutions and organizations from or through which potential volunteers may be recruited; “(D) disseminating such information through presentations made personally by employees of the ACTION Agency or other designees of the Director, to students and faculty at institutions of higher education and to other entities described in subparagraph (C), including presentations made at the facilities, conventions, or other meetings of such entities; “(E) publicizing the student loan deferment and forgiveness opportunities available to VISTA volunteers under parts B and E of title TV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1071 et seq.) and including such information in all applications and recruitment materials; “(F) providing, on request, technical assistance with the recruitment of volunteers under this part to programs and projects receiving assistance under this part; and “(G) maintaining and publicizing a national toll-free telephone number through which individuals may obtain information about opportunities for service as a volunteer under this part and request and receive an application for such service. 103 STAT. 1810 “(2) In designing and implementing the activities authorized under this section, the Director shall seek to involve individuals who have formerly served as volunteers under this part to assist in the dissemination of information concerning the program established under this part. The Director may reimburse the costs incurred by such former volunteers for such participation, including expenses incurred for travel. “(3) The Director shall consult with the Director of the Peace Corps to coordinate the recruitment and public awareness activities carried out under this subsection with those of the Peace Corps and to develop joint procedures and activities for the recruitment of volunteers to serve under this part. “(4) At the beginning of each fiscal year, the Director shall develop an annual plan for the recruitment of volunteers under this part that— “(A) describes in detail (including the cost) the recruitment and public awareness activities carried out during the preceding fiscal year and evaluates the effectiveness of such activities; “(B) identifies methods and goals for the recruitment of volunteers during the fiscal year in which such plan is made, including specific methods and goals for the recruitment of individuals 55 years of age and older, individuals 18 through 27 years of age, recent graduates of institutions of higher education, and special skilled volunteers; and “(C) describes in detail (including the expected cost) the recruitment and public awareness activities that shall be undertaken throughout the year to achieve the goals specified in subparagraph (B); and “(D) describes in detail (including the expected cost) the recruitment and public awareness activities that shall be undertaken throughout the year to achieve the goals for the recruitment of individuals described in subparagraph (B). “(5) The Director shall ensure that not less than 20 percent of all volunteers under this part are 55 years of age or older and that, by the beginning of fiscal year 1991 and for each fiscal year thereafter, not less than 20 percent of all such volunteers are between 18 and 27 years of age, (inclusive). “(6) Beginning in fiscal year 1991 and for each fiscal year there-after, for the purpose of carrying out this subsection, the Director shall obligate not less than 1.5 percent of the amounts appropriated for each fiscal year under section 501(a),”. (c) Temporary Authority for Extensions of Period of Service.— (1) In general.—Notwithstanding the limitations established in section 104(b) of the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 (42 U.S.C. 4954(b)) for the maximum period of service as a volunteer under part A of title I of such Act (42 U.S.C. 4951 et seq.), the Director of the ACTION Agency may, subject to paragraphs (2) and (3), extend beyond such maximum the period of service for such volunteer in any case in which— (A) such extension is requested by the project or program to which such volunteer involved is assigned; and (B) such Director determines that such extension is appropriate with respect to meeting the goals of such project or program. 103 STAT. 1811 (2) Limitations on extensions.—With respect to extensions under paragraph (1) for volunteers described in such paragraph— (A) such an extension shall not exceed a 1-year period; (B) not more than two of such extensions may be made for any one volunteer; and (C) not more than 1 percent of the total number of such volunteers serving for the fiscal year involved may receive such extensions. (2) Duration of authority.—The authority established in paragraph (1) shall be effective only for fiscal years 1990 through 1993. (d) Technical and Conforming Amendments.—The Act (42 U.S.C, 4951 et seq.) is amended— (1) in section 102 (42 U.S.C. 4952)— (A) by striking subsections (b) and (c); and (B) by striking the subsection designation in subsection (a); and (2) in section 103 (42 U.S.C. 4953)— (A) in the heading for such section, by inserting “selection and” before “assignment”; (B) in subsection (a), in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking “The Director” and all that follows through “work—” and inserting the following: “The Director, on the receipt of applications by a public or nonprofit private organizations to receive volunteers under this part, may assign volunteers selected under subsection (b) to work in appropriate projects and programs sponsored by such organizations, including work—”; and (C) in subsection (f) (as redesignated by subsection (b)(1), by striking “subsection (d),” and inserting “subsection (e),”.