Supporting the designation of the second Friday of June as "National Service and Conservation Corps Day".

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1359 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1359

 Supporting the designation of the second Friday of June as ``National
                 Service and Conservation Corps Day''.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 11, 2026

Ms. Houlahan (for herself, Mr. Bacon, Ms. Matsui, and Mr. Fitzpatrick)
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee
                       on Education and Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 Supporting the designation of the second Friday of June as ``National
                 Service and Conservation Corps Day''.

Whereas there exists a network of National Service Programs (in this resolution
        referred to as ``Service and Conservation Corps'') that receive funding
        pursuant to subtitle C of the National and Community Service Act (42
        U.S.C. 12571 et seq.);
Whereas such network includes more than 140 Service and Conservation Corps
        across the country;
Whereas these Service and Conservation Corps annually provide education,
        workforce development, and support services to nearly 22,000 young
        adults and post-9/11 veterans;
Whereas today's Service and Conservation Corps are locally based organizations
        that engage young adults (generally ages 16 to 25) and veterans (up to
        age 35) in service projects that address recreation, conservation,
        disaster response, and community needs;
Whereas these Service and Conservation Corps are direct descendants of the
        Civilian Conservation Corps, a Great Depression-era Federal work relief
        program that mobilized 3,000,000 young men to dramatically improve the
        Nation's public lands;
Whereas Civilian Conservation Corps participants received food, shelter,
        education, and a $30-a-month stipend;
Whereas, from 1933 to 1942, the Civilian Conservation Corps planted
        3,000,000,000 trees and helped build trails, roads, campgrounds, and
        other park infrastructure still in use today;
Whereas the United States will commemorate the 250th anniversary of its founding
        in 2026, a milestone that highlights the enduring importance of civic
        engagement, public service, and stewardship of the Nation's natural and
        cultural resources;
Whereas most modern Service and Conservation Corps are nonprofits or are
        operated by units of State or local government;
Whereas, through public-private partnerships, Service and Conservation Corps
        work with a range of organizations, government agencies, and
        institutions to engage Corpsmembers in meaningful projects that address
        local and national issues;
Whereas, through a term of service that could last from a few months to a year,
        Corpsmembers experience the ``Corps Model'', where they gain work
        experience and develop in-demand skills;
Whereas Corpsmembers are compensated with a stipend or living allowance and
        often receive an education award or scholarship upon completing their
        service;
Whereas, additionally, Corps provide participants with educational programming,
        mentoring, and access to career and personal counseling, and some Corps
        operate or partner with charter schools to help participants earn their
        high school diploma or GED;
Whereas Corpsmembers contribute to the preservation of historic sites, cultural
        resources, and public lands that reflect the Nation's 250-year history;
Whereas Corpsmembers complete thousands of community improvement, resilience,
        and resource conservation projects every year, strengthening the
        Nation's communities as it approaches its 250th anniversary;
Whereas Corpsmembers typically serve on crews alongside other young adults, or
        in ``individual placement'' or internship positions that provide
        additional capacity to Federal, State, and local resource management
        agencies;
Whereas Service and Conservation Corps have longstanding partnerships with
        Federal, State, and local community development and resource management
        agencies to engage Corpsmembers in meaningful and necessary projects
        across the country;
Whereas Service and Conservation Corps projects include--

    (1) the enhancement of neighborhoods and community public spaces,
including urban gardens;

    (2) the preservation and protection of public lands, shorelines,
waterways, habitat, and wildlife;

    (3) the preservation of historic structures;

    (4) providing access to and the enhancement of recreation on public
lands and waters;

    (5) enhancing resilience to natural disasters;

    (6) mitigation, response to, and recovery from natural disasters,
including hurricanes and wildfire;

    (7) improving energy efficiency and resource conservation; and

    (8) building and maintaining alternative transportation and sustainable
infrastructure;

Whereas the United States needs to respond to decades of deferred maintenance on
        public lands and waters and make its communities more resilient;
Whereas the United States also has millions of young people facing unemployment
        and barriers to opportunity; and
Whereas the existing network of more than 140 Service and Conservation Corps are
        ready to meet the needs of these young Americans: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) supports the designation of a ``National Service and
        Conservation Corps Day'';
            (2) congratulates the existing network of more than 140
        Service and Conservation Corps on their contributions to the
        United States;
            (3) urges the citizens of the United States to recognize
        the importance of national service;
            (4) supports the continuation and expansion of the national
        network of Service and Conservation Corps under the National
        and Community Service Act (42 U.S.C. 12501 et seq.); and
            (5) recognizes the role of Service and Conservation Corps
        in honoring the Nation's 250-year legacy of civic engagement
        and public service.
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