Domestic Volunteer Service Act Amendments of 1983

(Measure passed House, amended, roll call #430 (312-30))

Domestic Volunteer Service Act Amendments of 1983 - Title I: National Volunteer Antipoverty Programs and Administration - Amends the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 ("the Act") to expand the purpose of the Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) program so as to: (1) encourage persons with low-income and from all geographic areas to participate; (2) encourage part-time volunteer service at the local level; and (3) generate the commitment of private sector resources.

Eliminates the requirement that VISTA volunteers be supervised by nonprofit institutions in their work with the handicapped. Allows VISTA volunteers to work to address the problems of the jobless, homeless, hungry, and low-income youth. Requires the Director of the ACTION agency to assure that at least 20 percent of all VISTA volunteers are 60 years of age or older. Requires the Director to: (1) coordinate efforts with an appropriate private industry council to channel volunteers into jobs; and (2) provide for educational and vocational counseling to encourage volunteers to use the skills developed through the VISTA program in the national interest and to promote the development of opportunities for the use of such skills. Allows VISTA volunteers to be assigned to a community project or program only if the application for such program or project contains evidence of local support. Requires the Director to provide volunteers with necessary preservice and inservice training.

Expands the purpose of the University Year for ACTION program to include assisting students to undertake volunteer service to low-income communities in such a way as to enhance the educational value of the service experience.

Authorizes the Director to conduct, enter into contracts for, or make grants for special volunteer programs to provide career development, employment, and educational opportunities for unemployed and underemployed veterans. Requires recipients of grants or contracts for new special volunteer projects to be selected through a competitive process which includes public announcement of the availability of funds for such projects, general criteria for the selection of recipients, and a description of the application and review process.

Authorizes the technical and financial assistance provided by the Director to Federal, State, and local agencies and nonprofit organizations for volunteer antipoverty programs to be used to facilitate and improve: (1) national technical assistance and training programs; (2) the development of new voluntary programs; and (3) the development of a financially secure base for emerging and established voluntary organizations.

Requires the Director to appoint three Associate Directors of the ACTION Agency to be responsible, respectively, for: (1) VISTA and the other Volunteer antipoverty programs; (2) liaison activities with private voluntary organizations; and (3) Older American Volunteer Programs. (Currently one Associate Director is appointed by the President and is responsible for all volunteer programs.) Establishes certain personnel restrictions for the ACTION Agency.

Terminates the National Voluntary Service Advisory Council.

Requires the Director's annual report to the President on the activities of the ACTION Agency to reflect the findings and actions taken as a result of the Director's evaluation of the volunteer antipoverty programs, the Older American Volunteer Programs, and the projects under such programs. Requires that such evaluation: (1) be conducted biennially; and (2) measure compliance with the requirement that program benefits be distributed equitably between residents of rural and urban areas.

Prohibits the Director from denying refunding under any contract or grant providing assistance for any program unless the recipient agency has been given: (1) notice at least 90 days before the denial of the possibility of and grounds for such denial; and (2) opportunity to show cause why such action should not be taken. Requires, in any case where an application for refunding is denied for failure to comply with the terms and conditions of the grant or contract award, that the recipient be given an opportunity for an informal hearing before an impartial hearing officer, who has been agreed to by the recipient and the ACTION Agency. Requires, in order to assure equal access to all recipients, that such hearings or other meetings necessary to fulfill such requirements for notice and hearing procedures for financial assistance shall be held at locations convient to the recipient agency.

Provides that specified payments to participants in the National Older American Volunteer Programs shall not be treated as wages or compensation for purposes of workers' compensation laws.

Eliminates a provision which provides for the payment of the legal expenses of part-time volunteers in programs conducted by the Small Business Administration who are parties to administrative or judicial proceedings arising out of the performance of program activities.

Repeals the authority of the Director to waive the requirements that: (1) 30 days be provided between the publication and effective dates of a proposed regulation for the administration of a volunteer program for public comment; and (2) 45 days be provided between the publication and effective dates of a final regulation for congressional consideration thereof.

Authorizes appropriations for FY 1984 through 1986: (1) to carry out national volunteer antipoverty programs, with a specified amount allocated for the VISTA program; and (2) for the administration of the Act.

Title II: Older Americans Volunteer Programs Amendments - Amends the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 to remove gender-based distinctions with respect to the Director of the ACTION agency.

Places a 30 percent ceiling on required local contributions for the Retired Senior Volunteer Program.

Provides that agencies responsible for foster grandparent projects need not consider the interest of such grandparents providing services to a mentally retarded child when determining whether such child can continue in the project after the chronological age of 21. Increases the stipend or allowance for volunteers in such projects from $2 to $2.20.

Revises the definition of "low income person", "person of low income" and "community action agency" to conform such terms to provisions of the Community Services Block Grant Act, but retains provisions allowing for poverty line adjustments for local situations in determining eligibility for the foster grandparent program and older American community service programs.

Includes under the Senior Companions Program services to enable elderly persons to leave institutions and live in settings where home health care will be received. Requires the Director to encourage recruitment of unpaid volunteer trainers for senior companions and the greater utilization of experienced senior companions with special skills and leadership abilities. Requires the Director to report to Congress on impact studies assessing the cost-effectiveness of specified senior companion projects.

Prohibits the Director from considering the amount or use of local contributions in excess of required amounts, in making any grant or contract for National Older American Volunteer Programs, if such use is consistent with requirements for such programs.

Authorizes appropriations for the National Older American Volunteer Programs for FY 1984 through 1986.

Amends the Community Services Block Grant Act to provide that the term "poverty line" under such Act means the Official poverty line defined by the Office of Management and Budget based on Bureau of the Census data. Requires the use of the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers when revising the poverty line.

Amends the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 to reduce from two to one the number of Deputy Administrators of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (who are appointed by the Attorney General).