[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7050 Introduced in House (IH)]
110th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7050
To create a 21st Century Civilian Energy Conservation Corps focused on
promoting and improving the energy conservation and efficiency of
residential and public buildings and spaces, creating economic
opportunity for disconnected youth, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 24, 2008
Mr. Inslee (for himself, Mr. Sarbanes, Mr. Hinchey, Ms. Bordallo, Ms.
Matsui, Ms. McCollum of Minnesota, Ms. Sutton, and Mr. Grijalva)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To create a 21st Century Civilian Energy Conservation Corps focused on
promoting and improving the energy conservation and efficiency of
residential and public buildings and spaces, creating economic
opportunity for disconnected youth, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Energy Conservation Corps Act of
2008''.
SEC. 2. ENERGY CONSERVATION CORPS.
(a) Findings.--The Congress finds the following:
(1) The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) established in
1933 was one of the singularly successful Federal programs in
American history.
(2) The CCC provided work and vocational training for
3,500,000 unemployed young Americans through projects designed
to develop and conserve the country's natural resources and
build and maintain its infrastructure.
(3) Projects included environmental clean up, wild fire
prevention, erosion control, vegetation mapping, invasive
species removal, reforestation, recreational facility
construction, trail building, swamp drainage, flood relief, and
disaster response.
(4) This extensive development and improvement of public
lands by the CCC was in large part responsible for the modern
national and State park systems.
(5) Today, an estimated 3,800,000 18-24 year olds, roughly
15 percent of all young adults, are neither employed nor in
school. Since 2000 alone, the ranks of these nonengaged young
adults have grown by 700,000, a 19 percent increase.
(6) High school dropouts are at high risk of incarceration.
Approximately 16 percent of all young men, ages 18-24, without
a high school degree or GED are either incarcerated or on
parole at any point in time. According to a 2002 Report from
the Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2,000,000 people are
incarcerated at an average annual cost of $20,000 per inmate--
for a total cost of $40,000,000,000 per year.
(7) In testimony before the House Education and the
Workforce Committee in 2005, Secretary of Education Margaret
Spellings said that dropouts ``cost our Nation more than $260
billion'' in ``lost wages, lost taxes, and lost productivity
over their lifetimes''.
(8) Energy inefficiencies account for at least 50 percent
of all United States energy use.
(9) According to the World Watch Institute, United States
electricity use could be reduced by 70 percent through
efficiency gains alone.
(10) Estimates indicate that while the average United
States household's energy costs are equal to 7 percent of
household income, low-income households spend 17 percent of
their household earnings on energy.
(11) In a manner similar to the CCC of the 1930s,
disconnected young people can be mobilized to retrofit,
weatherize, and otherwise improve the energy efficiency of
residential and public facilities that account for more than 40
percent of carbon emissions.
(12) The rehabilitation, renovation, and retrofitting of
these facilities by disconnected youth engaged in public
service benefit the disconnected youth, the facility resident
and owners, the communities in which they are located, as well
as the environment as shared by all.
(13) Service and conservation corps, by providing
educational and training opportunities to disconnected youth
through national and community service projects, have an
established record of administering such projects.
(b) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this section--
(1) to create an Energy Conservation Corps that will
provide educational and economic opportunities to disadvantaged
and disconnected youth by engaging them in team-based service
projects designed to promote and improve the energy
conservation and efficiency of residential and public buildings
and spaces; and
(2) through the Energy Conservation Corps, to stimulate
interest among young people in stewardship of the environment
and natural resources and lifelong service to their communities
and the United States.
(c) Establishment of the Energy Conservation Corps.--
(1) In general.--The Energy Conservation Corps is hereby
established in the Department of Energy.
(2) Age and background.--The Energy Conservation Corps
shall consist of individuals between the ages of 16 and 25,
inclusive, at least 50 percent of whom come from disadvantaged
or disconnected backgrounds.
(3) Civil service.--Individuals may be enrolled in the
Energy Conservation Corps without regard to the civil service
and classification laws, rules, or regulations of the United
States.
(4) Duration.--Individuals may be enrolled in the Energy
Conservation Corps for up to 24 months.
(5) Opportunities.--Energy Conservation Corps will provide
such individuals with opportunities to further their education,
through programs designed to help them obtain a high school
diploma, GED, job training, professional certificate, or access
to post-secondary education.
(6) Projects.--Energy Conservation Corps will engage such
individuals in service projects, primarily team-based, designed
to increase energy efficiency and improve natural resources
use.
(d) Eligible Applicants.--
(1) Supporting organizations.--The Secretary shall accept
applications from qualified service and conservation corps, and
nonprofit organizations, units of State, county, and local
government, and institutions of higher education for the
purpose of establishing, operating, and supporting Corps.
(2) Qualifications.--Applicants shall demonstrate an
ability to--
(A) provide Corpsmembers with access to programs to
obtain a high school diploma or GED; and
(B) create pathways for Corpsmembers to
postsecondary education or a credential or further job
training and ultimately, employment.
(3) Cost per member.--Upon receipt of such information as
the Secretary may reasonably require, the Secretary may set a
cost per member that takes into account the educational,
social, and family services disconnected young people who are
out of school, out of work, exiting foster care, or have had
contact with the justice system may require.
(4) Flexibility.--The Secretary shall provide flexibility
in recruitment and retention outcomes to grantees, depending on
Corpsmember demographics, in light of the fact that
disconnected young people are often more difficult to recruit
and retain.
(5) Alternative success measurement.--The Secretary shall
allow for alternative measurements of success such as the use
of growth models.
(6) Training and technical assistance.--The Secretary shall
ensure that the Energy Conservation Corps has adequate access
to relevant training and technical assistance services to be
provided by at least one national nonprofit organization with a
demonstrated record of experience in promoting and
disseminating effective practices among service and
conservation corps.
(e) Eligible Corpsmembers.--
(1) Age.--Youth enrolled in the Energy Conservation Corps
shall be between the ages of 16 and 25.
(2) Assurances.--Such youth shall be able to provide
assurances that they did not withdraw from school for the
purpose of participating in the program.
(3) Preference.--Preference in recruitment shall be given
to disadvantaged or disconnected young people.
(f) Eligible Projects.--The Secretary shall accept applications for
service projects related to energy and resource conservation and rural
development including, but not limited to--
(1) building, retrofitting, and weatherizing residential
and public facilities to meet appropriate standards;
(2) conducting energy assessments and providing and
implementing solutions for low-income homeowners and
communities;
(3) providing education, training, and support regarding
energy efficiency, resource conservation, and reuse to low-
income homeowners and communities;
(4) installing or constructing renewable energy
improvements (such as wind, wave, solar, biomass, and
geothermal energy sources); and
(5) building and maintaining alternative transportation
routes.
(g) Preference for Certain Projects.--In selecting appropriate
service projects to be carried out under this section, the Secretary
shall give a preference to those projects that--
(1) provide development, training, and practical work
experience for young individuals in important career fields
relating to energy efficiency, and act as preparation for
additional education or permanent employment for young adults
and which will provide long-term benefits to the public;
(2) instill in the participant a work ethic and a sense of
public service;
(3) will be labor intensive;
(4) can be planned and initiated promptly; and
(5) will provide academic, experiential, or community
education opportunities.
(h) Consistency.--Each appropriate service project carried out
under this section shall be consistent with the provisions of law and
policies relating to the management and administration of such
projects, facilities, or resources, with all other applicable
provisions of law, and with all management, operational, and other
plans and documents which govern the administration of such projects,
facilities, or resources.
(i) Nondisplacement.--The nondisplacement requirements of the
National and Community Service Act of 1990 shall be applicable to all
activities carried out under this section by a qualified corps.
(j) Donations.--The Secretary is authorized to accept donations of
funds, services, facilities, materials, or equipment for the purposes
of operating the Energy Conservation Corps and carrying out appropriate
service projects by the Corps.
(k) Definitions.--For purposes of this section:
(1) Disadvantaged youth.--The term ``disadvantaged youth''
means individuals between the ages of 16 and 25, inclusive,
who, because of certain characteristics, circumstances,
experiences, or insufficiencies, encounter financial, legal,
social, educational, emotional or health problems and may have
significant difficulties growing into adults who are
responsible citizens, productive workers, involved members of
communities.
(2) Disconnected youth.--The term ``disconnected youth''
means individuals between the ages of 16 and 25, inclusive, who
are out of school, out of work, exiting foster care, or
formerly court-involved or incarcerated.
(3) Qualified service and conservation corps.--The term
``qualified service and conservation corps'' means any program
established by a State or local government or by a nonprofit
organization that--
(A) is capable of offering meaningful, full-time,
productive work for individuals between the ages of 16
and 25, inclusive, in an infrastructure, housing, or
transportation setting;
(B) gives participants a mix of work experience,
basic and life skills, education, training, and support
services; and
(C) provides participants with the opportunity to
develop citizenship values and skills through service
to their communities and the United States.
(4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means to the
Secretary of Energy.
(l) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to the Secretary $100,000,000 for each of fiscal years
2009 through 2013 for carrying out this section.
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