A resolution designating June 16, 2023, as National Service and Conservation Corps Day.

III 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION S. RES. 253 Designating June 16, 2023, as National Service and Conservation Corps Day. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES JUNE 14, 2023 Mr. HEINRICH (for himself and Mr. CASSIDY) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to RESOLUTION Designating June 16, 2023, as National Service and Conservation Corps Day. Whereas there exists a network of more than 150 Service and Conservation Corps across the United States that pro- vides education, workforce development, and support services to approximately 22,000 young adults and post- 9/11 veterans annually; Whereas the Service and Conservation Corps are locally-based organizations that engage young adults between 18 and 30 years of age and veterans younger than 35 years of age in service projects that address recreation, conserva- tion, disaster response, and community needs; Whereas the Service and Conservation Corps are direct de- scendants of the Civilian Conservation Corps, a Great VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:04 Jun 15, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR253.ATS SR253 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 2 •SRES 253 ATS Depression-era Federal work relief program in existence from 1933 to 1942 that— (1) mobilized 3,000,000 young men to dramatically improve the public lands of the United States; (2) provided participants with food, shelter, edu- cation, and a $30 per month stipend; and (3) planted 3,000,000,000 trees and helped build trails, roads, campgrounds, and other park infrastructure still in use today; Whereas April 5, 2023, was the 90th anniversary of Presi- dent Franklin D. Roosevelt establishing the Civilian Con- servation Corps with a presidential Executive order (Ex- ecutive Order 6101 (relating to relief of unemployment through the performance of useful public work)); Whereas, unlike the Civilian Conservation Corps, which was a large, Federal program that was only open to young men, while Black and Native American participants faced discrimination, modern Service and Conservation Corps are equitable, diverse, and inclusive; Whereas most modern Service and Conservation Corps are nonprofit organizations or are operated by units of State or local government; Whereas, through public-private partnerships, Service and Conservation Corps work with a range of organizations, government agencies, and institutions to engage Corps participants in meaningful projects that address local and national issues; Whereas, throughout a term of service that could last from a few months to a year, Corps participants experience the ‘‘Corps Model’’ by— VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:04 Jun 15, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR253.ATS SR253 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 3 •SRES 253 ATS (1) gaining work experience and developing in-de- mand skills; (2) serving 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; (3) receiving a stipend or living allowance and often an education award or scholarship upon completion of service; and (4) receiving educational programming, mentoring, and access to career and personal counseling; Whereas some Service and Conservation Corps operate or partner with charter schools to help Corps participants earn their high school diploma or GED certificate; Whereas Corps participants complete thousands of commu- nity improvement, resilience, and resource conservation projects every year; Whereas Service and Conservation Corps have longstanding partnerships with Federal, State, and local community development and resource management agencies to en- gage Corps participants in meaningful and necessary projects across the United States; Whereas Corps projects include— (1) enhancing neighborhoods and community public spaces, including urban gardens; (2) preserving and protecting public lands, shore- lines, waterways, habitats, and wildlife; (3) preserving historic structures; (4) providing access to and enhancing recreation on public lands and waters; (5) enhancing resilience to climate change and nat- ural disasters; VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:04 Jun 15, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR253.ATS SR253 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 4 •SRES 253 ATS (6) mitigating, responding to, and recovering from natural disasters, including hurricanes and wildfires; (7) improving energy efficiency and resource con- servation; and (8) building and maintaining alternative transpor- tation and sustainable infrastructure; Whereas the United States urgently needs to transition to more sustainable infrastructure, respond to decades of deferred maintenance on public lands and waters, restore critical ecosystems, and make communities more resilient to climate change; Whereas unemployment and barriers to opportunity affect millions of young people in the United States and dis- proportionately affect young people of color; and Whereas the existing network of more than 150 Service and Conservation Corps is ready to meet the needs of young people in the United States: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Senate— 1 (1) designates June 16, 2023, as National 2 Service and Conservation Corps Day; 3 (2) congratulates the existing network of more 4 than 150 Service and Conservation Corps on their 5 contributions to the United States; 6 (3) urges the people of the United States to 7 recognize the importance of national service; and 8 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:04 Jun 15, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR253.ATS SR253 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 5 •SRES 253 ATS (4) supports the continuation and expansion of 1 the national network of Service and Conservation 2 Corps. 3 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:04 Jun 15, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\SR253.ATS SR253 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB