S.Res. 762

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 762 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. RES. 762

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

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

June 9, 2026

Mr. Heinrich (for himself, Mr. Cassidy, Mr. Coons, and Mr. 
Hickenlooper) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

RESOLUTION

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

Whereas there exists a network of National Service Programs (in this preamble 
referred to as ``Service and Conservation Corps'') that receives funding 
pursuant to subtitle C of title I of the National and Community Service 
Act of 1990 (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 approximately 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 
public lands of the United States;
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 natural and cultural 
resources of the United States;
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 Service and Conservation Corps members (referred 
to in this preamble as ``Corps members'') 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, 
Corps members experience the ``Corps Model'', where they gain work 
experience and develop in-demand skills;
Whereas Corps members are compensated with a stipend or living allowance and 
often receive an education award or scholarship upon completing their 
service;
Whereas, additionally, Service and Conservation Corps provide Corps members with 
educational programming, mentoring, and access to career and personal 
counseling, and some Service and Conservation Corps operate or partner 
with charter schools to help Corps members earn their high school 
diploma or GED certificate;
Whereas Corps members contribute to the preservation of historic sites, cultural 
resources, and public lands that reflect the 250-year history of the 
United States;
Whereas Corps members complete thousands of community improvement, resilience, 
and resource conservation projects every year, strengthening the 
communities of the United States as it approaches its 250th anniversary;
Whereas the 250th anniversary of the United States provides an opportunity to 
recognize and invest in programs that prepare young people in the United 
States to lead the country into its next century of growth, resilience, 
and innovation;
Whereas Corps members 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 Corps members in meaningful and necessary projects 
across the United States;
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, habitats, and wildlife;

(3) the preservation of historic structures;

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

(5) the enhancement of resilience to natural disasters;

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

(7) the improvement of energy efficiency and resource conservation; and

(8) the building and maintenance of alternative transportation and 
sustainable infrastructure;

Whereas the United States needs to respond to decades of deferred maintenance of 
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 is 
ready to meet the needs of these young people in the United States: Now, 
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(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 its 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 of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12501 et seq.); 
and
(5) recognizes the role of Service and Conservation Corps 
in honoring the 250-year legacy of civic engagement and public 
service in the United States.
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