32 U.S.C. § 509 National Guard Youth Challenge Program of Opportunities For Civilian Youth

• Library: United States Statutes
• Edition: 2023 Edition
• Currency: Current through P.L. 118-19 (published on www.congress.gov on 10/06/2023)
• Citation: 32 U.S.C. § 509

(a) PROGRAM AUTHORITY AND PURPOSE.-The Secretary of Defense may use the National Guard to conduct a civilian youth opportunities program, to be known as the "National Guard Youth Challenge Program", which shall consist of at least a 22-week residential program and a 12-month post-residential mentoring period. The Program shall seek to improve life skills and employment potential of participants by providing military-based training and supervised work experience, together with the core program components of assisting participants to receive a high school diploma or its equivalent, leadership development, promoting fellowship and community service, developing life coping skills and job skills, and improving physical fitness and health and hygiene.

(b) CONDUCT OF THE PROGRAM.-

(1) The Secretary of Defense shall provide for the conduct of the Program in such States as the Secretary considers to be appropriate.

(2) The Secretary shall carry out the Program using-

(A) funds appropriated directly to the Secretary of Defense for the Program, except that the amount of funds appropriated directly to the Secretary and expended for the Program in fiscal year 2001 or 2002 may not exceed $62,500,000; and

(B) nondefense funds made available or transferred to the Secretary of Defense by other Federal agencies to support the Program.

(3) Federal funds made available or transferred to the Secretary of Defense under paragraph (2)(B) by other Federal agencies to support the Program may be expended for the Program in excess of the fiscal year limitation specified in paragraph (2)(A).

(4) The Secretary of Defense shall remain the executive agent to carry out the Program regardless of the source of funds for the Program or any transfer of jurisdiction over the Program within the executive branch. As provided in subsection (a), the Secretary may use the National Guard to conduct the Program.

(c) PROGRAM AGREEMENTS.-

(1) To carry out the Program in a State, the Secretary of Defense shall enter into an agreement with the Governor of the State or, in the case of the District of Columbia, with the commanding general of the District of Columbia National Guard, under which the Governor or the commanding general will establish, organize, and administer the Program in the State.

(2) The agreement may provide for the Secretary to provide funds to the State for civilian personnel costs attributable to the use of civilian employees of the National Guard in the conduct of the Program.

(d) MATCHING FUNDS REQUIRED.-

(1) The amount of assistance provided by the Secretary of Defense to a State program of the Program for a fiscal year under this section may not exceed 75 percent of the costs of operating the State program during that fiscal year.

(2) The limitation in paragraph (1) may not be construed as a limitation on the amount of assistance that may be provided to a State program of the Program for a fiscal year from sources other than the Department of Defense.

(e) PERSONS ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE IN PROGRAM.-A school dropout from secondary school shall be eligible to participate in the Program. The Secretary of Defense shall prescribe the standards and procedures for selecting participants from among school dropouts.

(f) AUTHORIZED BENEFITS FOR PARTICIPANTS.-

(1) To the extent provided in an agreement entered into in accordance with subsection (c) and subject to the approval of the Secretary of Defense, a person selected for training in the Program may receive the following benefits in connection with that training: