“ DIRECT APPLICATION TO CORPORATION TO CARRY OUT COMMUNITY-BASED SERVICE PROGRAMS.— To be eligible to receive a grant from the Corporation under section 117A (a) to implement, operate, expand, or replicate a community service program, a qualified organization shall prepare, submit to the Corporation, and obtain approval of, an application that proposes a community-based service program to be carried out at multiple sites, or that proposes an innovative community-based service program. ”

“ A community corps program that meets unmet human, educational, environmental, or public safety needs and promotes greater community unity through the use of organized teams of participants of varied social and economic backgrounds, skill levels, physical and developmental capabilities, ages, ethnic backgrounds, or genders. ”

“ OPTION.— A State or other recipient of assistance under section 121 may elect to provide from its own funds a health care policy for participants that does not meet all of the standards established by the Corporation if the fair market value of such policy is equal to or greater than the fair market value of a plan that meets the minimum standards established by the Corporation, and is consistent with other applicable laws. ”

“ ASSIGNMENT.— At the request of a program that receives assistance under the national service laws, the Corporation may assign an individual who receives leadership training under paragraph (1) to work with the program in a leadership position and carry out assignments not otherwise performed by regular participants. An individual assigned to a program shall be considered to be a participant of the program. ”

“ A significant number of housing units for low-income individuals in urban areas has become substandard and unsafe and the deterioration of urban roadways, mass transit systems, and transportation facilities in the United States have contributed to the blight encountered in many cities in the United States. ”

“ WAIVER.— The Corporation may waive the requirements of subsection (a) (5) (A) with respect to an individual if the program in which the individual seeks to become a participant conducts an independent evaluation demonstrating that the individual is incapable of obtaining a high school diploma or its equivalent. ”

“ CAPACITY-BUILDING ACTIVITIES.— `` (1) IN GENERAL.— Except as provided in paragraph (2) , not less than 10 percent and not more than 15 percent of the amount of assistance provided to a State educational agency or Indian tribe that is the original recipient of a grant or allotment under subsection (a) , (b) , (c) , or (d) of section 112 for a fiscal year may be used to build capacity through training, technical assistance, curriculum development, and coordination activities, described in section 111 (a) (1) . ”

“ Any such participating nonprofit conservation service organization shall be required, by the respective land managing agency, to submit an annual report evaluating the scope, size, and quality of the program, including the value of work contributed by the Resource Assistants, to the mission of the agency. ”

“ The extent to which participants of the national service program are recruited from among residents of the communities in which projects are to be conducted, and the extent to which participants and community residents are involved in the design, leadership, and operation of the program. ”

“ Participating nonprofit organizations shall contribute to the expenses of providing and supporting the resource assistants, through private sources of funding, at a level equal to 25 percent of the total costs of each participant in the Resource Assistant program who has been recruited and placed through that organization. ”

“ SPECIAL RULES FOR CERTAIN YOUTH PROGRAMS.— An individual shall be considered to be a participant in a youth corps program described in section 122 (a) (2) or a program described in section 122 (a) (9) that is carried out with assistance provided under section 121 (a) if the individual— `` (1) satisfies the requirements specified in subsection (a) , except paragraph (4) of such subsection; and `` (2) is between the ages of 16 and 25, inclusive, at the time the individual begins the term of service. ”

“ APPLICATION TO SUBGRANTS.— The qualification criteria established by the Corporation under paragraph (1) shall also be used by each recipient of assistance under section 121 (a) that uses any portion of the assistance to conduct a grant program to support other national service programs. ”

“ INNOVATION AND QUALITY IMPROVEMENT.— The Corporation may undertake activities to improve the quality of national service programs, including service-learning programs, and to support innovative and model programs, including— `` (1) programs, including programs for rural youth, under subtitle B or C; `` (2) employer-based retiree programs; `` (3) intergenerational programs; `` (4) programs involving individuals with disabilities as participants providing service ”

“ In designating national service programs to receive priority, the Corporation may include— `` (A) national service programs carried out by another Federal agency; `` (B) national service programs that conform to the national service priorities in effect under section 122 (c) ; `` (C) innovative national service programs; `` (D) national service programs that are well established in one or more States at the time of the application and are proposed to be expanded to additional States using assistance provided under section 121 ”

“ LIMITATION ON GRANT.— In making a grant under subsection (c) with respect to a demonstration program to assist in converting an affected military installation, the Corporation shall not make a grant for more than 25 percent of the total cost of the conversion. ”

“ DEFINITION OF HOLDER.— As used in this subsection, the term ``holder ́ ́ with respect to any eligible loan means the original lender or, if the loan is subsequently sold, transferred, or assigned to some other person, and such other person acquires a legally enforceable right to receive payments from the borrower, such other person. ”

“ A community service program designed to meet the needs of rural communities, using teams or individual placements to address the development needs of rural communities and to combat rural poverty, including health care, education, and job training. `` (14) A program that seeks to eliminate hunger in communities and rural areas through service in projects— `` (A) involving food banks, food pantries, and nonprofit organizations that provide food during emergencies ”