§ 1101. Congressional findings

The Congress makes the following findings:

• (1) Senator John C. Stennis of the State of Mississippi has served his State and country with distinction for more than 60 years as a public servant, including service in the United States Senate for a period of 41 years.
• (2) Senator Stennis has a distinguished record as a United States Senator, including service as the first Chairman of the Select Committee on Ethics, Chairman of the Committee on Armed Services, Chairman of the Committee on Appropriations, and President pro tempore of the Senate.
• (3) Senator Stennis has long maintained a special interest in and devotion to the development of leadership and excellence in public service.
• (4) There is a compelling need to encourage outstanding young people to pursue public service on a career basis and to provide public service leadership training opportunities for individuals serving in State and local governments and for individuals serving as employees of Members of Congress.
• (5) It would be a fitting tribute to Senator Stennis and to his leadership, integrity, and years of devoted public service to establish in his name a center for the training and development of leadership and excellence in public service.

§ 1102. Definitions

In this chapter:

• (1) The term “Center” means the John C. Stennis Center for Public Service Training and Development established under section 1103(a) of this title .
• (2) The term “Board” means the Board of Trustees of the John C. Stennis Center for Public Service Training and Development established under section 1103(b) of this title .
• (3) The term “fund” means the John C. Stennis Center for Public Service Training and Development Trust Fund provided for under section 1105 of this title .

§ 1103. Establishment of John C. Stennis Center for Public Service Training and Development

• (a) There is established in the legislative branch of the Government a center to be known as the “John C. Stennis Center for Public Service Training and Development”.
• (b) The Center shall be subject to the supervision and direction of a Board of Trustees. The Board shall be composed of seven members, as follows:
  • (1) Two members to be appointed by the majority leader of the Senate.
  • (2) One member to be appointed by the minority leader of the Senate.
  • (3) Two members to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
  • (4) One member to be appointed by the minority leader of the House of Representatives.
  • (5) The Executive Director of the Center, who shall serve as an ex officio member of the Board.
• (c) The term of office of each member of the Board appointed under paragraphs (1), (2), (3), and (4) of subsection (b) shall be six years, except that—
  • (1) the members first appointed under paragraphs (1) and (2) shall serve, as designated by the majority leader of the Senate, one for a term of two years, one for a term of four years, and one for a term of six years;
  • (2) the members first appointed under paragraphs (3) and (4) shall serve, as designated by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, one for a term of two years, one for a term of four years, and one for a term of six years; and
  • (3) a member appointed to fill a vacancy shall serve for the remainder of the term for which his predecessor was appointed and shall be appointed in the same manner as the original appointment for that vacancy was made.
• (d) Members of the Board (other than the Executive Director) shall serve without pay, but shall be entitled to reimbursement for travel, subsistence, and other necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.
• (e) The Center shall be located at or near Starkville, Mississippi, the location of Mississippi State University.

§ 1104. Purposes and authority of Center

• (a) The purposes of the Center shall be—
  • (1) to increase awareness of the importance of public service, to foster among the youth of the United States greater recognition and understanding of the role of public service in the development of the United States, and to promote public service as a career choice;
  • (2) to provide training and development opportunities for State and local elected government officials and employees of State and local governments in order to assist such officials and employees to become more effective and more efficient in performing their public duties and develop their potential for accepting increased public service opportunities; and
  • (3) to provide training and development opportunities for those employees of Members of the Congress who perform key roles in helping Members of Congress serve the people of the United States.
• (b) The Center is authorized, consistent with this chapter, to develop such programs, activities, and services as it considers appropriate to carry out the purpose of this chapter. Such authority shall include the following:
  • (1) The development and implementation of educational programs for secondary and post-secondary schools and colleges designed—
    • (A) to improve the attitude of students toward public service;
    • (B) to encourage students to consider public service as a career goal;
    • (C) to create a better understanding of the important role that people in public service have played in the growth and development of the United States; and
    • (D) to foster a sense of civic responsibility among the youth of the United States.
  • (2) The development and implementation of programs designed—
    • (A) to enhance skills and abilities of public service employees and elected officials at the State and local levels of government;
    • (B) to make such officials more productive and effective in the performance of their duties; and
    • (C) to help prepare such employees and officials to assume greater responsibilities in the field of public service.
  • (3) The development and implementation of congressional staff training programs designed to equip congressional staff personnel to perform their duties more effectively and efficiently.
  • (4) The development and implementation of media and telecommunications production capabilities to assist the Center in expanding the reach of its programs throughout the United States.
  • (5) The establishment of library and research facilities for the collection and compilation of research materials for use in carrying out the programs of the Center.
• (c) The Board of Trustees shall determine the priority of the programs to be carried out under this chapter and the amount of funds to be allocated for such programs.

§ 1105. John C. Stennis Center for Public Service Development Trust Fund

• (a) There is established in the Treasury of the United States a trust fund to be known as the “John C. Stennis Center for Public Service Development Trust Fund”. The fund shall consist of amounts appropriated to it pursuant to section 1110 of this title and amounts credited to it under subsection (d).
• (b)
  • (1) At the request of the Center, it shall be the duty of the Secretary of the Treasury to invest in full the amounts appropriated to the fund. Such investments may be made only in interest-bearing obligations of the United States issued directly to the fund.
  • (2) The purposes for which obligations of the United States may be issued under chapter 31 of title 31 are hereby extended to authorize the issuance at par of special obligations directly to the fund. Such special obligations shall bear interest at a rate equal to the average rate of interest, computed as to the end of the calendar month next preceding the date of such issue, borne by all marketable interest-bearing obligations of the United States then forming a part of the public debt; except that where such average rate is not a multiple of one-eighth of 1 per centum, the rate of interest of such special obligations shall be the multiple of one-eighth of 1 per centum next lower than such average rate. All requests of the Center to the Secretary of the Treasury provided for in this section shall be binding upon the Secretary.
• (c) At the request of the Center, the Secretary of the Treasury shall redeem any obligation issued directly to the fund. Obligations issued to the fund under subsection (b)(2) shall be redeemed at par plus accrued interest. Any other obligations issued directly to the fund shall be redeemed at the market price.
• (d) In addition to the appropriations received pursuant to section 1110 of this title , the interest on, and the proceeds from the sale or redemption of, any obligations held in the fund pursuant to section 1108(a) of this title , shall be credited to and form a part of the fund.

§ 1106. Expenditures and audit of trust fund

• (a) The Secretary of the Treasury is authorized to pay to the Center from the interest and earnings of the fund, and moneys credited to the fund pursuant to section 1108(a) of this title , such sums as the Board determines are necessary and appropriate to enable the Center to carry out the provisions of this chapter.
• (b) The activities of the Center under this chapter may be audited by the Government Accountability Office under such rules and regulations as may be prescribed by the Comptroller General of the United States. Representatives of the Government Accountability Office shall have access to all books, accounts, records, reports, and files and all other papers, things, or property belonging to or in use by the Center, pertaining to such activities and necessary to facilitate the audit.

§ 1107. Executive Director of Center

• (a)
  • (1) There shall be an Executive Director of the Center who shall be appointed by the Board. The Executive Director shall be the chief executive officer of the Center and shall carry out the functions of the Center subject to the supervision and direction of the Board. The Executive Director shall carry out such other functions consistent with the provisions of this chapter as the Board shall prescribe.
  • (2) The Executive Director shall not be eligible to serve as Chairman of the Board.
• (b) The Executive Director of the Center shall be compensated at the rate specified for employees in grade GS–18 of the General Schedule under section 5332 of title 5 .

§ 1108. Administrative provisions

• (a) In order to carry out the provisions of this chapter, the Center may—
  • (1) appoint and fix the compensation of such personnel as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this chapter, except that in no case shall employees other than the Executive Director be compensated at a rate to exceed the maximum rate for employees in grade GS–15 of the General Schedule under section 5332 of title 5 ;
  • (2) procure temporary and intermittent services of experts and consultants as are necessary to the extent authorized by section 3109 of title 5 , but at rates not to exceed the rate specified at the time of such service for grade GS–18 under section 5332 of such title;
  • (3) prescribe such regulations as it considers necessary governing the manner in which its functions shall be carried out;
  • (4) solicit and receive money and other property donated, bequeathed, or devised, without condition or restriction other than it be used for the purposes of the Center, and to use, sell, or otherwise dispose of such property for the purpose of carrying out its functions;
  • (5) accept and utilize the services of voluntary and noncompensated personnel and reimburse them for travel expenses, including per diem, as authorized by section 5703 of title 5 ;
  • (6) enter into contracts, grants, or other arrangements, or modifications thereof, to carry out the provisions of this chapter, and such contracts or modifications thereof may, with the concurrence of two-thirds of the members of the Board, be entered into without performance or other bonds, and without regard to section 6101 of title 41 ;
  • (7) make expenditures for official reception and representation expenses as well as expenditures for meals, entertainment and refreshments in connection with official training sessions or other authorized programs or activities;
  • (8) apply for, receive and use for the purposes of the Center grants or other assistance from Federal sources;
  • (9) establish, receive and use for the purposes of the Center fees or other charges for goods or services provided in fulfilling the Center’s purposes to persons not enumerated in section 1104(b) of this title ;
  • (10) invest, as specified in section 1105(b) of this title , moneys authorized to be received under this section; and
  • (11) make other necessary expenditures.
• (b)

§ 1109. Authorization for appropriations

There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this chapter.

§ 1110. Appropriations

There is appropriated to the fund the sum of $7,500,000 to carry out this chapter.

§ 1151. Open World Leadership Center

• (a)
  • (1) There is established in the legislative branch of the Government a center to be known as the “Open World Leadership Center 1 1 So in original. Probably should be followed by closing quotation marks. (the “Center”).
  • (2) The Center shall be subject to the supervision and direction of a Board of Trustees (the “Board”) which shall be composed of 11 members as follows:
    • (A) Two Members of the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, one of whom shall be designated by the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives and one of whom shall be designated by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives.
    • (B) Two Senators appointed by the President pro tempore of the Senate, one of whom shall be designated by the Majority Leader of the Senate and one of whom shall be designated by the Minority Leader of the Senate.
    • (C) The Librarian of Congress.
    • (D) Four private individuals with interests in improving relations between the United States and eligible foreign states, designated by the Librarian of Congress.
    • (E) The chair of the Subcommittee on Legislative Branch of the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the chair of the Subcommittee on Legislative Branch of the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate.
• (b)
  • (1) The purpose of the Center is to establish, in accordance with the provisions of paragraph (2), a program to enable emerging political leaders of eligible foreign states at all levels of government to gain significant, firsthand exposure to the American free market economic system and the operation of American democratic institutions through visits to governments and communities at comparable levels in the United States and to establish and administer a program to enable cultural leaders of Russia to gain significant, firsthand exposure to the operation of American cultural institutions.
  • (2) Subject to the provisions of paragraphs (3) and (4), the Center shall establish a program under which the Center annually awards grants to government or community organizations in the United States that seek to establish programs under which those organizations will host nationals of eligible foreign states who are emerging political leaders at any level of government.
  • (3)
    • (A) The period of stay in the United States for any individual supported with grant funds under the program shall not exceed 30 days.
    • (B) The number of individuals supported with grant funds under the program shall not exceed 3,500 in any fiscal year.
    • (C) Grant funds under the program shall be used to pay—
      • (i) the costs and expenses incurred by each program participant in traveling between an eligible foreign state and the United States and in traveling within the United States;
      • (ii) the costs of providing lodging in the United States to each program participant, whether in public accommodations or in private homes; and
      • (iii) such additional administrative expenses incurred by organizations in carrying out the program as the Center may prescribe.
  • (4)
    • (A) Each organization in the United States desiring a grant under this section shall submit an application to the Center at such time, in such manner, and accompanied by such information as the Center may reasonably require.
    • (B) Each application submitted pursuant to subparagraph (A) shall—
      • (i) describe the activities for which assistance under this section is sought;
      • (ii) include the number of program participants to be supported;
      • (iii) describe the qualifications of the individuals who will be participating in the program; and
      • (iv) provide such additional assurances as the Center determines to be essential to ensure compliance with the requirements of this section.
• (c)
  • (1) There is established in the Treasury of the United States a trust fund to be known as the “Open World Leadership Center Trust Fund” (the “Fund”) which shall consist of amounts which may be appropriated, credited, or transferred to it under this section.
  • (2) Any money or other property donated, bequeathed, or devised to the Center under the authority of this section shall be credited to the Fund.
  • (3)
    • (A) The provisions of subsections (b), (c), and (d) of section 1105 of this title , and the provisions of section 1106(b) of this title , shall apply to the Fund.
    • (B) The Secretary of the Treasury is authorized to pay to the Center from amounts in the Fund such sums as the Board determines are necessary and appropriate to enable the Center to carry out the provisions of this section.
• (d) On behalf of the Board, the Librarian of Congress shall appoint an Executive Director who shall be the chief executive officer of the Center and who shall carry out the functions of the Center subject to the supervision and direction of the Board of Trustees. The Executive Director of the Center shall be compensated at the annual rate specified by the Board, but in no event shall such rate exceed level III of the Executive Schedule under section 5314 of title 5 .
• (e)
  • (1) The provisions of section 1108 of this title shall apply to the Center.
  • (2) The Library of Congress may disburse funds appropriated to the Center, compute and disburse the basic pay for all personnel of the Center, provide administrative, legal, financial management, and other appropriate services to the Center, and collect from the Fund the full costs of providing services under this paragraph, as provided under an agreement for services ordered under sections 1535 and 1536 of title 31.
• (f) There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section.
• (g) Any amounts appropriated for use in the program established under section 3011 of the 1999 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act ( Public Law 106–31 ; 113 Stat. 93 ) shall be transferred to the Fund and shall remain available without fiscal year limitation.
• (h)
  • (1) This section shall take effect on December 21, 2000 .
  • (2) Subsection (g) shall only apply to amounts which remain unexpended on and after the date the Board certifies to the Librarian of Congress that grants are ready to be made under the program established under this section.
• (j) In this section, the term “eligible foreign state” means—
  • (1) any country specified in section 5801 of title 22 ;
  • (2) Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania; and
  • (3) any other country that is designated by the Board, except that the Board shall notify the Committees on Appropriations of the Senate and the House of Representatives of the designation at least 90 days before the designation is to take effect.

§ 1161. Bill Emerson National Hunger Fellows and Mickey Leland International Hunger Fellows

• (a) This section may be cited as the “Bill Emerson National Hunger Fellows and Mickey Leland International Hunger Fellows Program Act of 2008”.
• (b) In this subsection: 1 1 So in original. Probably should be “section:”.
  • (1) The term “Director” means the head of the Congressional Hunger Center.
  • (2) The term “fellow” means—
    • (A) a Bill Emerson Hunger Fellow; or
    • (B) Mickey Leland Hunger Fellow.
  • (3) The term “Fellowship Programs” means the Bill Emerson National Hunger Fellowship Program and the Mickey Leland International Hunger Fellowship Program established under subsection (c)(1).
• (c)
  • (1) There is established the Bill Emerson National Hunger Fellowship Program and the Mickey Leland International Hunger Fellowship Program.
  • (2)
    • (A) The purposes of the Fellowship Programs are—
      • (i) to encourage future leaders of the United States—
        • (I) to pursue careers in humanitarian and public service;
        • (II) to recognize the needs of low-income people and hungry people;
        • (III) to provide assistance to people in need; and
        • (IV) to seek public policy solutions to the challenges of hunger and poverty;
      • (ii) to provide training and development opportunities for such leaders through placement in programs operated by appropriate organizations or entities; and
      • (iii) to increase awareness of the importance of public service.
    • (B) The purpose of the Bill Emerson Hunger Fellowship Program is to address hunger and poverty in the United States.
    • (C) The purpose of the Mickey Leland Hunger Fellowship Program is to address international hunger and other humanitarian needs.
  • (3)
    • (A) Subject to subparagraph (B), the Secretary shall offer to provide a grant to the Congressional Hunger Center to administer the Fellowship Programs.
    • (B) The terms of the grant provided under subparagraph (A), including the length of the grant and provisions for the alteration or termination of the grant, shall be determined by the Secretary in accordance with this section.
• (d)
  • (1) The Director shall make available Bill Emerson Hunger Fellowships and Mickey Leland Hunger Fellowships in accordance with this subsection.
  • (2)
    • (A) The Fellowship Programs shall provide experience and training to develop the skills necessary to train fellows to carry out the purposes described in subsection (c)(2), including—
      • (i) training in direct service programs for the hungry and other anti-hunger programs in conjunction with community-based organizations through a program of field placement; and
      • (ii) providing experience in policy development through placement in a governmental entity or nongovernmental, nonprofit, or private sector organization.
    • (B) To carry out subparagraph (A) and assist in the evaluation of the fellowships under paragraph (6), the Director shall, for each fellow, approve a work plan that identifies the target objectives for the fellow in the fellowship, including specific duties and responsibilities relating to those objectives.
  • (3)
    • (A) A Bill Emerson Hunger Fellowship awarded under this section shall be for not more than 15 months.
    • (B) A Mickey Leland Hunger Fellowship awarded under this section shall be for not more than 2 years.
  • (4)
    • (A) Fellowships shall be awarded pursuant to a nationwide competition established by the Director.
    • (B) A successful program applicant shall be an individual who has demonstrated—
      • (i) an intent to pursue a career in humanitarian services and outstanding potential for such a career;
      • (ii) leadership potential or actual leadership experience;
      • (iii) diverse life experience;
      • (iv) proficient writing and speaking skills;
      • (v) an ability to live in poor or diverse communities; and
      • (vi) such other attributes as are considered to be appropriate by the Director.
  • (5)
    • (A) A fellow shall receive—
      • (i) a living allowance during the term of the Fellowship; and
      • (ii) subject to subparagraph (B), an end-of-service award.
    • (B) Each fellow shall be entitled to receive an end-of-service award at an appropriate rate for each month of satisfactory service completed, as determined by the Director.
    • (C) A fellow shall not be considered an employee of—
      • (i) the Department of Agriculture;
      • (ii) the Congressional Hunger Center; or
      • (iii) a host agency in the field or policy placement of the fellow.
    • (D)
      • (i) An individual awarded a fellowship from the Bill Emerson Hunger Fellowship shall be known as an “Emerson Fellow”.
      • (ii) An individual awarded a fellowship from the Mickey Leland Hunger Fellowship shall be known as a “Leland Fellow”.
  • (6) Under terms stipulated in the contract entered into under subsection (c)(3), the Director shall—
    • (A) conduct periodic evaluations of the Fellowship Programs; and
    • (B) arrange for annual independent financial audits of expenditures under the Fellowship Programs.
• (e)
  • (1) Subject to paragraph (2), in carrying out this section, the Director may solicit, accept, use, and dispose of gifts, bequests, or devises of services or property, both real and personal, for the purpose of facilitating the work of the Fellowship Programs.
  • (2) Gifts, bequests, or devises of money and proceeds from sales of other property received as gifts, bequests, or devises shall be used exclusively for the purposes of the Fellowship Programs.
• (f) The Director shall annually submit to the Secretary of Agriculture, the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report that—
  • (1) describes the activities and expenditures of the Fellowship Programs during the preceding fiscal year, including expenditures made from funds made available under subsection (g); and
  • (2) includes the results of evaluations and audits required by subsection (d).
• (g) There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary such sums as are necessary to carry out this section, to remain available until expended.