“A bill to amend Public Law 91-378 to authorize activities relating to Civilian Conservation Centers, and for other purposes.”
No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section amends Public Law 91-378 (16 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) by adding a new title III on Civilian Conservation Centers (CCCs), defined as residential workforce development or training facilities for underserved youth operated by the Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Interior (DOI). (As background, CCCs designated under section 147(d) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act [29 U.S.C. 3197(d)] function as Job Corps centers providing at-risk youth with vocational training and conservation work experience.) It requires the Secretaries of Agriculture and Interior, in coordination with the Secretary of Labor, to offer specialized training programs at CCCs focused on forestry and rangeland management, wildland firefighting, or related topics aligned with Forest Service or DOI missions, prioritizing centers under 29 U.S.C. 3197(d). The section further authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture, in coordination with the Secretary of Labor, to conduct experimental pilots at USDA CCCs offering career and technical education curricula (e.g., incident management, heavy equipment operation, forest restoration, habitat monitoring) and requires USDA to identify workforce needs through consultations, develop recruitment and retention materials, and provide specialized staff. Additionally, it directs each Secretary to set annual hiring goals of 300 CCC graduates for wildland firefighting or other critical needs, achieve targeted employment percentages in wildland firefighting, natural resources, forestry, or related fields, and make investments including signing bonuses to support recruitment, training, hiring, and retention (including housing in rural areas); grants direct hiring authority for CCC graduates meeting Office of Personnel Management standards in FY2025 and subsequent years without regard to certain civil service provisions; requires career pathways for graduates; authorizes employment of CCC enrollees at regular pay rates; and encourages use of enrollees to fulfill Forest Service contracts, agreements, and grants at relevant National Forest System units. Finally, it establishes a pilot program for the Secretaries to employ CCC enrollees to improve and expand federal housing stock for wildland firefighters, volunteers, partner crewmembers, interns, and other agency employees, including by identifying suitable existing federal properties.