and workers-who will engage in a wide variety of programs and projects, such as home care for the elderly, literacy enhancement, drug abuse prevention, and education, assistance for at risk youth, and housing projects for low income families.

Our budget fully implements the major provisions of the Domestic Volunteer Service Act amendments of 1989, and indeed these amendments were a cornerstone for the development of the proposals that are before you today.

Turning to our specific programs, for VISTA our request for $31,600,000, an increase of $6,500,000 or 26 percent, will support a number of provisions contained in the Domestic Volunteer Service Act amendments of 1989, including (1) 3,000 volunteer service years, an increase of 200 above the anticipated fiscal year 1990 level of 2800; (2) subsistence allowances at an average of 105 percent of the poverty line for our volunteers; (3) increases in the stipend for volunteers from $75 to $90 per month; and (4) provision of 1.5 percent of available sums to expand public awareness and recruitment activities.

In addition, the VISTA budget includes increases of $1,400,000 for expenses related to the health contract for volunteers, and proposes to expand training by more than $500,000 to increase primarily the pre-service training available to VISTA Volunteers.

We propose to double the amount of funding for the Literacy Corps in 1991 in order to expand the volunteer efforts designed to overcome the problems of illiteracy in this country. With these funds, we will increase the volunteer service year level to 575, an increase of 80 percent over the 1990 level.

We are also proposing an increase of $172,000 or 65 percent for the Student Community Service Program. Action is committed to tapping volunteer resources found among the nation's youth, and student community service projects are a proven and effective vehicle for accomplishing this goal.

Unlike any other federally funded program directed at students, the Student Community Service Program supports volunteers who receive no remuneration or tuition assistance and provide assistance only to low income communities. Our budget includes also $2,200,000 for the funding of grants related to combatting substance abuse through special volunteer programs.

In the aggregate, Action expects to spend approximately $9,600,000 for this activity in fiscal year 1991, an increase of 4 percent above the estimated amount in fiscal year 1990. For the older American volunteer programs, we are requesting $120,500,000, an increase of $3,000,000 over comparable 1990 levels or 2.6 percent. The major budget increase is to support a growth in stipends for low income volunteers, from $2.20 to $2.35 per hour in both the Foster Grandparent and Senior Companion Programs. This increase was authorized under the Domestic Volunteer Service Act amendments of 1989. The last previous stipend increase occurred in 1983.

In fiscal year 1991 we are funding Action's Office of the Inspector General as a separate activity, with the total request being $1,100,000 and 13 positions. In the past, the functions of the Inspector General were supported from other budget activities within Ac

For program administration we are requesting $29,200,000. This
request supports a level that is essential to ensure sound adminis-
tration of Action's programs, as well as to carry out certain recruit-
ment and public awareness functions contained in the 1989 amend-
ments to the Domestic Volunteer Service Act.

The majority of the increase will restore the agency to the full-
time equivalent position level of 448, a level recognized by Congress
in the previous fiscal year as essential for effective management
and administration, and provide for 13 new positions devoted to
VISTA recruitment activities in accordance with the 1989 amend-
ments to the Domestic Volunteer Service Act.

Hiring will occur primarily in the regional and state staffs to
ensure program development, the recruitment of volunteers, and
project monitoring. Mr. Chairman, that summarizes Action's
budget request for fiscal year 1991. With your permission, I would
like to take this opportunity to introduce the newly appointed As-
sistant Director for the Older American Volunteer Programs,
Connie Burns.

Ms. Burns comes to Action from the Brockton Coalition for the
Homeless in Brockton, Massachusetts, where she has been Execu-
tive Director since 1987. From 1976 to 1986 she served as nutrition
project director and assistant to the executive director for the Old
Colony Elderly Services in Brockton.

In addition, to being a licensed social worker, she has a Master of
Business Administration as well as a Bachelor of Arts degree in bi-
ology. We are very pleased to have her join the Action staff. I am
now available, Mr. Chairman, to answer any questions that you
and the other members of the committee may have.

COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

JAMIE L. WHITTEN, Mississippi, Chairman

FREDERICK G. MOHRMAN, Clerk and Staff Director

DEPARTMENTS

OF LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, AND EDUCATION, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS FOR 1991

THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 1990.

ACTION

JANE A. KENNY, DIRECTOR

WITNESSES

PAUL T. WEISS, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR FOR MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET G. GARY KOWALCZYK, COMPTROLLER

Mr. NATCHER. At this time we take up the budget request for the fiscal year 1991 for Action, and we have before the committee Ms. Jane Kenny, the Director. Ms. Kenny, it is a pleasure to have you before the committee.

At this time, before you give us your statement, tell us who you have with you there at the table.

Ms. KENNY. At the table, Mr. Chairman, I have Mr. Paul Weiss, who is the Associate Director for Management and Budget, and I also have Gary Kowalczyk, who is the Comptroller for the Action Agency.

Mr. NATCHER. We are delighted to have all three of you before the committee at this time. Now, we will be pleased to hear from you.

MS. KENNY. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

STATEMENT SUMMARY

Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, I am pleased to appear before you today to discuss the fiscal year 1991 budget request for Action. With your permission, Mr. Chairman, I have a statement that I would like to have inserted into the record.

I will now summarize the key points in that statement. The request totals $192,400,000, an increase of $16,800,000 or 9.5 percent above amounts available in fiscal year 1990.

With these monies in fiscal year 1991, Action will carry out its fundamental mission to stimulate voluntary citizen participation in community-based efforts to meet the needs of the poor, the disadvantaged, and the elderly.

This budget request reflects the administration's strong commitment to fostering voluntarism across the nation. In fiscal year 1991, Action's programs will support approximately one half million diverse volunteers-old and young, low income and financially able, stipended and non-stipended, full-time and part-time, students

and workers-who will engage in a wide variety of programs and projects, such as home care for the elderly, literacy enhancement, drug abuse prevention, and education, assistance for at risk youth, and housing projects for low income families.

Our budget fully implements the major provisions of the Domestic Volunteer Service Act amendments of 1989, and indeed these amendments were a cornerstone for the development of the proposals that are before you today.

Turning to our specific programs, for VISTA our request for $31,600,000, an increase of $6,500,000 or 26 percent, will support a number of provisions contained in the Domestic Volunteer Service Act amendments of 1989, including (1) 3,000 volunteer service years, an increase of 200 above the anticipated fiscal year 1990 level of 2800; (2) subsistence allowances at an average of 105 percent of the poverty line for our volunteers; (3) increases in the stipend for volunteers from $75 to $90 per month; and (4) provision of 1.5 percent of available sums to expand public awareness and recruitment activities.

In addition, the VISTA budget includes increases of $1,400,000 for expenses related to the health contract for volunteers, and proposes to expand training by more than $500,000 to increase primarily the pre-service training available to VISTA Volunteers.

We propose to double the amount of funding for the Literacy Corps in 1991 in order to expand the volunteer efforts designed to overcome the problems of illiteracy in this country. With these funds, we will increase the volunteer service year level to 575, an increase of 80 percent over the 1990 level.

We are also proposing an increase of $172,000 or 65 percent for the Student Community Service Program. Action is committed to tapping volunteer resources found among the nation's youth, and student community service projects are a proven and effective vehicle for accomplishing this goal.

Unlike any other federally funded program directed at students, the Student Community Service Program supports volunteers who receive no remuneration or tuition assistance and provide assistance only to low income communities. Our budget includes also $2,200,000 for the funding of grants related to combatting substance abuse through special volunteer programs.

In the aggregate, Action expects to spend approximately $9,600,000 for this activity in fiscal year 1991, an increase of 4 percent above the estimated amount in fiscal year 1990. For the older American volunteer programs, we are requesting $120,500,000, an increase of $3,000,000 over comparable 1990 levels or 2.6 percent. The major budget increase is to support a growth in stipends for low income volunteers, from $2.20 to $2.35 per hour in both the Foster Grandparent and Senior Companion Programs. This increase was authorized under the Domestic Volunteer Service Act amendments of 1989. The last previous stipend increase occurred in 1983.

In fiscal year 1991 we are funding Action's Office of the Inspector General as a separate activity, with the total request being $1,100,000 and 13 positions. In the past, the functions of the Inspector General were supported from other budget activities within Ac