veyed, title thereto shall revert to the United States; and that a determination by the Administrator of Veterans' Affairs of any such viloation or alienation or attempted alienation shall be final and conclusive; and (d) provide that in the event of such reversion, all improvements made by Temple Junior College during its occupancy shall vest in the United States without payment of compensation therefor. 11. ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY AMENDMENTS OF 1967 (Public Law 90-222, approved December 23, 1967) A. LEGISLATIVE HISTORY In the House, hearings on Economic Opportunity Act Amendments were held before the Committee on Education and Labor on June 12, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 26, 28, July 10, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 24, 26, 27, 28, 31, and August 1, 1967. In the Senate, hearings on Examination of the War on Poverty were held before the Subcommittee on Employment, Manpower and Poverty, of the Committee on Labor and Public Welfare, on March 13, 15, 16, 17, April 10, 24, 27, 28, May 1, 2, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 17, 18, 26, June 1, 2, 22, 23, 26, 27, 28 and July 10, 13, 18, 1967. S. 2388, the Economic Opportunity Amendments of 1967 was introduced on September 12, 1967 by Senator Joseph S. Clark, of Pennsylvania. The bill was referred to the Committee on Labor and Public Welfare. It was reported in the Senate on September 12, 1967 (S. Rept. 563). It passed the Senate October 5, 1967 and was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor on October 9, 1967. It was reported in the House on October 27, 1967 (H. Rept. 866). It passed the House, amended, on November 15, 1967, and, on the same date, the House asked for a conference. On November 16, 1967, the Senate agreed to a conference. The conference report was filed on December 7, 1967 (H. Rept. 1012). The Senate agreed to the conference report on December 8, 1967. The House agreed to the conference report on December 11, 1967. The act was approved on December 23, 1967, and became Public Law 90-222. B. SOME PRESS COMMENTS In an article headlined "Congress Clears 2-Year Antipoverty Program," the Congressional Quarterly Weekly Report of December 15, 1967, said: Congress Dec. 11 cleared for the President's signature a bill (S. 2388) providing a two-year authorization for the war on poverty. Passage of the bill represented a major legislative triumph for the Administration, which for a time had feared the program might be killed in the House. Final action came when the House Dec. 11 by a 247-149 roll-call vote adopted the conference report (H. Rept. 1012) on the bill. The Senate Dec. 8 adopted the conference report by a 62-16 roll-call vote. *** As cleared by Congress, S. 2388 authorized $1,980,000,000 for antipoverty programs in fiscal 1968 and $2,180,000,000 for fiscal 1969. The figure for fiscal 1968 was only slightly less than the $2,060,000,000 authorization requested by the Administration. *** 91-165 0-68—pt. 1—5 An article in the Christian Science Monitor for December 19, 1967, said in part: Ten months ago, nobody here in Washington could say for sure that the antipoverty program would be around today. *** But the program has survived-more than that, it remains one of the few programs this year to receive more money than it got last year. While the final figure of $1.773 billion was below the budget request of $2.06 billion, it was above the last year's level of $1.6 billion. The Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO) had insisted that $1.788 billion was the very minimum needed to prevent cutbacks in programs. The final figure fell $15 million short of that. But the House-Senate Appropriations Committee conferees deleted all earmarking of funds so that it is believed that OEO will have the flexibility to make up the $15 million cutback, by borrowing from some programs to boost more important ones or even to start new ones. *** The final victory came following months of hearings by the House and Senate, lengthy floor debates by each house, and a 21-day conference between Senate and House members to work out an acceptable compromise between the two versions of the bill ***1 An article in the Washington Post for December 24, 1967 stated that: President Johnson yesterday signed into law a two-year extension of the war on poverty, the White House announced. Johnson signed the bill while en route from Camranh Bay to Karachi on his globe-girdling trip. Congress authorized $1.98 billion for the current 1968 fiscal year for the war on poverty, but actually provided only $1.77 billion in spending money. C. DIGEST OF THE ACT Public Law 90-222, as a whole, is very largely concerned with education and training. Following is a summary of the entire act with emphasis upon some of its educational and training provisions. The act authorized $1.980 billion for fiscal 1968 to carry out programs under the Economic Opportunity Act as follows: Title I, $295 million for the Job Corps, $476 million for work and training for youth and adults, and $60 million for special impact programs in urban areas having large concentrations of low-income individuals or rural areas with substantial migration to urban centers; title II, $950 million for community action programs; title III, $47 million for migrant worker programs and loans to rural families; title IV, $10 million for loans, technical assistance and employment incentive programs for small business; title V, $70 million for work experience programs and $25 million for day-care programs; title VI, $16 million for administrative expenses; title VII, Public assistance-extension; and title VIII, $31 million for the VISTA program. Authorizes the appropriation of $2.180 billion for fiscal 1969, without, a breakdown of the funds by program. Title 1-Job Corps: The Act requires that a finding be made of a reasonable expectation of successful participation in the Job Corps for each applicant prior to enrollment and, for applicants with a history of antisocial behavior, requires the Director to obtain a professional finding that enrollment of such applicant would not be inimical to the interests of the Job Corps. Requires, generally, that Selover, William C. Rescue of antipoverty bill credited to Shriver. Christian Science Monitor, Dec. 19. 1967, p. 3. an enrollee be assigned to the center nearest his home. Provides for nonresidential centers and authorizes the establishment of civilian conservation centers to be located primarily in rural areas. Requires that 40 percent of male enrollees be assigned to such conservation centers. Provides for establishing community advisory councils to improve relations between Job Corps centers and the local community. Limits the capacity of residential centers in fiscal 1968 to 45,000 and requires that steps be taken to achieve an enrollment ratio of 50 percent women. Limits per-enrollee costs for the operation of centers to $6,900 a year. Prohibits enrollees from engaging in political activities. The act consolidates work and training programs into one comprehensive program to take effect July 1, 1968. Broadens such program to include rural areas suffering a substantial migration to urban centers. Provides for encouraging employers, through incentives to employ and train unemployed or low-income individuals and encourages new programs to deal with employment of the elderly. The act establishes special impact programs to deal with problems of chronic unemployment, dependency, and community tensions in urban areas with a high degree of low-income individuals and in rural areas suffering substantial migration to urban areas. Title II-Community Action: The act requires community action agencies to be State, city, or country governments or that such government agencies designate a public or private nonprofit agency as the community action agency. Requires that such agencies must have a board composed of one-third public officials, one-third representatives of business, education, labor, and so forth, interests in the community, and one-third representatives of the people to be served. Stipulates that such agencies shall have full opportunity to participate in the development and implementation of poverty programs. Provides that the poor may petition for better representation in such agencies if inadequately represented. The Act requires funding of programs through community action agencies as constituted above unless such public agency fails to act or fails to carry out programs in a satisfactory manner, or in the case of limited purposes projects the community action agency approves of other funding. Limits size of community action agency boards to a maximum of 51 and institutes notice and quorum requirements to assure decision-making by majority. Tightens political activity restrictions both partisan and nonpartisan and extends prohibitions to voter registration drives and voter transportation. The Act requires that the non-Federal share of the cost shall be not less than 20 percent of the total cost (the requirement for fiscal 1967 was 10 percent and that at least one-half of the non-Federal contribution be in cash). Tightens auditing requirements for community action agencies. Adds four new national emphasis programs: (a) A senior opportunities and services program for older Americans; (b) Emergency food and medical services program; (c) "Day care"; and (d) Family planning. Title III-To Combat Poverty in Rural Areas-The act provides for loans to low-income rural families and assistance to migrant workers. Title IV-Employment and Investment Incentives-The act provides that special attention be given in loans to small business, to business concerns located in urban areas with a high degree of uner loyment or low-income individuals, or owned by low-inco: viduals. 81 Stat. 672. Authorizes the Small Business Administration to administer a new program to provide technical assistance and managerial training for individuals in business qualified for such special attention. Title V-Day Care Projects: The act establishes a new program of grants to establish day-care facilities, which shall provide health, education, social and other supportive services to children from low-income families, to enable parents or relatives of such children to continue vocational training, basic education, or gainful employment. Title VI-Administration and Coordination: The act limits to 100 days the period during which a consultant may be retained by the Director on a per diem basis. Prohibits the use of any antipoverty funds for political activities, including voter registration activities. Eliminates from eligibility for benefits under the act any persons whose lack of income is the result of his refusal, without good cause, to seek or accept employment commensurate with his health, age, education and ability (termed the "voluntarily poor"). Prohibits community action employees from planning, aiding or participating in any unlawful demonstration, riot, or civil disturbance. Requires the Director to prepare a 5-year action plan to combat poverty nationally. Establishes an Economic Opportunity Council in the Executive Office to improve coordination. Title VII-Public Assistance: The act extends the public assistance programs of Economic Opportunity. Title VIII-VISTA: The act provides that VISTA volunteers may be assigned in their own or nearby communities. Provides for participation by older persons in the VISŤA program. Establishes a demonstration project for the rehabilitation of youth offenders using the services of VISTA volunteers. Prohibits the use of VISTA funds for labor or anti-labor activities, and provides for the termination of the VISTA program within a State within 30 days of a request for termination by the Governor. Directs the Comptroller General to investigate all antipoverty programs and report to Congress by December 1, 1968. D. TEXT OF THE ACT Following is the text of certain provisions of Public Law 90-222 particularly education and training. Economic Opportunity Amendments of 1967. 78 Stat. 508. 42 USC 2711-2722. AN ACT To provide an improved Economic Opportunity Act, to authorize funds for the continued operation of economic opportunity programs, and for other purposes Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That this Act may be cited as the "Economic Opportunity Amendments of 1967". TITLE I-AMENDMENTS TO THE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY ACT JOB CORPS AMENDMENTS SEC. 101. Part A of title I of the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 is amended to read as follows: "PART A-JOB CORPS "STATEMENT OF PURPOSE "SEC. 101. This part establishes a Job Corps for low-income disadvantaged young men and women, sets forth standards and procedures for selecting individuals as enrollees in the Job Corps, authorizes the establishment of residential and/or nonresidential centers in which enrollees will participate in intensive programs of education, vocational training, work experience, counseling, and other activities, and prescribes various other powers, duties, and responsibilities incident to the operation and continuing development of the Job Corps. Its purpose is to assist young persons who need and can benefit from an unusually intensive program, operated in a group setting, to become more responsible, employable, and productive citizens; and to do so in a way that contributes, where feasible, to the development of National, State, and community resources, and to the development and dissemination of techniques for working with the disadvantaged that can be widely utilized by public and private institutions and agencies. "ESTABLISHMENT OF THE JOB CORPS "SEC. 102. There is hereby established within the Office of Economic Opportunity a 'Job Corps'. "INDIVIDUALS ELIGIBLE FOR THE JOB CORPS "SEC. 103. To become an enrollee in the Job Corps, a young man or woman must be a person who "(1) is a permanent resident of the United States who has attained age fourteen but not attained age twenty-two at the time of enrollment; "(2) is a low-income individual or member of a lowincome family who requires additional education, training, or intensive counseling and related assistance in order to secure and hold meaningful employment, participate successfully in regular schoolwork, qualify for other training programs suitable to his needs, or satisfy Armed Forces requirements; "(3) is currently living in an environment so characterized by cultural deprivation, a disruptive homelife, or other disorienting conditions as to substantially impair his prospects for successful participation in any other program providing needed training, education, or assistance; "(4) is determined, after careful screening as provided for in sections 104 and 105, to have the present capabilities and aspirations needed to complete and secure the full benefit of the program authorized in this part, and to be free of medical and behavioral problems so serious that he could not or would not be able to adjust to the standards of conduct and discipline or pattern of work and training which that program involves; and 81 Stat. 673. |