G.I.V.E. Act

H.R. 1388: Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education Act

Also know as the GIVE Act. It is 142 pages of changes (amendments) to the ~138 page National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12501 et seq.). It is long and convoluted in form, to clearly understand it one needs to have both documents. From the time it was introduced to the Legislature to the time it was instated as law took 44 days (Introduce May 9, 2009, Signed by President April, 21, 2009). This document is longer than the Constitution. Did those who voted on it understand all of it? Did they even read it? (I am still in the process of reading it and learning about it) Are they familiar with the Constitution and the (misnamed) Bill of Rights (Should be Bill of Limitations) and how this bill affects individual’s inalienable rights? It clearly infringes on the rights of the people, if a person decides to participate in this they cannot have any political or religious activities during the time they are under contract with it. An example of someone who would be under it would be someone joining AmeriCorp. Below are prohibited activities taken from page 49 of the 142 page document.

‘‘SEC. 132A. PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES AND INELIGIBLE ORGANIZATIONS.
‘‘(a) PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES.—An approved national service
position under this subtitle may not be used for the following
activities:
‘‘(1) Attempting to influence legislation.
‘‘(2) Organizing or engaging in protests, petitions, boycotts,
or strikes.
‘‘(3) Assisting, promoting, or deterring union organizing.
‘‘(4) Impairing existing contracts for services or collective
bargaining agreements.
‘‘(5) Engaging in partisan political activities, or other activities
designed to influence the outcome of an election to Federal
office or the outcome of an election to a State or local public
office.
‘‘(6) Participating in, or endorsing, events or activities that
are likely to include advocacy for or against political parties,
political platforms, political candidates, proposed legislation,
or elected officials.
‘‘(7) Engaging in religious instruction, conducting worship
services, providing instruction as part of a program that
includes mandatory religious instruction or worship, constructing
or operating facilities devoted to religious instruction
or worship, maintaining facilities primarily or inherently
devoted to religious instruction or worship, or engaging in
any form of proselytization, consistent with section 132.
‘‘(8) Consistent with section 132, providing a direct benefit
to any—
‘‘(A) business organized for profit;
‘‘(B) labor union;
‘‘(C) partisan political organization;
‘‘(D) nonprofit organization that fails to comply with
the restrictions contained in section 501(c) of the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986, except that nothing in this paragraph
shall be construed to prevent participants from
engaging in advocacy activities undertaken at their own
initiative; and
‘‘(E) organization engaged in the religious activities
described in paragraph (7), unless the position is not used
to support those religious activities.
‘‘(9) Providing abortion services or referrals for receipt of
such services.
‘‘(10) Conducting a voter registration drive or using Corporation
funds to conduct a voter registration drive.
‘‘(11) Carrying out such other activities as the Corporation
may prohibit