---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 12634"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "12634"
heading: "Prohibition on use of funds"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/12634"
units:
  - "Chapter 129 — National and Community Service"
  - "Subchapter I — National and Community Service State Grant Program"
  - "Division F — Administrative Provisions"
---

# §12634. Prohibition on use of funds

- (a) **Prohibited uses—** No assistance made available under a grant under this subchapter shall be used to provide religious instruction, conduct worship services, or engage in any form of proselytization.
- (b) **Political activity—** Assistance provided under this subchapter shall not be used by [program](/usc/42/12626.md?p=8) participants and [program](/usc/42/12626.md?p=8) staff to—
  - (1) assist, promote, or deter union organizing; or
  - (2) finance, directly or indirectly, any activity designed to influence the outcome of an election to Federal office or the outcome of an election to a [State](/usc/42/12522.md?p=1) or local public office.
- (c) **Contracts or collective bargaining agreements—** A [program](/usc/42/12626.md?p=8) that receives assistance under this subchapter shall not impair existing contracts for services or collective bargaining agreements.
- (d) **Referrals for Federal assistance—** A [program](/usc/42/12626.md?p=8) may not receive assistance under the national service laws for the sole purpose of referring individuals to Federal assistance [programs](/usc/42/12626.md?p=8) or [State](/usc/42/12522.md?p=1) assistance [programs](/usc/42/12626.md?p=8) funded in part by the Federal Government.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 101–610, title I, § 174, Nov. 16, 1990, 104 Stat. 3160; Pub. L. 111–13, title I, § 1603, Apr. 21, 2009, 123 Stat. 1529.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2009—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 111–13 added subsec. (d).

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 2009 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 111–13 effective Oct. 1, 2009, see section 6101(a) of Pub. L. 111–13, set out as a note under section 4950 of this title.