---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 12651a"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "12651a"
heading: "Board of Directors"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/12651a"
units:
  - "Chapter 129 — National and Community Service"
  - "Subchapter I — National and Community Service State Grant Program"
  - "Division G — Corporation for National and Community Service"
---

# §12651a. Board of Directors

- (a) **Composition—**
  - (1) **In general—** There shall be in the [Corporation](/usc/42/2297h.md?p=2) a [Board](/usc/42/12626.md?p=1) of [Directors](/usc/42/12626.md?p=6) (referred to in this division as the “[Board](/usc/42/12626.md?p=1)”) that shall be composed of—
    - (A) 15 members, including an individual between the ages of 16 and 25 who—
      - (i) has served in a school-based or community-based [service-learning](/usc/42/12626.md?p=9) [program](/usc/42/12626.md?p=8); or
      - (ii) is or was a participant or a supervisor in a [program](/usc/42/12626.md?p=8);

      to be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate; and

    - (B) the ex officio nonvoting members described in [paragraph (3)](#a-3).
  - (2) **Qualifications—** To the maximum extent practicable, the President shall appoint members—
    - (A) who have extensive experience in volunteer or service activities, which may include [programs](/usc/42/12626.md?p=8) funded under one of the national service laws, and in [State](/usc/42/12522.md?p=1) government;
    - (B) who represent a broad range of viewpoints;
    - (C) who are experts in the delivery of human, educational, environmental, or public safety services;
    - (D) so that the [Board](/usc/42/12626.md?p=1) shall be diverse according to race, ethnicity, age, gender, and disability characteristics; and
    - (E) so that no more than 50 percent of the appointed members of the [Board](/usc/42/12626.md?p=1), plus 1 additional appointed member, are from a single political party.
  - (3) **Ex officio members—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/242q–4.md?p=2) of Education, the [Secretary](/usc/42/242q–4.md?p=2) of Health and Human Services, the [Secretary](/usc/42/242q–4.md?p=2) of Labor, the [Secretary](/usc/42/242q–4.md?p=2) of the Interior, the [Secretary](/usc/42/242q–4.md?p=2) of Agriculture, the [Secretary](/usc/42/242q–4.md?p=2) of Housing and Urban Development, the [Secretary](/usc/42/242q–4.md?p=2) of Defense, the Attorney General, the [Director](/usc/42/12626.md?p=6) of the Peace [Corps](/usc/42/12626.md?p=3), the [Administrator](/usc/42/4005.md?p=1) of the Environmental Protection [Agency](/usc/42/8262.md?p=1), and the Chief Executive Officer shall serve as ex officio nonvoting members of the [Board](/usc/42/12626.md?p=1).
- (b) **Officers—**
  - (1) **Chairperson—** The President shall appoint a member of the [Board](/usc/42/12626.md?p=1) to serve as the initial Chairperson of the [Board](/usc/42/12626.md?p=1). Each subsequent Chairperson shall be elected by the [Board](/usc/42/12626.md?p=1) from among its members.
  - (2) **Vice Chairperson—** The [Board](/usc/42/12626.md?p=1) shall elect a Vice Chairperson from among its membership.
  - (3) **Other officers—** The [Board](/usc/42/12626.md?p=1) may elect from among its membership such additional officers of the [Board](/usc/42/12626.md?p=1) as the [Board](/usc/42/12626.md?p=1) determines to be appropriate.
- (c) **Terms—** Subject to [subsection (e)](#e), each appointed member shall serve for a term of 5 years.
- (d) **Vacancies—** If a vacancy occurs on the [Board](/usc/42/12626.md?p=1), a new member shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, and serve for the remainder of the term for which the predecessor of such member was appointed. The vacancy shall not affect the power of the remaining members to execute the duties of the [Board](/usc/42/12626.md?p=1).
- (e) **Service until appointment of successor—** A voting member of the [Board](/usc/42/12626.md?p=1) whose term has expired may continue to serve on the [Board](/usc/42/12626.md?p=1) until the date on which the member’s successor takes office, which period shall not exceed 1 year.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 101–610, title I, § 192, as added Pub. L. 103–82, title II, § 202(a), Sept. 21, 1993, 107 Stat. 873; amended Pub. L. 111–13, title I, § 1701, Apr. 21, 2009, 123 Stat. 1544.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2009—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 111–13, § 1701(1), added subsec. (c) and struck out former subsec. (c), which provided term lengths for members first appointed to the Board.

Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 111–13, § 1701(2), added subsec. (e).

### 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.

### Effective Date

Section effective Sept. 21, 1993, see section 202(i)(2) of Pub. L. 103–82, set out as a note under section 12651 of this title.