(a) Establish eligibility criteria for participants. Such criteria shall not render the program ineligible for federal funds. Participants shall be lawful permanent residents of this state.

(b) Establish criteria in order to make the required determination that enrollment in the corps was not the reason that an individual ceased attendance at a secondary school.

(c) Assume that application of the eligibility and participation criteria results in enrollment of at least 75 percent disadvantaged and at-risk youth among the total number of participants.

(2) The program director, in consultation with the executive director, or the designee of the executive director, may take the following actions, including but not limited to:

(a) Applying for and accepting grants or contributions of funds from any public or private source;

(b) Making agreements with any local, state or federal agency to utilize any service, material or property of any such agency, where such agreements are considered reasonable and necessary; and

(c) Purchasing or contracting for necessary private services, equipment, materials and property where such are needed to carry out the projects approved for and undertaken by the corps.

(3) The commission may adopt all necessary rules to carry out the purposes and objectives of the program and to regulate the standards of conduct and other operating guidelines for corps members and other personnel.

(4) Corps members are exempt from:

(a) State Personnel Relations Law; and

(b) ORS 279C.800 to 279C.870. [1987 c.326 §§5,6; 1989 c.786 §7; 1991 c.581 §3; 1993 c.676 §44; 1999 c.71 §2; 2003 c.43 §1; 2003 c.794 §278a; 2013 c.747 §161; 2015 c.366 §90; 2019 c.209 §2]

Note: See note under 418.650.