[1] It was formed July 1, 1971,[2] during President Richard Nixon's first term under the provisions of Reorganization Plan Number One, and Executive Order 11603, June 30, 1971, to provide centralized coordination and administration of Government-sponsored domestic and international volunteer agencies.
Among the programs transferred to the new agency were: ACTION also assumed from OEO responsibility for providing logistical support to the volunteer programs of the Small Business Administration (SBA): Cartoonist Johnny Hart created a series of animated public service announcements featuring his B.C.
ACTION's functions, and the Commission on National and Community Service, were ordered transferred to the newly established Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) no later than March 22, 1995, by Section 203 of the National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993 (107 Stat.
[4] AmeriCorps, which includes VISTA, and Senior Corps are programs of the CNCS.
ACTION was abolished by Presidential Proclamation 6662, April 4, 1994 (3 CFR, 1994 ed., 22).