Summary
# S. 779: ACTION for National Service Act
## WHAT THIS BILL DOES
This bill establishes a new AmeriCorps Administration to replace the Corporation for National and Community Service and run national volunteer service programs. The bill expands participation in service programs and creates a Civilian Climate Corps that uses volunteers to work on climate change projects. It also increases money available for volunteers and improves their educational awards and living allowances.
## WHO IT AFFECTS
- Americans ages 17 to 30 interested in volunteering
- Current and future AmeriCorps participants
- Federal agencies including the Department of Interior, Department of Agriculture, and Department of Labor
- Communities affected by climate change, especially low-income and communities of color
- Organizations running service and conservation corps programs
- Congress and federal appropriations committees
## KEY PROVISIONS
- The bill creates an AmeriCorps Administration as an executive department (not a corporation) with a Director appointed by the President who holds the same rank as a cabinet secretary (Sec. 101)
- An Advisory Board of seven members will oversee the Administration, with appointments made by the President and Congressional leaders (Sec. 102)
- The bill doubles national service educational awards to twice the average yearly in-state tuition and fees at 4-year public colleges for the award year (Sec. 104)
- A Civilian Climate Corps will be established to carry out service projects that conserve public land, help communities adapt to climate change, and restore natural areas, with priority given to disproportionately impacted communities (Sec. 202)
- The bill increases living allowances for volunteers to 175 percent and 210 percent of current amounts for certain programs, provided there are enough appropriations to maintain or grow the number of participants (Sec. 108)
- A National Service Foundation will be created as a nonprofit charity to accept gifts and property to support AmeriCorps activities (Sec. 106)
- The bill sets a goal of providing or supporting 1,000,000 national service participants per year by September 30, 2033, starting with 250,000 approved service positions in fiscal year 2024 (Sec. 109)
- National service educational awards and living allowances will be excluded from taxable income for federal income tax purposes (Sec. 111 and Sec. 112)
## WHAT CHANGES
If this becomes law, the "Corporation for National and Community Service" will become the "AmeriCorps Administration" and be organized differently. The head will be called a Director instead of a Chief Executive Officer and will have cabinet-level rank. The Advisory Board will shrink to 7 members instead of the current larger size and have different appointment procedures.
Volunteers will receive larger educational awards (doubled) and higher living allowances. A new Civilian Climate Corps program will launch that focuses on climate adaptation and mitigation work, especially in communities hit hardest by climate change. The government will work toward growing national service programs to reach 1 million participants yearly.
All references to "Corporation for National and Community Service" throughout federal law will mean "AmeriCorps Administration" instead.
## IMPORTANT DEFINITIONS
- **Disproportionately impacted community**: A community with many people of color, low-income people, or Tribal and Native American people that experiences worse health or environmental effects from climate change compared to other communities
- **Covered individual**: A person between age 17 and 30
- **Qualified youth service or conservation corps**: A corps program authorized under the National and Community Service Act of 1990, the Youth Conservation Corps Act of 1970, or the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993
- **Tribal or Native American community**: A group of people who are members of an Indian Tribe, urban Indian community, Native Hawaiian community, or Native American Pacific Islander community
- **Corps**: The Civilian Climate Corps being established by this bill
## EFFECTIVE DATE
Not specified in bill text
II
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
S. 779
To establish an AmeriCorps Administration to carry out the national and
volunteer service programs, to expand participation in such programs,
and for other purposes.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
MARCH 14, 2023
Mr. REED (for himself, Ms. BALDWIN, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, Mr. BROWN, Mr.
COONS, Ms. DUCKWORTH, and Ms. KLOBUCHAR) introduced the following
bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance
A BILL
To establish an AmeriCorps Administration to carry out the
national and volunteer service programs, to expand par-
ticipation in such programs, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
2
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
3
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘America’s Call To Im-
4
prove Opportunities Now for National Service Act’’ or the
5
‘‘ACTION for National Service Act’’.
6
SEC. 2. TABLE OF CONTENTS; REFERENCES.
7
(a) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for
8
this Act is as follows:
9
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•S 779 IS
Sec. 1. Short title.
Sec. 2. Table of contents; references.
TITLE I—AMERICORPS
Sec. 101. Establishment of AmeriCorps Administration.
Sec. 102. Advisory Board.
Sec. 103. Director.
Sec. 104. National service educational awards.
Sec. 105. Interagency working group.
Sec. 106. National Service Foundation.
Sec. 107. 21st Century American service outreach program.
Sec. 108. Living allowance amounts.
Sec. 109. Authorization of appropriations.
Sec. 110. Report on matching requirements.
Sec. 111. Exclusion from gross income of national service educational awards.
Sec. 112. Income tax exclusion for living allowance.
Sec. 113. Conforming amendments to the National and Community Service Act
of 1990.
Sec. 114. Conforming amendments to the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of
1973.
Sec. 115. Conforming amendments to other laws.
TITLE II—CIVILIAN CLIMATE CORPS
Sec. 201. Definitions.
Sec. 202. Civilian Climate Corps.
Sec. 203. Requirements for corps service projects.
Sec. 204. Diverse backgrounds of participants.
(b) REFERENCES.—Except as otherwise expressly
1
provided in this Act, wherever in this Act an amendment
2
or repeal is expressed in terms of an amendment to, or
3
repeal of, a section or other provision, the reference shall
4
be considered to be made to that section or other provision
5
of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42
6
U.S.C. 12501 et seq.).
7
TITLE I—AMERICORPS
8
SEC. 101. ESTABLISHMENT OF AMERICORPS ADMINISTRA-
9
TION.
10
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 191 (42 U.S.C. 12651)
11
is amended—
12
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•S 779 IS
(1) by striking ‘‘a Corporation for National and
1
Community Service’’ and inserting ‘‘an AmeriCorps
2
Administration’’; and
3
(2) by striking ‘‘The Corporation shall be a
4
Government corporation, as defined in section 103’’
5
and inserting ‘‘The Administration shall be an Exec-
6
utive department, as defined in section 101.’’.
7
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 101 of title
8
5, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end
9
the following:
10
‘‘The AmeriCorps Administration.’’.
11
SEC. 102. ADVISORY BOARD.
12
(a) APPOINTMENT AND TERMS.—Section 192 (42
13
U.S.C. 12651a) is amended—
14
(1) in subsection (a)—
15
(A) by striking paragraph (1) and insert-
16
ing the following:
17
‘‘(1) ADVISORY BOARD.—
18
‘‘(A) INITIAL BOARD MEMBERS.—
19
‘‘(i) BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEMBERS
20
ELECTING TO SERVE.—There shall be in
21
the Administration an Advisory Board ini-
22
tially composed of the voting members of
23
the Board of Directors of the Corporation
24
for National and Community Service (as in
25
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•S 779 IS
existence the day before the date of enact-
1
ment of the ACTION for National Service
2
Act) who elect to serve on the Advisory
3
Board.
4
‘‘(ii) APPOINTED INITIAL MEMBERS.—
5
If fewer than seven members of the Board
6
of Directors elect to serve, the Adminis-
7
trator shall appoint additional members to
8
achieve a total of seven members of the
9
Advisory Board, to serve for the term of
10
their predecessors. For purposes of this
11
section, members appointed under this
12
clause shall be treated as if they had been
13
voting members described in clause (i).
14
‘‘(iii) BOARD OF SEVEN MEMBERS.—
15
After the expiration of the terms of the
16
members described in clauses (i) and (ii),
17
and the seven appointments set forth in
18
subparagraph (B), the Advisory Board
19
shall be composed of seven members.
20
‘‘(B) APPOINTMENT
OF
REPLACEMENT
21
MEMBERS.—Upon the expiration of the term of
22
any of the first seven members of the Advisory
23
Board whose term shall expire, a new member
24
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•S 779 IS
of the Advisory Board shall be appointed as fol-
1
lows:
2
‘‘(i) The first three members shall be
3
appointed by the President, and shall in-
4
clude—
5
‘‘(I) an individual not younger
6
than 18 or older than 25 who—
7
‘‘(aa) has served in a school-
8
based or community-based serv-
9
ice-learning program; or
10
‘‘(bb) is or was a participant
11
or a supervisor in a program; and
12
‘‘(II) an individual who—
13
‘‘(aa) is age 55 or older; and
14
‘‘(bb) has served in the Na-
15
tional Senior Service Corps, in a
16
program carried out under title
17
II of the Domestic Volunteer
18
Service Act of 1973 (42 U.S.C.
19
5000 et seq.) or served in a serv-
20
ice-based
or
community-based
21
program under subtitle B of title
22
I.
23
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•S 779 IS
‘‘(ii) The next member shall be ap-
1
pointed by the Speaker of the House of
2
Representatives.
3
‘‘(iii) The next member shall be ap-
4
pointed by the minority leader of the
5
House of Representatives.
6
‘‘(iv) The next member shall be ap-
7
pointed by the majority leader of the Sen-
8
ate.
9
‘‘(v) The next member shall be ap-
10
pointed by the minority leader of the Sen-
11
ate.
12
‘‘(C) EXPIRATION OF THE TERM OF RE-
13
MAINING INITIAL MEMBERS.—Upon the expira-
14
tion of the terms on the Advisory Board of the
15
remaining members (after the first seven) who
16
served on the Board of Directors of the Cor-
17
poration for National and Community Service
18
(as in effect the day before the date of enact-
19
ment of the ACTION for National Service Act),
20
no new members shall be appointed to replace
21
those remaining members.’’; and
22
(B) in paragraph (2)(D), by striking ‘‘the
23
Board’’ and inserting ‘‘the Advisory Board (re-
24
ferred to in this subtitle as the ‘Board’)’’; and
25
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•S 779 IS
(2) by striking subsections (c), (d), and (e) and
1
inserting the following:
2
‘‘(c) TERMS.—Members appointed in accordance with
3
any of clauses (i) through (v) of subsection (a)(1)(B) or
4
under subsection (d) shall serve for a term of 5 years.
5
‘‘(d) APPOINTMENT OF NEW MEMBERS AND VACAN-
6
CIES.—When the term of a member appointed in accord-
7
ance with any of clauses (i) through (v) of subsection
8
(a)(1)(B) expires, or if a vacancy occurs on the Advisory
9
Board, a new member shall be appointed by the appointing
10
individual and in the manner described in that clause, and,
11
in the case of a vacancy, shall serve for the remainder
12
of the term for which the predecessor of such member was
13
appointed. The vacancy shall not affect the power of the
14
remaining members to execute the duties of the Board.’’.
15
(b) MEETINGS
AND DUTIES.—Section 192A (42
16
U.S.C. 12651b) is amended—
17
(1) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘3 times each
18
year’’ and inserting ‘‘four times each year, with one
19
of the four meetings being an annual meeting to re-
20
view the Administration’s long-term and strategic
21
goals,’’; and
22
(2) by striking subsections (e), (f), and (g) and
23
inserting the following:
24
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•S 779 IS
‘‘(e) ADVISORY DUTIES.—The Board shall have re-
1
sponsibility for making recommendations to the Director
2
concerning the programs and activities of the Administra-
3
tion and the overall policy for the Administration and
4
shall—
5
‘‘(1) advise the Director with respect to policies,
6
programs, and procedures for carrying out the Di-
7
rector’s functions, duties, or responsibilities under
8
this Act;
9
‘‘(2) advise the Director on establishing require-
10
ments and criteria for qualifying service programs,
11
and on monitoring and evaluating the performance
12
of personnel in carrying out programs and activities;
13
‘‘(3) make recommendations regarding prior-
14
ities for the applications for service programs sub-
15
mitted for approval under this Act;
16
‘‘(4) review and make recommendations to the
17
Director—
18
‘‘(A) with respect to any grants, allot-
19
ments, contracts, financial assistance, or other
20
payment of the Administration; and
21
‘‘(B) regarding the regulations, standards,
22
policies, procedures, programs, and initiatives of
23
the Administration;
24
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•S 779 IS
‘‘(5) review, and advise the Director regarding,
1
the actions of the Director with respect to the per-
2
sonnel of the Administration, and with respect to
3
such standards, policies, procedures, programs, and
4
initiatives as are necessary or appropriate to carry
5
out the programs and activities of the Administra-
6
tion, including those carried out under the national
7
service laws on the day before the date of enactment
8
of the ACTION for National Service Act;
9
‘‘(6) make recommendations relating to a pro-
10
gram of research for the Administration with respect
11
to national and community service programs;
12
‘‘(7) ensure effective dissemination of informa-
13
tion regarding the programs and activities of the Ad-
14
ministration;
15
‘‘(8) prepare and make recommendations to the
16
Director and the appropriate committees of Con-
17
gress for changes in the national service laws result-
18
ing from the studies and demonstrations conducted
19
by the Administration, which recommendations shall
20
be submitted to the Director and the appropriate
21
committees of Congress not later than January 1 of
22
each year;
23
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•S 779 IS
‘‘(9) make recommendations to the Director on
1
candidates to serve on the Board of the National
2
Service Foundation described in section 199P; and
3
‘‘(10) advise on such other matters as the Di-
4
rector may request.’’.
5
SEC. 103. DIRECTOR.
6
(a) APPOINTMENT.—Section 193(a) (42 U.S.C.
7
12651c) is amended—
8
(1) by striking ‘‘an individual who shall serve as
9
Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation, and’’
10
and inserting ‘‘a Director,’’; and
11
(2) by adding at the end the following: ‘‘and
12
who shall hold the same rank and status as the head
13
of an executive department listed in section 101 of
14
title 5, United States Code.’’.
15
(b)
DUTIES.—Section
193A(b)
(42
U.S.C.
16
12651d(b)) is amended—
17
(1) in paragraph (24), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the
18
end;
19
(2) in paragraph (25) by striking the period
20
and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and
21
(3) by adding at the end the following:
22
‘‘(26) notwithstanding any other provision of
23
law—
24
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•S 779 IS
‘‘(A) make grants to or contracts with
1
Federal and other public departments or agen-
2
cies, and private nonprofit organizations, for
3
the assignment or referral of volunteers under
4
the provisions of title I of the Domestic Volun-
5
teer Service Act of 1973 (42 U.S.C. 4951 et
6
seq.) (except as provided in section 108 of such
7
Act (42 U.S.C. 4958)), which may provide that
8
the agency or organization shall pay all or a
9
part of the costs of the program; and
10
‘‘(B) enter into agreements with other
11
Federal agencies or private nonprofit organiza-
12
tions for the support of programs under the na-
13
tional service laws, which—
14
‘‘(i) may provide that the agency or
15
organization shall pay all or a part of the
16
costs of the program, except as is provided
17
in section 121(b); and
18
‘‘(ii) shall provide that the program
19
(including any program operated by an-
20
other Federal agency) will comply with all
21
requirements related to evaluation, per-
22
formance, and other goals applicable to
23
similar programs under the national serv-
24
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•S 779 IS
ice laws, as determined by the Administra-
1
tion.’’.
2
(c) INITIAL DIRECTOR.—The Chief Executive Officer
3
of the Corporation for National and Community Service
4
(as in existence the day before the date of enactment of
5
this Act) may serve as the initial Director of the
6
AmeriCorps Administration.
7
SEC. 104. NATIONAL SERVICE EDUCATIONAL AWARDS.
8
Section 147(a) (42 U.S.C. 12603(a)) is amended—
9
(1) by striking ‘‘Except as provided’’ and in-
10
serting the following:
11
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided’’;
12
(2) by striking ‘‘shall receive a national service
13
educational award’’ and all that follows through ‘‘ap-
14
propriations)’’ and inserting ‘‘shall be entitled to a
15
national service educational award equal to the
16
award amount specified in paragraph (2)’’; and
17
(3) by adding at the end the following:
18
‘‘(2) AWARD AMOUNT.—The award referred to
19
in paragraph (1), payable to an individual described
20
in such paragraph, shall be in an amount that is
21
equal to twice the amount of the national average of
22
the yearly cost for in-State tuition and fees at pub-
23
lic, 4-year institutions of higher education, for the
24
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