111th Congress

Jobs for Main Street Act of 2010
(Updated March 16, 2010)

Bill Number: H.R. 2847
Date Introduced: June 12, 2009 (as FY 2010 Commerce/Justice/Science Appropriations bill)
Sponsor: Alan B. Mollohan, D-WV

The Jobs for Main Street Act of 2010 aims to create and save jobs as well as help the unemployed while they seek work.  The bill includes $200 million for the Corporation for National and Community Service, which could fund an estimated 22,000 national service positions in AmeriCorps*State and National and AmeriCorps*VISTA. 

The House of Representatives passed H.R. 2847, the Jobs for Main Street Act of 2010, by a vote of 217-212 on December 16, 2009.  In February 2010, H.R. 2847 was renamed the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act (HIRE) in the Senate and pared down to focus on tax credits for businesses to hire unemployed workers.  The $200 million for CNCS found in the Jobs for Main Street Act is not included the new HIRE Act.  The Senate is discussing how to move forward with other parts of the original Jobs for Main Street Act – including additional funding for the Corporation for National and Community Service, further tax credits, and other proposed economic stimulators – possibly by incorporating sections into other bills or spinning them off into their own pieces of legislation. 

• Click here to read the Jobs for Main Street Act of 2010.

United States Public Service Academy Act
(Updated January 5, 2010)

Bill Number: H.R. 2102
Date Introduced: April 23, 2009
Sponsor: Jim Moran, D-VA

The Public Service Academy Act would establish a civilian public service academy similar to the Naval Academy or West Point.  Students would attend the academy at no cost in exchange for working in national, state, or local government or the civilian service of the military for at least 5 years following graduation. H.R. 2102 has 74 cosponsors and has been referred to the House Subcommittee on Healthy Families and Communities.

• Click here for more information on the United State Public Service Academy Act.

Segal AmeriCorps Education Award Tax Relief Act
(Updated January 5, 2010)

Bill Number: H.R. 1596
Date Introduced: March 18, 2009
Sponsors: John Lewis, D-GA; Charles Boustany, R-LA

The Segal AmeriCorps Education Award Tax Relief Act would make the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award tax-free by excluding it from consideration as gross income, ensuring recipients can use the award’s full value to support their educational pursuits. H.R. 1596 has 63 cosponsors and has been referred to the House Ways and Means Committee.

• Click here for more information on the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award Tax Relief Act.

Veterans Corps Act
(Updated July 29, 2009)

Bill Number: S. 606
Date Introduced: March 17, 2009
Sponsor: Mark Warner, D-VA

This bill would establish a Veterans Corps as an authorized national service program.  S. 606 has been referred to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

• Click here for more information on the Congressional Commission on Civic Service.

Congressional Commission on Civic Service Act
(Updated July 29, 2009)

Bill Number: H.R. 1444
Date Introduced: March 11, 2009
Sponsor: Jim McDermott, D-WA

The Congressional Commission on Civic Service Act would establish a commission to study how to improve and promote volunteerism and national service in the country.  This would include recommendations to Congress on how to train leaders in service organizations to better utilize and manage volunteers and national service program members and what barriers to engaging in national service currently exist.  H.R. 1444 has 6 cosponsors and has been referred to the House Subcommittee on Healthy Families and Communities.

• Click here for more information on the Congressional Commission on Civic Service.

Clean Energy Corps Act
(Updated July 29, 2009)

Bill Number: H.R. 1394
Date Introduced: March 9, 2009
Sponsors: Jay Inslee, D-WA; John Sarbanes, D-MD

The Clean Energy Corps Act would make grants available through the Corporation for National and Community Service for the creation or expansion of Clean Energy Corps programs.  H.R. 1394 has been referred to the House Subcommittee on Healthy Families and Communities.

• Click here for more information on the Clean Energy Corps Act.

ACTION Act
(Updated July 29, 2009)

The AmeriCorps: Together Improving Our Nation (ACTION) Act would modify the calculation of the national service education award by basing it on the average cost of attending a four-year college or university.  For fiscal year 2010, the award would be raised to $6,585.  The ACTION Act would also exclude the education award from consideration as gross-income, making the award tax-free.  Furthermore, the act would promote the CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service to a Cabinet position, making CNCS an Executive Department.

H.R. 1154 has 15 cosponsors and has been referred to the House Subcommittee on Healthy Families and Communities.  The Senate version, S. 464, has 9 cosponsors and has been referred to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

• Click here for more information on the ACTION Act in the House.

• Click here for more information on the ACTION Act in the Senate.

Semester of Service Act
(Updated July 29, 2009)

The Semester of Service Act would authorize competitive matching grants for schools and related agencies and nonprofits to create Semester of Service programs for high-school juniors and seniors, who could earn academic credit for service-learning that meets needs in their communities.  H.R. 1152 has 13 cosponsors and has been referred to the House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education.  The Senate version, S. 465, has 4 cosponsors and has been referred to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

• Click here for more information on the Semester of Service Act in the House.

• Click here for more information on the Semester of Service Act in the Senate.

Encore Service Act
(Updated July 29, 2009)

The Encore Service Act would make Encore Service programs eligible for assistance under the National Service Trust and create a range of service opportunities to Americans aged 50 years and over, from full-time to minimum-time (between 300 and 450 hours in a year).  The bill would also make these participants eligible for national service education awards.  Furthermore, the Encore Service Act would establish Encore Fellowships for professionals over the age of 50 who serve as full-time volunteers for at least 9 months, and it would create a Silver Scholarship program for volunteers aged 55 and order who complete 500 hours of service in a year. 

H.R. 1151 has 12 cosponsors and has been referred to the House Subcommittee on Healthy Families and Communities.  The Senate version, S. 467, has 7 cosponsors and has been referred to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

• Click here for more information on the Encore Service Act in the House.

• Click here for more information on the Encore Service Act in the Senate.

Silver Scholarship Program Act
(Updated July 29, 2009)

Bill Number: H.R. 1047
Date Introduced: February 12, 2009
Sponsors: Joe Sestak, D-PA; Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-FL

This bill would establish Silver Scholarships for individuals, 55 years and older, who volunteer more than 500 hours in a year.  H.R. 1047 has been referred to the House Subcommittee on Healthy Families and Communities.

• Click here for more information on the Silver Scholarship Program Act.