Ask Congress to Support National Service - Voices for National Service

Approve funding and legislative reforms to stabilize national service programs and resource them for the long-term COVID-19 response

Congress recently passed, and the President signed, the Coronavirus, Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which includes several provisions in support of national service programs and members whose organizations and service activities have been affected by the pandemic. The CARES Act marks an important first step in providing immediate relief, but Congress must take further action to ensure that AmeriCorps and Senior Corps can continue serving those most affected by this crisis.

Voices for National Service and other leaders in the national service community have centered around a set of COVID-19 emergency appropriations and legislative relief recommendations for the programs operated and supported by the Corporation for National and Community Service.

If your organization can endorse these recommendations, please add your name to our growing list of supporters.

The recommendations will ensure national service grantees can continue to support their AmeriCorps and Senior Corps members now, provide immediate relief to the communities they serve, and be part of the long-term national response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In summary – Voices for National Service is recommending:

Provide $500 million in emergency funding to the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS)
Waive AmeriCorps and Senior Corps match requirements during the COVID-19 emergency and response and allow grantees to fully utilize their federal awards as they deal with the economic impacts of COVID-19 on their non-CNCS funding sources
Override CNCS regulations that cap the number of hours AmeriCorps members can spend in education, training and fundraising to support service activities
Make a technical correction to H.R. 748 to ensure AmeriCorps VISTA members who selected the end-of-service cash stipend can collect its full value if COVID-19 prevented them from fulfilling their service hour requirement.
Pass S. 1355/H.R. 1794, the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award Tax Relief Act, legislation to exclude the AmeriCorps Education Award from federal income tax.

Click here to read the complete list of COVID-19 CNCS Recommendations

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