Representative Jimmy Panetta (D-CA) introduced H.R. 6415, the Inspire to Serve Act. The bill would authorize many of the recommendations included in the final report issued by the National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service that was released in March 2020. The bill has titles to advance military and public service and modernize the federal personnel system and the Selective Serve System.
To advance service learning and national service, the Inspire to Serve Act would do the following:
- Creates a Civic Education Fund at the Department of Education and a Service-Learning Fund at CNCS for grant programs for civic education and service learning programs in schools;
- Amends the Summer of Service and Semester of Service programs authorized by the Serve America Act;
- Establishes a Council on Military, National and Public Service made up of leaders from the following federal agencies: State, Defense, Attorney General, Interior, Commerce, Labor, HHS, Education, Veterans Affairs, Homeland Security, OMB, National Intelligence, OPM, Peace Corps and CNCS;
- Funds an interactive, integrated internet service platform, a centralized resource and database for military, national and public service opportunities;
- Creates a pilot for coordinated recruitment and funds joint market research and advertising programs;
- Amends the National Service Fellowship program authorized in the Serve America Act, starts with 25,000 fellowship positions and expands to 250,000. Fellowships are distributed 80% by congressional district and 20% to select organizations. Fellows are selected by lottery;
- Instructs Dept of Labor to double the size of Youthbuild, Youth Conservation Corps and National Guard Challenge;
- Instructs CNCS to conduct a national service awareness campaign;
- Authorizes a corporate recognition program;
- Instructs CNCS CEO to increase the AmeriCorps living allowances to reflect inflation, cost of living and geographic areas;
- Increases the Senior Corps stipend to 60% of federal minimum wage;
- Allows for Wraparound Services for national service members that are not calculated as part of living allowance or federal share/member;
- Increases the value of the Education Award to the average cost of 1 year of instate college tuition;
- Excludes Ed Award from income tax;
- Authorizes an End of Service Case Stipend for AmeriCorps members – value between $200-380/month of service;
- Authorizes CNCS demonstration projects for ex-offenders and place-based service models;
- Authorize Non-Competitive Eligibility and extends to AmeriCorps; and
- Creates a Senior Corps competitive grant model.