LSA Washington – March 16, 2009
A regular publication from the LSA Public Policy Office
National Service Legislation Moving Quickly
The House and Senate are considering legislation which would expand national service programs such as AmeriCorps, SeniorCorps and Learn and Serve America. The bills would also establish a Social innovation Fund to provide money to assist nonprofit organizations and individuals implementing private sector initiatives that address social problems.
The legislation would create a Clean Energy Corps which would focus on clean energy projects such as construction of green housing, weatherization of homes and expansion of local recycling programs. The bills would also create a Veterans Corps for volunteers with military experience. The legislation would authorize $97 million for Fiscal Year 2010 and would expand the number of volunteers in national service programs from 75,000 to 250,000. Volunteers would receive an educational award of $5,350 a year, the same amount as a Pell Grant.
The House bill, H.R. 1388, was introduced by Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY) on March 9 and has 25 cosponsors. The bill passed the Education and Labor Committee by a vote of 34-3 and is expected to be voted on the House floor this week.
The Senate bill, S. 277, the Serve America Act, was introduced by Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA) on January 16 and also has 25 cosponsors. The bill will be considered this week by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, a Committee chaired by Senator Kennedy. The bill is expected to be voted on the Senate floor by April 4.
For more information on this legislation, please attend the Engagement and Social Change through National Service and Volunteerism conference call this Thursday, March 19, at 2:00 pm Eastern. To register for this LSA public policy conference call, please e-mail the LSA DC office and state the name of this call in the subject line.
--Lisa Carr
Economic Stimulus Funds Becoming Available
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds are becoming available through State Governors' offices. Of the $787 billion provided in the new law, P.L. 111-115, Governors control approximately $8.8 billion. Many states are appointing stimulus czars or coordinators while other states have established task forces to monitor the funds. States that have a stimulus czar or coordinator include Florida, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio and Vermont. States that have task forces include Colorado, Connecticut, Kansas and Missouri.
Most Governors have a website that allows the public to monitor stimulus spending and allows participation in the funds. Two Governors, Tim Kaine of Virginia and Jay Nixon of Missouri, have encouraged constituents to submit funding proposals through their stimulus websites. State legislatures have a say in how the funds will be spent, particularly when a governor decides to use the funds for a purpose outside of stimulating the economy. South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford has stated that he plans to use the funds to pay down the state debt. Despite the funding formulas that dictate how the funds will be spent, Governors will still have some discretion over the lists of eligible projects and the funding priorities.
The federal government is also monitoring how states spend the stimulus funds. The White House has created a Recovery Act Transparency and Accountability Board and appointed Earl Devaney, former inspector general of the Interior Department as its chief. The White House website is tracking plans, as is HHS and HUD.
LSA is working with the White House and other national organizations in determining funding opportunities for LSA members. Stay tuned to LSA Washington for further details.
-- Lisa Carr
Conference Calls to Brief Advocates for LSA Annual Conference Hill Visits
LSA is sponsoring conference calls to provide an update on issues likely to be of concern to LSA members when they meet with their members of Congress during the LSA Annual Conference. Four conference calls are scheduled prior to the Annual Conference, April 28 to May 1. To register for the conference calls, please e-mail the LSA DC office and identify the call for which you are registering. The remaining calls are:
- March 19, 2:00 pm ET- Engagement and Social Change through National Service and Volunteerism
- April 2, 2:00 pm ET- Budget and Appropriations Outlook for FY2010
- April 9, 2:00 pm ET- Advocacy and Hill Visit Dos and Don'ts
- April 16, 2:00 pm ET- Update on LSA Public Policy Priorities
At the LSA Annual Conference, LSA DC staff will also host two sessions on Wednesday, April 29. Hill Visit Preparation will take place from 9:45 to 10:45 am and Issue Briefings will take place from 11:00 to noon.
--Lisa Carr
Nominate Your Members of Congress for an LSA Congressional Award
LSA will once again give awards to members of Congress who support important legislation and support LSA members in their work of loving and serving neighbors. Six awards will be given to members of Congress at the Congressional Reception Wednesday night. Please send your nomination to the LSA DC office with the word “awards” in the subject line. The deadline for nominations is close of business March 30.
-- Lisa Carr
Learning About LSA-DN's Public Policy and Advocacy Priorities
LSA-DN is now on Twitter. To view LSA-DN's Twitter updates, please visit www.lsadnadvocacy.org. If you would like to follow LSA-DN through your Twitter account, search for user name "lsadnadvocacy."
Another way to learn more about LSA-DN's public policy priorities is to register for the March LSA-DN public policy conference call. On March 26 at 3:00 p.m. ET, Heather Ansley, LSA-DN's Director of Policy and Advocacy, will discuss the latest legislative activity in Washington, D.C. When you register, please specify "LSA-DN Public Policy Update" in the subject line.
--Heather Ansley
Advocacy Resource of the Week
Stephanie Vance, aka The Advocacy Guru, is a well-respected friend of advocates and nonprofits in the field of citizen advocacy. Her website offers several opportunities for learning on this issue, and you can also sign up to receive her free newsletter with tips and tricks for effective advocacy. She also convenes an Advocacy Roundtable, a series of webinars on a host of different issues regarding advocacy; you can sign up to attend one session for free. Her new book, Citizens in Action: A Guide to Lobbying and Influencing Government was just released last month. If you're looking for straightforward descriptions of and resources for citizen advocacy, Stephanie offers great information.
LSA Annual Conference Corner
Early bird registration for the 2009 LSA Annual Conference is available until March 25. Register now to receive $30 off your registration fee. Better yet, gather three or more colleagues to attend the LSA Annual Conference, and receive a group rate that will save you $60 per person. Registration is quick and easy online!
