LSA Public Policy Priorities
Volunteerism and National Service
America is experiencing an increase in individuals looking for ways to serve and give back to their communities. People are applying for national service programs in record numbers and individuals of all ages, particularly older baby boomers, are looking for meaningful volunteer work. Despite the economic recession, people want to contribute in a meaningful way and serve their neighbors.
Priorities for the 111th Congress
- Thank Representatives and Senators who voted for the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act
- Full funding in the FY2010 budget for the programs and services included in the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act
LSA’s top public policy priority is passage, funding and implementation of national service legislation, the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act. The Senate passed the Serve America Act on March 26 by a vote of 79-19 and the House passed the legislation on March 31 by a vote of 275-149. The President signed the legislation into law on April 21. Click here to see how your Representative voted, and here to see how your Senators voted.
The Serve America legislation may be signed into law, but the new programs are not funded. The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act is an authorization bill, it amends the 1990 National and Community Service Act (P.L. 101-610). The legislation now requires appropriations and is part of the budget and appropriations process currently underway.
The Serve America Act expands and improves national service programs. National service program participants will more than triple, from 75,000 to 250,000 stipend workers. Programs such as AmeriCorps and SeniorCorps will continue and new service programs will be created such as Healthy Futures Corps, Clean Energy Service Corps, Veterans Corps and Opportunity Corps, the latter with a goal of increasing financial literacy. Educational awards for the Corps programs will be increased from $4,725 to $5,350, the maximum Pell grant. Individuals over age 55 could transfer the educational award to a child, foster child, or grandchild.
The legislation prohibits those in national service programs from using their service position during work hours to lobby, participate in boycotts or strikes, conduct voter registration drives, engage in partisan political activities, or provide abortion services or referrals, among other activities.
Other provisions of interest to LSA members include:
- A Volunteer Generation Fund that will help nonprofit organizations to recruit, manage or support volunteers.
- A Nonprofit Capacity Building Fund will make grants to intermediary nonprofit organizations to provide training on best practices, financial planning, grant writing, and compliance with tax laws for small and midsize nonprofit organizations, particularly those that have been facing hardship.
- Silver Scholarships will provide a $1,000 educational national service award and Encore Fellowships will carry a stipend.
- Middle and High School students will receive a $500 educational award for summer service.
- The National Service Reserve Corps will help respond to disasters or emergencies in partnership with FEMA and nonprofit organizations engaged in disaster response.
- The Social Innovation Fund Pilot Program will provide funding for developing innovative and effective solutions to national and local challenges.
- Foster children will benefit from a new mentoring program.
- Additional funding will be available for organizations that support individuals with disabilities to participate in national service.
Many LSA members have SeniorCorps stipend workers; the Serve America Act made two significant changes to this program. The eligible age for stipend workers was lowered from age 60 to age 55. Fifteen percent of Foster Grandparents and Senior Companions are allowed to be above 200 percent of poverty, but only when the program can document that they could not recruit enough low-income workers. LSA will work with the Corporation for National and Community Service as the new programs are implemented.
Additional Resources
Health care reform
