House Bill to Expand National Service Introduced

Two Democratic lawmakers have introduced a bill in the House of Representatives to expand the country’s national-service programs and set up funds to help nonprofit groups expand innovative programs and recruit volunteers.

The bill, the Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education Act, is similar to legislation that has been introduced in the Senate, the Serve America Act (S.277).

The House bill was introduced on Monday by Reps. George Miller of California, chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, and Carolyn McCarthy of New York. The education committee is scheduled to vote on the measure on Wednesday.

It would triple the number of participants in AmeriCorps to 250,000 and increase the education grants for participants; create new service programs for young people and older people; and create a Clean Energy Corps, Education Corps, Healthy Futures Corps, and Veterans Service Corps. It would also create a National Day of Service and Remembrance on September 11 to commemorate the 2001 terrorist attacks.

It would create a Community Solutions Fund to award competitive grants for innovative projects to tackle social problems and a Volunteer Generation Fund to provide grants to help organizations that work with volunteers improve their programs.

More information about the legislation is available on the House Education and Labor Committee’s Web site.

The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee is holding a hearing Tuesday afternoon on the Serve America Act.