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National Service Target of New Bill
By
Michael A. Piekarz
Staff Writer
In
a move reminiscent of the creation of the Civilian Conservation Corps
75 years ago, the U.S. House of Representatives sent President Obama
a sweeping expansion of national service intended to engage millions
of Americans in meeting the nation’s needs and solving local
problems through volunteer service.
The House passed the bipartisan bill with a 275 to 149 vote. The House passage
follows that of the Senate, which had already passed the bill with a vote of
79 to 19. The bill is entitled “The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act.”
The president issued a congratulatory statement and pledged to sign the bill
into law.
“Because of this legislation, millions of Americans at all stages of their
lives will have new opportunities to serve their country,” said Obama. “I
call on all Americans to stand up and do what they can to serve their communities,
shape our history and enrich both their own lives and the lives of others across
this country.”
The new law reauthorizes and expands national service programs administered by
the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), a federal agency created
in 1993.
Current CNCS volunteers include 75,000 AmeriCorps members, 492,000 Senior Corps
volunteers, 1.1 million Learn and Serve America students and 2.2 million additional
community volunteers mobilized and managed through the agency’s programs.
The legislation will allow CNCS to increase and enhance opportunities for Americans
of all ages to serve by setting AmeriCorps on a path to increase from 75,000
to 250,000 positions each year, establishing a Summer of Service program, expanding
eligibility for Senior Corps programs and creating Silver Scholarships and Encore
Fellowships for older Americans.
The new law is also designed to strengthen America’s civic infrastructure
through the creation of grant programs to invest in social innovation, support
volunteer mobilization and build nonprofit capacity.
Specific provisions of the legislation are designed to strengthen the management,
cost-effectiveness and accountability of programs by increasing flexibility,
consolidating funding streams and introducing more competition.
“The broad bipartisan support for this legislation, and its remarkably
swift journey through Congress, reflect the growing national consensus that service
is a powerful response to the economic and social challenges facing America today,” CNCS
Board Chair Alan Solomont said emphatically. “Across the country, people
are looking for ways to help their neighbors and their communities. This bill
will help us channel more of that energy into meeting local and national needs.”
The legislative action follows the president’s call for passage of national
service legislation in his joint address to Congress on February 25.
The House and Senate quickly responded by introducing what was then termed the
GIVE Act (Generations Invigorating Volunteering and Education Act) on March 9.
The bill reached final vote within a month.
The fast action on the bill is credited to years of work on a bipartisan basis
between the House Education and Labor Committee and the Senate HELP Committee,
strong leadership from President Obama and support from America’s nonprofit
and service sector.
“History has shown that in times of crisis, Americans turn to service and
volunteering for healing, for rebuilding and for hope,” announced U.S.
Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., Chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee. “This
legislation is just what we need, at this pivotal moment, to get our nation back
on track.”
“At this time of economic crisis, we need service and volunteering more
than ever. We are grateful to the Congress and the president for moving this
legislation that will allow us to grow national service in a responsible and
effective way,” exclaimed CNCS Acting CEO Nicola Goren, who also noted
that AmeriCorps applications had increased 300 percent over the last month.
“Americans are a deeply compassionate people and are ready to step forward
to serve at this time of growing need. This bill will make it possible for a
new generation of citizen service to rise to the challenges of our difficult
times,” Goren concluded.
Each year CNCS engages four million Americans of all ages and backgrounds in
service through its Senior Corps, AmeriCorps and Learn and Serve America programs.
For more information, visit http://www.nationalservice.gov/.
This page and its contents ©2009
Metropolitan News Company, Inc.
