BREAKING NEWS: $1 billion supplemental for AmeriCorps Agency in the House FY21 budget reconciliation bill!

Heartbeat by Emily SteinbergFeb 8 · 2021 An important message from ASC Chief Policy Officer  Tom Branen: Exciting news!

Today, the House Education and Labor Committee’s portion of the FY21 budget reconciliation bill was released (see page 58), which enacts President Biden’s American Rescue Plan. Under the FY21 budget resolution passed by the House and Senate last week, the Committee was instructed to propose more than $300 billion in relief for students, educators, workers, and families.  

It includes $1 billion in supplemental funds for the AmeriCorps Agency as follows:

AMERICORPS STATE AND NATIONAL.—  $620,000,000 shall be used—
21 (A) to increase the living allowances, of 22 participants in national service programs, described in section 140 of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 to make funding adjustments to existing (as of the date of enactment of this Act) awards and award new and additional awards to organizations described in subsection (a) of 5 section 121 of the National and Community 6 Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12571(a)), 7 whether or not the entities are already grant recipients under that section on the date of enactment of this Act, and without regard to the requirements of subsections (d) and (e) of such 11 section 121, by— 12 (i) prioritizing entities serving communities disproportionately impacted by 14 COVID–19 and utilizing culturally competent and multilingual strategies in the 16 provision of services; and 17 (ii) taking into account the diversity of communities and participants served by such entities, including racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, linguistic, or geographic diversity.

(2) STATE COMMISSIONS.—$20,000,000 shall be used to make adjustments to existing (as of the date of enactment of this Act) awards and new and 25 additional awards, including awards to State Commissions on National and Community Service, under 2 section 126(a) of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12576(a)).

 (3) VOLUNTEER GENERATION FUND.—  $20,000,000 shall be used for expenses authorized under section 501(a)(4)(F) of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 8 12681(a)(4)(F)), which, notwithstanding section 9 198P(d)(1)(B) of that Act (42 U.S.C. 10 12653p(d)(1)(B)), shall be for grants awarded by the Corporation for National and Community Service on a competitive basis.  

(4) AMERICORPS VISTA.—$80,000,000 shall be 14 used for programs authorized under part A of title 15 I of the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 (42 16 U.S.C. 4951 et seq.), including to increase the living allowances of volunteers, described in section 105(b) 18 of the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 (42 19 U.S.C. 4955(b)).

 (5) NATIONAL SENIOR SERVICE CORPS.—  $30,000,000 shall be used for programs authorized under title II of the Domestic Volunteer Service Act 23 of 1973 (42 U.S.C. 5000 et seq.). 

 (6) ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.—$73,000,000 shall, notwithstanding section 501(a)(5)(B) of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 2 U.S.C. 12681(a)(5)(B)) and section 504(a) of the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 (42 U.S.C. 4 5084(a)), be used for necessary expenses of administration as provided under section 501(a)(5) of the 6 National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 7 U.S.C. 12681(a)(5)), including administrative costs of the Corporation for National and Community Service associated with the provision of funds under 10 paragraphs (1) through (5). 11  

7) OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL.— $9,000,000 shall be used for the Office of Inspector General of the Corporation for National and Community Service for salaries and expenses necessary for oversight and audit of programs and activities funded by subsection (a). 17 ( c) NATIONAL SERVICE TRUST.—In addition to amounts otherwise made available, there is appropriated for fiscal year 2021, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, $148,000,000, to remain available until expended, for payment to and administration of the National Service Trust established in section 23 145 of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 24 (42 U.S.C. 12601).  More to come…