Congress·In Committee·S. 4068

Sen. Reed Introduces Bill to Double AmeriCorps Education Awards and Expand Service to 1 Million People

ACTION for National Service Act

12 days ago·View on Congress.gov·Read full text

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Key Points

The bill would transform AmeriCorps from a government corporation into a full Executive department called the AmeriCorps Administration, elevating its status and giving it a Senate-confirmed Director with the rank of a Cabinet-level department head.
From policy text
“The Administration shall be an Executive department, as defined in section 101.”
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Congress sets an ambitious goal of growing national service to 1 million participants per year by 2036, starting with 250,000 approved positions in fiscal year 2027 and scaling up over a decade.
From policy text
“sums appropriated under paragraph (1) should be sufficient to provide or facilitate the provision of national service programs and activities under the national service laws (in addition to programs and activities funded under subsection (a) for fiscal year 2027) for not fewer than 1,000,000 participants per year by September 30, 2036.”
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The education award for completing national service would double to equal twice the national average yearly in-state tuition and fees at public four-year colleges, a significant increase designed to make service more attractive and reduce student debt.
From policy text
“shall be in an amount that is equal to twice the amount of the national average of the yearly cost for in-State tuition and fees at public, 4-year institutions of higher education, for the award year for which the national service position is approved by the Administration.”
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Living allowances for service participants would rise sharply — VISTA volunteers would receive 175%-210% of the poverty level, and National Civilian Community Corps members would get 200% of poverty level, up from current levels of 95%-105% and 100% respectively.
Both the education awards and living allowances would become completely tax-free, meaning participants would keep the full value of their benefits instead of owing federal income tax on them.
From policy text
“Gross income shall not include any amounts for payments specified in section 145(c) of the National and Community Service Act of 1990.”
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A new outreach program would contact every American on their 17th birthday to inform them about national service opportunities, with follow-up notifications every two years until age 30, unless the person opts out.

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Impact Analysis

Personal Impact

Who is affectedScoreImpactCertaintyScopeDurationSentiment

Scores: 1 = low, 5 = highSentiment: -5 to +5 (net benefit)

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions

Mar 12, 2026Senate

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S1048-1049)

Mar 12, 2026

Introduced in Senate

Related News

2 articles

Independent Voice·7 days ago

Garamendi, Reed, Larson Push for Increased Service Opportunities

Congressional leaders reintroduced the ACTION for National Service Act to expand AmeriCorps to one million positions annually by 2036. The bill seeks to elevate the agency to a Cabinet-level department and increase education awards to cover four years of in-state tuition for two years of service.

Daily Bruin·3 months ago

Uncertainty for AmeriCorps leads to less support, planning concerns for CA programs

Federal budget cuts and efforts by the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to dismantle AmeriCorps have left thousands of volunteer positions uncertain. The report notes that while the administration seeks to end the program, Democrats are pushing for its expansion.

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