US Congress Passes the Serve America Act!

On March 31, 2009 the U.S. House of Representatives approved the version of the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act passed by the Senate on March 26, 2009.

The bipartisan House vote of 275 to 149 followed the Senate’s overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of 79 to 19. Information on how legislators voted can be found here for the House and here for the Senate. In a statement President Obama said he looks forward to signing the bill into law when he returns from his overseas trip. Congress moved rapidly after Barack and Michelle Obama both expressed their support for the legislation and desire to see it passed.

Thank you to everyone who contacted legislators in support of the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act and encouraged your networks to do the same. Please take a moment to call your legislators and thank them for supporting this historic legislation. Click here to find your Senator’s contact information. If you know who your Representative is you can reach them by calling the House switchboard at (202) 224-3121. Otherwise you can enter your zip code at this website to find your Representative’s contact information. You can also sign on to a letter thanking Congress for passing this legislation at ServiceNation’s website. Please encourage your networks to thank their legislators as well.

There are a number of positive changes to the final version of the legislation passed by Congress. Senator Hatch renamed the legislation after Senator Kennedy immediately after it was passed by the Senate to thunderous applause. Senator Kennedy is a major architect of the bill and has a legacy of support and leadership for national service. The text of the legislation as passed by the Senate and House can be read here.

The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act reauthorizes and strengthens the programs of the Corporation for National and Community Service and provides funding for new innovative programs, including Summer of Service (SOS).

Innovations in Civic Participation (ICP) worked with legislative staff of Senator Dodd and Representative DeLauro to draft the Summer of Service Act of 2007, and continued to help advance support, which led to SOS being included in the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act. The Summer of Service Act stemmed from ICP’s report, Summer of Service: A New American Rite of Passage?, which details the need to engage young people in constructive opportunities during the summer months, particularly in the transition from middle to high school. The report also highlights existing initiatives of the type this legislation supports.

The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act puts AmeriCorps on the path to grow from its current level of 75,000 to 250,000 members per year. It prioritizes programs that address educational, health, and environmental needs and creates service opportunities for veterans. The expansion of AmeriCorps includes a Clean Energy Corps, a program that was supported by a broad coalition of energy conservation, youth service, and environmental justice organizations, including ICP. The legislation also increases the amount of educational awards received by AmeriCorps members after their term of service and links future award amounts to Pell Grants.

The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act includes $10 million in funds for SOS programs and $10 million for $500 educational award grants for students who complete 100 hours of service through SOS programs. ICP promotes SOS as a “rite of passage” from middle to high school. This legislation makes SOS funding available for programs that serve students in both middle and high school, but prioritizes those programs that enroll students in grades six through nine.

A groundswell of grassroots action led to votes that signal a fundamental change; national service has full bipartisan recognition and support as a critical strategy for addressing local and national challenges. Thank you to everyone who helped pass this legislation. This is your victory. Congratulations!