A bill was introduced in the U.S. Senate that would expand national service programs like AmeriCorps to help the United States recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Pandemic Response and Opportunity Through National Service Act would provide funding for 750,000 national service positions over three years. In the first year, it would expand by 75,000 to 150,000 positions and then grow by an additional 300,000 in each of the next two years.
Further, the bill would increase program living allowances and education benefits to encourage more participants in these programs and boost essential capacity for the public health care workforce.
“In Hawaii, AmeriCorps and other national service programs support some of our most effective community projects within the health care, housing, education, and environmental sectors—including those that provide real assistance for working and middle-class families,” Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI), the bill’s co-sponsor, said. “The pandemic we face will require a bold response and recovery. By funding 750,000 national service positions over the next three years, this bill will help us meet the need and the challenge of both a public health crisis and an economic crisis.”
Hawaii will receive more than $4 million in AmeriCorps funding for the Hawaii Commission for National and Community Service programs, Hirono said. Earlier this year, she co-sponsored a resolution recognizing the contributions of AmeriCorps members and alumni to the United States and requested strong funding for programs like AmeriCorps.
The legislation was introduced by Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE). Along with Hirono, the legislation has the support of Sens. Jack Reed (D-RI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Ed Markey (D-MA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Angus King (I-ME), Tina Smith (D-MN), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Tom Udall (D-NM), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), and Sherrod Brown (D-OH).
The legislation is supported by more than 100 national service and public health organizations, including Voices for National Service, America’s Service Commissions, City Year, the Consortium of Universities for Global Health, FoodCorps, Habitat for Humanity International, Hunger Free America, Jumpstart, National Health Corps, National Senior Corps Association, National Youth Leadership Council, Service Year Alliance, Teach for America, and YouthBuild.