Sponsors (17)
Official title: To establish an AmeriCorps Administration to carry out the national and volunteer service programs, to expand participation in such programs, and for other purposes.
Introduced March 12, 2026 by John B. Larson · Last progress March 12, 2026
The bill greatly expands and elevates national service—boosting participant pay, awards, and program reach while clarifying leadership and accountability—but does so at significant cost, creates implementation and oversight risks, and depends heavily on future appropriations to deliver promised benefits.
Students, young adults, and community organizations will gain access to many more national service positions as the bill phases up to 1,000,000 participants, expanding volunteer capacity and service delivery in communities.
Participants (especially low‑income young adults and students) will receive larger net financial benefits: higher living stipend caps, larger education awards tied to public tuition, and exclusion of stipends and education awards from federal taxable income.
Nonprofits and underserved communities could gain improved access to grants and placements because matching requirements will be reviewed/reduced and outreach strategies will target underserved areas, increasing service opportunities in rural and low‑income places.
All taxpayers may face substantially higher federal costs and reduced federal revenues because the bill funds a large program expansion, raises stipend/award amounts, and excludes awards/stipends from taxable income.
Students, nonprofits, and applicants risk unmet expectations because many expansions and benefit increases are conditioned on future appropriations, so planned positions, stipend increases, or awards could go unfunded and be cut or delayed.
Federal agencies, nonprofits, and grantees will face one-time and ongoing administrative and legal transition costs and complexity from reorganizing/renaming the agency, updating statutes/regulations/contracts, and potential litigation or cross‑reference issues.
Based on analysis of 16 sections of legislative text.
Reorganizes AmeriCorps into an Administration, sets a 10‑year goal to reach 1,000,000 participants, raises stipend/grant caps with appropriations guards, creates outreach, and makes national service awards and allowances tax‑excluded.
Creates a reorganized AmeriCorps Administration, expands, funds, and restructures national service programs, and changes tax treatment of national service awards and living allowances. It sets a 10-year goal to grow approved national service positions to 1,000,000 participants per year by FY2036, raises stipend and grant caps (with appropriations guards), adds new outreach and eligibility work, and establishes tax exclusions for educational awards, loan discharges, and living allowances tied to national service.