Sponsor
Andy Kim
Senator · D-NJ
Senator · D-NJ
Official title: Provide a direct appropriation of funds for the Learn and Serve America program of the Corporation for National and Community Service and to expand the eligibility of such program to additional entities.
Introduced September 11, 2025 by Andy Kim · Last progress September 11, 2025
The bill provides a modest but steady federal funding boost and program changes to expand service‑learning and nonprofit capacity, improving access and transparency for some communities while imposing a $40M/year cost and creating winners and losers through competitive grants and fixed funding splits.
Nonprofits and local community service programs will receive $40 million annually, with at least 80% dedicated to Part II activities and 20% reserved for Part I, giving predictable, sustained funding to expand volunteer and service projects.
Local educational agencies and consortia (schools, districts) can directly apply for Learn and Serve America grants, expanding access to federal service‑learning funds for students and educators.
State‑designated community‑based and nonprofit training organizations can receive and administer funds, increasing local nonprofit capacity to support service‑learning and program delivery.
Taxpayers will fund an ongoing $40 million annual obligation to support these programs, increasing federal spending.
Replacing formulaic allotments with competitive grants may create uncertainty and reduce predictable funding for schools and districts that previously relied on steady allotments.
Smaller organizations and low‑capacity school districts could be disadvantaged by a competitive grant model, concentrating funds with better‑resourced applicants and reducing equity of access.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Provides $40M/year from FY2026 for Learn and Serve America, expands eligible grantees, changes allotment rules to competitive grants, and funds CNCS staff hires.
Provides $40 million per year starting in fiscal year 2026 to the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) to support the Learn and Serve America program and funds hiring at CNCS to help implement the program. Expands which organizations can apply for and receive program grants (adding local educational agencies and consortia, broadening entities that States may designate), revises competitive grant/allotment rules for FY2026 and after, and requires the Corporation to reserve a small percentage for the Bureau of Indian Affairs and report annually to Congress on fund distribution and use. Aims to scale school- and community-based service-learning by providing ongoing appropriations, updating statutory eligibility and grant procedures, and adding CNCS staff capacity for planning, program design, and technology to support the program's implementation.