HANO: Serve America Act advances in U.S. Congress

Serve America Act advances in U.S. Congress

On March 26, the U.S. Senate passed the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act by a vote of 79 to 19 without a “poison pill” amendment that would have barred nonprofits from lobbying. The act is the Senate’s version of HR 1388, known as the Give Act. Hawaii senators Inouye and Akaka both voted for the bill.

This is a major victory for nonprofits as the act would expand national and community services programs and strengthen the infrastructure for volunteerism within the nonprofit community. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the bill will result in $5.7 billion in funding in fiscal years 2010 through 2014.

Because of differences between House and Senate versions, the House must decide to pass the Senate bill as is or to send the bill to a conference committee to work out a compromise. President Obama has made passage of service legislation a high priority and is urging Congress to quickly send him a bill to sign.

Nonprofits across the country have been working to advance this legislation. HANO will keep you posted on the progress of this bill as it moves through the house and may call on the nonprofit community to take further action on this important legislation.

The legislation would expand the ranks of AmeriCorps and create four new service corps. The expansion would cost about $6 billion over five years. The bill would raise the education stipend paid to volunteers to $5,350, the same amount as a Pell Grant college scholarship. It amounts to the boldest expansion of service opportunities since President John F. Kennedy called for a national service corps in 1963. The bill also seeks to encourage volunteer work among retirees and would offer them a $1,000 educational award that they could transfer to a child or grandchild.

Here is a summary of the Serve America Act and recent changes:

Nonprofit Advocacy Challenges: Unlike the House-passed version, the Senate bill does not include language limiting the advocacy and lobbying rights of nonprofits. We must continue to work to ensure that the Senate language prevails in the final version. Go here for more information.
Nonprofit Capacity Building: The Senate agreed to include the Baucus-Grassley nonprofit capacity building amendment to set up a program in the Corporation for National and Community Service to expand organizational development assistance to small and midsize nonprofit organizations. Click here for more information.
Music and Arts Education: The Senate also accepted an amendment that expressly includes music and arts education in Education Corps activities. The amendment encourages the use of “skilled musicians and artists to promote greater community unity through the use of music and arts education and engagement through work in low-income communities, and education, health care, and therapeutic settings, and other work in the public domain with citizens of all ages.”
Charitable Giving Incentives: The Senate adopted by a 56 to 41vote an amendment that states: “It is the sense of the Senate that Congress should preserve the income tax deduction for charitable contributions through the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and look for additional ways to encourage charitable giving.”