[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6958 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
117th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 6958
To expand the financial, healthcare, and educational benefits received
by Peace Corps and AmeriCorps volunteers, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 7, 2022
Mr. Kim of New Jersey introduced the following bill; which was referred
to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees
on Foreign Affairs, Veterans' Affairs, and Education and Labor, for a
period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the
committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To expand the financial, healthcare, and educational benefits received
by Peace Corps and AmeriCorps volunteers, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``A Chance To Serve Act''.
SEC. 2. EXPANDED BENEFITS FOR CURRENT AND FORMER PEACE CORPS
VOLUNTEERS.
(a) Extended Non-Competitive Eligibility.--The President shall
revise Executive Order 11103 (28 Fed. Reg. 3571; relating to providing
for the appointment of former Peace Corps volunteers to the civilian
career services) to extend to three years the period during which any
appointment under the authority of such Executive Order may be made.
(b) Extended Healthcare.--
(1) 1-year eligibility for health benefits.--Subchapter
VIII of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at
the end the following new section:
``Sec. 1789A. Former Peace Corps volunteers
``During the one-year period beginning on the day after the final
day of the service of a Peace Corps volunteer, the Secretary shall
provide such former volunteer such hospital care or medical services as
the former volunteer may elect to receive at a medical facility of the
Department of Veterans Affairs. The cost of any care or services
furnished under this section to such former volunteer shall be
reimbursed at such rates as may be agreed upon by the Secretary and the
Director of the Peace Corps, based on the cost of the care or service
furnished and in accordance with health care otherwise provided to
volunteers under section 5(e) of the Peace Corps Act.''.
(2) Conforming amendments.--Section 5(e) of the Peace Corps
Act (22 U.S.C. 2504(e)) is amended--
(A) by inserting after the first sentence the
following new sentence: ``Former volunteers shall also
be entitled to such hospital care and medical services
as may be provided in accordance with section 1789A of
title 38, United States Code.''; and
(B) in the second sentence, by inserting ``(other
than health care provided in accordance with such
section 1789A)'' after ``such health care''.
(3) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections for chapter
17 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding after
the item relating to section 1789 the following new item:
``1789A. Former Peace Corps volunteers.''.
(c) Nontaxable Status for Readjustment Allowances.--Notwithstanding
any other provision of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, a
readjustment allowance received pursuant to section 5(c) of the Peace
Corps Act (22 U.S.C. 2504(c)) shall not be subject to taxation under
chapter 1 of such Code.
(d) Regularity of Payments of Monthly Stipends.--The Director of
the Peace Corps shall take such steps as may be necessary to ensure
that Peace Corps volunteers receive stipends on a regular and
predictable basis (and, to the maximum extent practicable, on the same
numerical day of each month), including in the event of a temporary
partial or complete government shutdown.
SEC. 3. EXPANDED BENEFITS FOR AMERICORPS VOLUNTEERS.
(a) Increase in National Service Positions.--Notwithstanding any
provision of the national service laws, on or after the date of
enactment of this Act, not fewer than 500,000 national service
positions shall be available under the national service programs
authorized under such laws.
(b) Increase in Living Allowance.--Notwithstanding section 140 of
the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12594) or any
other provision of the national service laws, any individual serving in
a national service program authorized under a national service law
shall receive a living allowance that is not less than 200 percent of
the poverty line (as defined in section 673(2) of the Community
Services Block Grant Act (42 U.S.C. 9902(2)) and adjusted by the
Corporation for National and Community Service in the manner described
in such section.
(c) Extended Non-Competitive Eligibility.--Notwithstanding any
other law, rule, or regulation, the head of any agency in the Executive
branch may noncompetitively appoint, to a competitive service position
at such agency, any individual who is certified by the Corporation for
National and Community Service as having satisfactorily completed
service in a national service program authorized under a national
service law. Such an individual may not be appointed under the
authority provided under this section after the date that is 3 years
after the date such individual so completes such service.
(d) 1-Year Eligibility for Health Benefits.--Notwithstanding
section 140 of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42
U.S.C. 12594) or any other provision of the national service laws,
during the one-year period beginning on the day after the final day of
a participant in a national service program authorized under a national
service law, the Corporation for National and Community Service shall
provide such former participant, at no cost to such participant, with
the health care policy such participant received during the term of
service in such program.
(e) Doubling of the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award.--Section
147(a) of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C.
12603(a)) is amended by inserting ``twice'' before ``the maximum''.
(f) National Service Laws Defined.--In this section, the term
``national service laws'' has the meaning given such term in section
101 of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C.
12511).
SEC. 4. EXCLUSION FROM GROSS INCOME OF CERTAIN PAYMENTS FOR NATIONAL
SERVICE.
(a) In General.--Part II of subchapter B of chapter 1 of the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by inserting after section
139I the following new section:
``SEC. 139J. CERTAIN PAYMENTS FOR NATIONAL SERVICE.
``In the case of an individual, gross income shall not include any
amount received under a national service educational award under
subtitle D of title I of the National and Community Service Act of 1990
(42 U.S.C. 12601 et seq.) or any living allowance provided to such
individual during participation in a national service program
authorized under a national service law (as defined in section 101 of
the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12511)).''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections for part II of
subchapter B of chapter 1 of such Code is amended by inserting after
the item relating to section 139I the following new item:
``Sec. 139J. Certain payments for national service.''.
(c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall
apply to taxable years ending after the date of the enactment of this
Act.
<all>