[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5682 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 5682
To expand the financial, health care, and educational benefits received
by Peace Corps and AmeriCorps volunteers, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 22, 2023
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 Education and the Workforce, Foreign Affairs, and Veterans' Affairs,
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, health care, 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) Non-Discrimination Based on Certain Immigration Statuses.--
Section 5(a) of the Peace Corps Act (22 U.S.C. 2504(a)) is amended--
(1) in the first sentence, by striking ``citizens and
nationals of the United States'' and inserting ``citizens,
nationals, and lawful permanent residents of the United
States''; and
(2) in the fourth sentence, by striking ``or color.'' and
inserting ``color, or status as a refugee, asylee, or other
lawfully admitted alien.''.
(c) 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.
(d) Extended Health Care.--
(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.''.
(e) Readjustment Allowances for Volunteers and Volunteer Leaders.--
Section 5 of the Peace Corps Act (22 U.S.C. 2504) is amended--
(1) in subsection (b), by striking ``insure their health''
and inserting ``ensure their safety, their health, and'';
(2) in subsection (c)--
(A) by striking ``$125'' and inserting ``$375'';
(B) by striking ``his'' each place such term
appears and inserting ``the volunteer's''; and
(C) by striking ``he'' and inserting ``the
volunteer'';
(3) by redesignating subsection (e), as amended by
subsection (b)(2) of this Act as subsection (d);
(4) by inserting after subsection (d), as so amended and
redesignated, the following:
``(e) The Director shall consult with health experts outside of the
Peace Corps, including experts licensed in the field of mental health,
and follow guidance by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
regarding the prescription of medications to volunteers.'';
(5) in subsection (h), by striking ``he'' and inserting
``the President'';
(6) in subsection (n)(2)--
(A) by striking ``subsection (e)'' each place such
term appears and inserting ``subsection (d)''; and
(B) by striking ``he'' and inserting ``the
President'';
(7) in subsection (o), by striking ``his'' each place such
term appears and inserting ``the volunteer's''; and
(8) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
``(q) Suspension of Payments and Accrual of Interest on Federal
Loans During Service.--
``(1) In general.--If a volunteer receives a loan made
under part D of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965
(20 U.S.C. 1087a et seq.) before commencing service in the
Peace Corps--
``(A) all payments due for such loans shall be
suspended; and
``(B) interest shall not accrue on such loan for
the duration of such service.
``(2) Deferment or forbearance.--Notwithstanding any other
provision of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001
et seq.), the Secretary of Education shall deem each month for
which a loan payment was--
``(A) suspended under this subsection; or
``(B) subject to a deferment or forbearance under
the Higher Education Act of 1965, as if the borrower of
the loan had made a payment for the purpose of any loan
forgiveness program or loan rehabilitation program
authorized under part B or D of title IV of the Higher
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1071 et seq. and 1087a
et seq.) for which the borrower would have otherwise
qualified.''.
(f) 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)), as amended by subsection (e)(2) of this
section, shall not be subject to taxation under chapter 1 of such Code.
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) Use of the Segal Americorps Education Award.--Section 148(a)(4)
of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C.
12604(a)(4)) is amended by inserting before the semicolon at the end
the following: ``, or for the purpose of obtaining a recognized post-
secondary credential (as defined in section 3 of the Workforce
Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102)''.
(g) Suspension of Payments and Accrual of Interest on Federal Loans
During Service.--
(1) In general.--Notwithstanding any provision of a
national service law, if an individual receives a loan made
under part D of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965
(20 U.S.C. 1087a et seq.) before commencing service in a
national service program under a national service law--
(A) all payments due for such loans shall be
suspended; and
(B) interest shall not accrue on such loan for the
duration of such service.
(2) Deferment or forbearance.--Notwithstanding any other
provision of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001
et seq.), the Secretary of Education shall deem each month for
which a loan payment was--
(A) suspended under this subsection; or
(B) subject to a deferment or forbearance under the
Higher Education Act of 1965, as if the borrower of the
loan had made a payment for the purpose of any loan
forgiveness program or loan rehabilitation program
authorized under part B or D of title IV of the Higher
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1071 et seq. and 1087a
et seq.) for which the borrower would have otherwise
qualified.
(h) Non-Discrimination Based on Certain Immigration Statuses.--
Notwithstanding any provision of a national service law, a refugee,
asylee, or other lawfully admitted alien may not be prohibited from
serving in a national service program authorized under such a law, or
receiving an education benefit for such service, on the basis of such
status.
(i) Planning Grants for Underserved Communities.--Notwithstanding
any provision of a national service law, the Corporation for National
and Community Service may award planning grants to underserved
communities to enable such communities to develop the capacity to carry
out national service programs under national service laws. Any matching
fund requirements under the national service laws shall be waived for
the first 2 years during which any such community carries out such a
national service program.
(j) 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. PUBLIC SERVICE LOAN FORGIVENESS.
Section 455(m)(3)(B) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1087e(m)(3)(B)) is amended--
(1) by striking ``or'' at the end of clause (i);
(2) in clause (ii), by striking the period at the end and
inserting ``; or'' ; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(iii) serving, on a full-time basis, 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)) or as a Peace Corps
volunteer.''.
SEC. 5. 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.
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