I 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 6956 

To direct the Secretary of Education to carry out grant programs to encourage student participation in local government and volunteer service, 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 Education and Labor 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Education to carry out grant 

programs to encourage student participation in local government and volunteer service, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Service Starts At 

5 Home Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. GRANTS TO SUPPORT INTERNSHIPS IN LOCAL GOV7 ERNMENT. 

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the 

9 date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Education 


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1 shall carry out a program under which the Secretary 

2 makes allocations to States, in accordance with subsection 

3 (b), to support paid internships for secondary school stu4 dents within local government agencies. 

5 (b) ALLOCATIONS TO STATES.—Of the amount ap6 propriated to carry out this section for each fiscal year, 

7 each State that has an application approved by the Sec8 retary under subsection (c) shall be allocated an amount 

9 in proportion to number of students enrolled in the public 

10 elementary and secondary schools in the State for the pre11 vious school year relative to the total number of students 

12 enrolled in the public elementary and secondary schools 

13 for such school year in every State that has an application 

14 approved by the Secretary under such subsection. 

15 (c) APPLICATION.—To be eligible to receive an alloca16 tion under subsection (b) a State shall submit an applica17 tion to the Secretary of Education at such time, in such 

18 manner, and containing such information as the Secretary 

19 may require. 

20 (d) LOCAL GOVERNMENT INTERNSHIP PROGRAM.— 

21 Each State that receives an allocation under subsection 

22 (b) shall use such allocation to carry out a program under 

23 which the State— 

24 (1) in consultation with local government offi25 cials— 


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1 (A) identifies appropriate paid internship 

2 opportunities for secondary school students 

3 within local government agencies; 

4 (B) establishes a process for the selection 

5 of students to fill such internships; and 

6 (C) determines hourly rates of pay and 

7 other terms and conditions applicable to such 

8 internships; and 

9 (2) provides funds to local government agencies 

10 to reimburse such agencies for costs incurred in pro11 viding such internships. 

12 (e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

13 are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 

14 $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2022 and each succeeding fis15 cal year. 

16 SEC. 3. SCHOLARSHIP FOR SERVICE PROGRAM. 

17 (a) FUNDING FOR STATES.— 

18 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after 

19 the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 

20 Education shall carry out a program under which 

21 the Secretary makes allocations to States, in accord22 ance with paragraph (2), to carry out the scholar23 ship program under subsection (b). 

24 (2) ALLOCATIONS TO STATES.—Of the amount 

25 appropriated to carry out this section for each fiscal 


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1 year, each State that has an application approved by 

2 the Secretary under paragraph (3) shall be allocated 

3 an amount in proportion to number of students en4 rolled in the public elementary and secondary 

5 schools in the State for the previous school year rel6 ative to the total number of students enrolled in the 

7 public elementary and secondary schools for such 

8 school year in every State that has an application 

9 approved by the Secretary under such paragraph. 

10 (3) STATE APPLICATION.—To be eligible to re11 ceive an allocation under paragraph (2) a State shall 

12 submit an application to the Secretary of Education 

13 at such time, in such manner, and containing such 

14 information as the Secretary may require. 

15 (b) STATE ADMINISTERED SCHOLARSHIP PRO16 GRAM.— 

17 (1) IN GENERAL.—Each State that receives an 

18 allocation under subsection (a) shall use such alloca19 tion to carry out a program under which the State 

20 awards scholarships, on a competitive basis, to eligi21 ble students who demonstrate a commitment to vol22 unteer service work. 

23 (2) APPLICATION.—A student who seeks a 

24 scholarship under this subsection shall submit an ap25 plication to the State at such time, in such manner, 


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1 and containing such information as the State may 

2 require. 

3 (3) STUDENT ELIGIBILITY.—To be eligible to 

4 receive a scholarship under this subsection a student 

5 shall meet the following criteria: 

6 (A) FIRST-TIME APPLICANT.—In the case 

7 of a first-time applicant for a scholarship under 

8 this subsection, the student shall— 

9 (i) be enrolled in public secondary 

10 school; 

11 (ii) be in the final year of a program 

12 of study leading to a regular high school 

13 diploma; and 

14 (iii) have completed at least 100 hours 

15 of volunteer service work in the preceding 

16 school year (or another one-year period de17 termined by the Secretary of Education). 

18 (B) RENEWAL APPLICANT.—In the case of 

19 a student who previously received a scholarship 

20 under this subsection and who is seeking a 

21 scholarship for a subsequent academic year, the 

22 student shall— 

23 (i) be enrolled in an institution of 

24 higher education; 


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1 (ii) be in good academic standing (as 

2 determined by the institution); and 

3 (iii) have completed at least 100 hours 

4 of volunteer service work in the preceding 

5 school year (or another one-year period de6 termined by the Secretary of Education). 

7 (4) PRIORITY.—In awarding scholarships under 

8 this subsection, a State shall— 

9 (A) first award scholarships to renewal ap10 plicants described in paragraph (3)(B); and 

11 (B) from any funds remaining after award12 ing such scholarships, award scholarships to 

13 first-time applicants described in paragraph 

14 (3)(A). 

15 (5) USE OF FUNDS.—A scholarship received by 

16 a student under this subsection may be used by such 

17 student only to pay the student’s costs of attendance 

18 at an institution of higher education. 

19 (6) DURATION.—Each scholarship under this 

20 subsection shall be awarded for a period of one aca21 demic year. A student may receive a scholarship 

22 under this subsection for a total period of not more 

23 than four academic years. 

24 (7) AMOUNT.—The amount of each scholarship 

25 under this subsection shall be— 


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1 (A) $1000, for a student who completed at 

2 least 100 hours, but less than 175 hours, of vol3 unteer service work in the preceding school year 

4 (or another one-year period determined by the 

5 Secretary of Education); 

6 (B) $2000, for a student who completed at 

7 least 175 hours, but less than 250 hours, of vol8 unteer service work in such period; and 

9 (C) $3000, for a student who completed at 

10 least 250 hours of volunteer service work in 

11 such period. 

12 (c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

13 are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 

14 $100,000,000 for fiscal year 2022 and each succeeding 

15 fiscal year. 

16 SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS. 

17 In this Act: 

18 (1) The term ‘‘cost of attendance’’ has the 

19 meaning given that term in section 472 of the High20 er Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087ll). 

21 (2) The terms ‘‘elementary school’’, ‘‘regular 

22 high school diploma’’, ‘‘secondary school’’, and 

23 ‘‘State’’ have the meanings given those terms in sec24 tion 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Edu25 cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801). 


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1 (3) The term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ 

2 has the meaning given that term in section 101 of 

3 the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 

4 1001). 

5 (4)(A) The term ‘‘volunteer service work’’ 

6 means unpaid acts of volunteer service conducted for 

7 or on behalf of a government or other nonprofit or8 ganization, which may include a community-based 

9 organization, faith-based organization, school, na10 tional service program, civic or fraternal service or11 ganization, local government agency, or other such 

12 organization. 

13 (B) Such term does not include acts of proselyt14 izing, conducting worship services, religious instruc15 tion, political lobbying, court ordered service, or 

16 service conducted primarily for the benefit of the 

17 family of a student described in section 3(c). 

Æ 


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