A Chance To Serve Act

To expand the financial, healthcare, and educational benefits received by Peace Corps and AmeriCorps volunteers, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the A Chance To Serve Act 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: 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) (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. (B) in the second sentence, by inserting (other than health care provided in accordance with such section 1789A) such health care (3) Clerical amendment The table of sections for chapter 17 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) (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. 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 42 U.S.C. 9902(2) (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 (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) twice the maximum (f) National service laws defined In this section, the term national service laws 42 U.S.C. 12511 4. Exclusion from gross income of certain payments for national service (a) In general Part II of subchapter B of chapter 1 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. 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.

Summary: A Chance To Serve Act This bill provides various benefits for Peace Corps and AmeriCorps volunteers and increases the number of AmeriCorps volunteer positions to at least 500,000 (currently there are approximately 250,000 positions). Among other provisions, the bill (1) provides eligible former Peace Corps and AmeriCorps volunteers with three years of non-compete eligibility for federal employment whereas currently, former volunteers generally get one year of eligibility with extensions available in certain situations; (2) provides eligible former volunteers with health care benefits for one year; and (3) exempts from taxation certain payments and allowances paid to volunteers.