I 
114TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5062 
To provide for a more inclusive voluntary civilian national service program 
to promote civic engagement, enhance national unity, and foster a sense 
of shared sacrifice by helping young Americans participate in national 
service, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 26, 2016 
Ms. DUCKWORTH (for herself and Mr. MOULTON) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Work-
force, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period 
to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consider-
ation of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
concerned 
A BILL 
To provide for a more inclusive voluntary civilian national 
service program to promote civic engagement, enhance 
national unity, and foster a sense of shared sacrifice 
by helping young Americans participate in national serv-
ice, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘21st Century American 
Service Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE. 
Section 2 of the National and Community Service Act 
of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12501) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a), by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘(7) The number of Americans applying to par-
ticipate in national service programs each year sig-
nificantly exceeds the number of available positions, 
depriving hundreds of thousands of Americans from 
participating in national and community service, 
which unintentionally transforms national service 
programs into exclusive and selective entities and 
prevents national service from serving as an inclu-
sive, unifying activity open to all Americans.’’; and 
(2) in subsection (b)(6), by inserting ‘‘so that 
all young Americans between ages 18 and 30 are 
provided a voluntary opportunity to serve in organi-
zations’’ after ‘‘national service programs’’. 
SEC. 3. EXCLUSION FROM GROSS INCOME OF AMERICORPS 
EDUCATIONAL AWARDS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 117 of the Internal Rev-
enue Code of 1986 (relating to qualified scholarships) is 
amended by adding at the end the following new sub-
section: 
‘‘(e) AMERICORPS EDUCATIONAL AWARDS.—Gross 
income shall not include any national service educational 
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award described in subtitle D of title I of the National 
and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12601 
et seq.).’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 
this section shall apply to taxable years ending after the 
date of the enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 4. CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY 
SERVICE DEFINED. 
In this Act, the terms ‘‘Corporation’’ and the ‘‘Cor-
poration for National and Community Service’’ have the 
meaning given the term ‘‘Corporation’’ in section 101 of 
the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 
U.S.C. 12511). 
SEC. 5. 21ST CENTURY NATIONAL SERVICE PROGRAM. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established a task 
force within the Corporation for National and Community 
Service to be known as the ‘‘21st Century National Service 
Program Implementing Taskforce’’ (in this Act referred 
to as the ‘‘Task force’’). 
(b) DUTIES OF THE TASK FORCE.— 
(1) PROGRAM.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Task force shall 
develop the 21st Century National Service Pro-
gram to ensure that each eligible individual who 
applies to serve in a voluntary national service 
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program will be provided an opportunity to 
serve in such program. 
(B) REQUIREMENTS.—In developing the 
21st Century National Service Program de-
scribed in subparagraph (A), the Task force 
shall carry out the following: 
(i) NOTIFICATION.—Determine how 
the Corporation for National and Commu-
nity Service will work with Federal or 
State agencies and other entities to— 
(I) contact each eligible indi-
vidual upon such individual’s 18th 
birthday to notify the individual 
about— 
(aa) the individual’s eligi-
bility for national service pro-
grams; 
(bb) such national service 
programs and how to register for 
a specific program; 
(cc) other service programs 
for which the individual may be 
eligible, 
including 
the 
Peace 
Corps (as established by the 
Peace Corps Act (22 U.S.C. 
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2501 et seq.)) and military serv-
ice; and 
(dd) the individual’s option 
to opt-out of receiving any notifi-
cations, or just notifications in a 
paper format, under subclause 
(II); and 
(II) after contacting an eligible 
individual under subclause (I), notify 
the eligible individual every 2 years 
thereafter of the information de-
scribed in items (aa) through (dd) of 
subclause (I), unless— 
(aa) the individual is serving 
in a national service program; 
(bb) the individual has opted 
out of receiving such notifications 
under subclause (I)(cc); or 
(cc) the individual reaches 
30 years of age. 
(ii) REGISTRATION.—Determine how 
the Corporation will enable eligible individ-
uals to register for a specific national serv-
ice program for not less than 1 year of 
service, and ensure that such registration 
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process is the most effective process for the 
purpose of registering for such a program. 
(2) STRATEGIC PLAN.—The Task force shall— 
(A) develop a 10-year strategic implemen-
tation plan to fully implement the 21st Century 
National Service Program described in para-
graph (1)(A), including concrete timelines and 
milestones for an effective and phased imple-
mentation (which shall include beginning the 
notification under paragraph (1)(B)(i) not later 
than 1 year after the date of enactment of this 
Act, to the greatest extent practicable); and 
(B) publish on the website of the Corpora-
tion the information described in subparagraph 
(A). 
(3) TASK FORCES.—The Task force shall carry 
out the following sub-task forces to assist in devel-
oping the program described in paragraph (1)(A): 
(A) A sub-task force headed by the Chair-
person of the Task force on expanding national 
service opportunities to ensure that any indi-
vidual who applies to serve is guaranteed an op-
portunity to do so. 
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(B) A sub-task force headed by the Direc-
tor of the Selective Service System on notifying 
eligible individuals. 
(C) A sub-task force headed by the Sec-
retary of Education on expanding bridge-year 
service learning programs. 
(D) A sub-task force headed by the Sec-
retary of Defense on transitioning servicemem-
bers to civilian life through national service. 
(E) A sub-task force headed by the Direc-
tor of the Peace Corps on integrating interna-
tional service opportunities. 
(c) MEMBERSHIP.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Task force shall be 
composed of the following members: 
(A) The Secretary of Education (or the 
Secretary’s designee). 
(B) The Director of the Selective Service 
System (or the Director’s designee). 
(C) The Director of the Peace Corps (or 
the Director’s designee). 
(D) The Secretary of Defense (or the Sec-
retary’s designee). 
(2) CHAIRPERSON.—The Chairperson of the 
Task force shall be the Chief Executive Officer of 
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the Corporation for National and Community Serv-
ice. 
(3) STAFF.—With the approval of the Task 
force, the Chairperson may appoint additional per-
sonnel (who may be from public or private sectors) 
as the Chairperson considers appropriate. 
(d) TERMINATION.—The Task force shall terminate 
10 years after the date of enactment of this Act. 
(e) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this section: 
(1) ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUAL.—The term ‘‘eligible 
individual’’ means an individual who— 
(A) is a citizen, national of the United 
States, or a lawful permanent resident aliens of 
the United States; and 
(B) is between the ages of 18 and 30, in-
clusive. 
(2) NATIONAL SERVICE PROGRAM.—The term 
‘‘national service program’’ is a voluntary civilian 
national service program authorized under the Na-
tional and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 
U.S.C. 12501 et seq.) or the Domestic Volunteer 
Service Act of 1973 (42 U.S.C. 4950 et seq.). 
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SEC. 6. NATIONAL SERVICE COLLEGE COMPACT PILOT 
PROGRAM. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Corporation for National 
and Community Service shall establish a national service 
college compact— 
(1) with not fewer than 2 States, not later than 
2 years after the date of enactment of this Act; and 
(2) with not fewer than 5 States, not later than 
5 years after such date of enactment. 
(b) CONTENTS
OF COMPACT.—A national service 
compact is an agreement between the Corporation and a 
State under which— 
(1) eligible individuals who desire to attend a 
public institution of higher education in the State 
will be able to use an educational award under sub-
section (d) to attend a 2- or 4-year program of in-
struction, or a career or technical education pro-
gram, at such a public institution of higher edu-
cation, at no additional charge to the individuals; 
and 
(2) the Corporation and the State determine 
the timeframe by which eligible individuals shall suc-
cessfully complete the activities under paragraphs 
(1) and (2) of subsection (c) in order to qualify to 
use an educational award in accordance with para-
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graph (1) of this subsection, and avoid repayment of 
such educational award or other penalties. 
(c) ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUAL.—For purposes of this sec-
tion, the term ‘‘eligible individual’’ means an individual 
described in section 146(a) of the National and Commu-
nity Service Act (42 U.S.C. 12602(a)) who, as a condition 
of receiving an educational award under subsection (d)— 
(1) successfully completes, or agrees to com-
plete, two required terms of full-time national service 
in an approved national service position for purposes 
of eligibility for two educational awards under sec-
tion 147(a) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 12603(a)); and 
(2) successfully completes, or agrees to com-
plete, not less than one calendar year of employment 
with a Federal, State, or local government entity, or 
a nonprofit organization. 
(d) INCREASED EDUCATIONAL AWARDS.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—To receive an educational 
award under this section, an eligible individual shall 
be selected by the Corporation and a State with 
which the Corporation has a national service com-
pact under this section to receive such award for the 
purpose of attending a public institution of higher 
education in the State in accordance with the terms 
of the compact. 
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(2) CALCULATION.—An eligible individual se-
lected under paragraph (1) shall receive an edu-
cational award under this section that is equal to the 
total value of the educational service awards under 
section 147(a) of the National and Community Serv-
ice Act (42 U.S.C. 12603(a)) that the individual is 
eligible to receive for the two successfully completed 
(or agreed to be completed) terms of full-time na-
tional service, as described in subsection (c)(1) of 
this section, except that in calculating the value of 
each such award, such section 147(a) (42 U.S.C. 
12603(a)) shall be applied by inserting ‘‘twice’’ be-
fore ‘‘the maximum amount of a Federal Pell 
Grant’’. 
(3) LIMITATION.—Not more than a total of 
250,000 individuals may receive an educational 
award under this section. 
(e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION.—The 
term ‘‘career and technical education’’ has the 
meaning given the term in section 3 of the Carl D. 
Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 
2006 (20 U.S.C. 2302). 
(2) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The 
term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the 
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meaning given the term in section 102 of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002). 
(3) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ has the mean-
ing given the term in section 101 of the National 
and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 
12511). 
Æ 
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