A Chance To Serve Act
Bill: H.R.6958 | Sponsor: Rep. Kim, Andy (D-NJ)
Policy area: International Affairs

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.

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.
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