Title: INSPIRE Act
Policy area: Education

Summary:
International & National Service Promotion to Ignite Renewed Engagement Act or the INSPIRE Act
This bill addresses public service and volunteerism, including by extending community service programs such as a the Peace Corps.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3130 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3130

  To amend the National and Community Service Act of 1990 to promote 
  active citizenship, including volunteerism, community dialogue, and 
                    service, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 29, 2017

 Mr. Huffman (for himself and Mr. DeSaulnier) introduced the following 
    bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the 
Workforce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, Energy 
 and Commerce, 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 amend the National and Community Service Act of 1990 to promote 
  active citizenship, including volunteerism, community dialogue, and 
                    service, 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 ``International & National Service 
Promotion to Ignite Renewed Engagement Act'' or the ``INSPIRE Act''.

SEC. 2. PURPOSES AND FINDINGS.

    (a) Purposes.--The purpose of this Act is to--
            (1) promote active citizenship, including volunteerism, 
        community dialogue, and service;
            (2) encourage and expand peaceful, positive, and respectful 
        patriotic acts both nationally and internationally; and
            (3) increase educational benefits for those that serve so 
        that more people will not only have the financial ability to 
        perform extensive community service, but to increase the 
        overall number of national and international volunteers to 
        260,000, and provide an additional 240,000 teachers and health 
        professionals to underserved areas.
    (b) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) On April 21, 2009, the President signed the Edward M. 
        Kennedy Serve America Act, to amend and reauthorize the 
        National and Community Service Act of 1990 and Domestic 
        Volunteer Service Act of 1973.
            (2) The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act set bold 
        benchmarks for expanding the number and scope of service in the 
        United States.
            (3) The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act required the 
        Corporation for National and Community Service to develop a 
        plan to increase the number of approved national service 
        positions from 88,000 in fiscal year 2010 to 250,000 in fiscal 
        year 2017.
            (4) The total national service positions in fiscal year 
        2016 were 85,928, 149,072 less than the 235,000 authorized in 
        the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act.
            (5) Congress should renew its commitment to national 
        service and appropriate funds necessary to support the 
        increased national service positions in the Edward M. Kennedy 
        Serve America Act.
            (6) The Peace Corps was founded in 1961 to promoting world 
        peace and friendship by improving the lives of those they 
        serve, helping others understand American culture, and sharing 
        their experience with Americans back home.
            (7) Nearly 225,000 Peace Corps volunteers have served in 
        141 countries over the lifetime of the program.
            (8) In 1985 Congress made it the policy of the United 
        States to maintain consistent with programmatic and fiscal 
        considerations, a Peace Corps volunteer level of at least 
        10,000 individuals.
            (9) 10,000 individuals has not been reached since 1968, 
        although the objective has been reiterated by three Presidents. 
        In 2016 the Peace Corps had about 7,213 volunteers serving in 
        65 nations.
            (10) Congress must now renew its commitment to world peace 
        and appropriate funds necessary to support 10,000 Peace Corps 
        positions.
            (11) Encouraging national and international service fosters 
        community dialogue, inclusive relationships, and positive 
        actions.
            (12) An individual's ability to serve should not be 
        compromised by economic circumstances. Congress should expand 
        educational benefits for service and public service loan 
        programs to ensure all that wish to serve can do so.
            (13) Congress should unleash a force of a half million 
        dedicated, patriotic individuals to teach in our schools, 
        increase health outcomes in underserved areas, conserve our 
        natural resources, and build up our communities.

SEC. 3. CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE.

    (a) Rural Communities.--Section 121 of the National and Community 
Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12571) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) by redesignating paragraphs (1) and (2) as 
                subparagraphs (A) and (B), respectively;
                    (B) by striking ``Subject to'' and inserting the 
                following:
            ``(1) In general.--Subject to''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(2) Priority.--Not less than 10 percent of the grant 
        amounts awarded under subsection (a) for a fiscal year, shall 
        be awarded to carry out or support the national service 
        programs described in subsection (a) that carry out or support 
        projects or activities in rural communities with not more than 
        20,000 individuals.''; and
            (2) in subsection (e)(4)--
                    (A) by striking ``The Corporation'' and inserting 
                the following:
                    ``(A) In general.--The Corporation''; and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(B) Rural communities.--The Corporation shall 
                waive the requirements of paragraph (1) with respect to 
                a national service program in any fiscal year that 
                carries out or supports projects or activities in rural 
                communities with not more than 20,000 individuals.''.
    (b) Coordinated Tribal Health Professional Recruitment.--Section 
122(a)(2) of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 
12572(a)(2)) is amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (B)--
                    (A) by redesignating clauses (vii) through (ix) as 
                clauses (viii) through (x), respectively; and
                    (B) by inserting after clause (vi) the following:
                            ``(vii) providing services designed to 
                        recruit and mentor young members of Native 
                        American and Alaska Native tribes prior to 
                        enrollment in postsecondary education to work 
                        in health professions, including nursing and 
                        mental health professions;''; and
            (2) in subparagraph (C)--
                    (A) by striking ``or'' at the end of clause (v);
                    (B) by striking the period at the end of clause 
                (vi) and inserting ``; or''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
                            ``(vii) any additional local indicator 
                        relating to the recruitment and mentoring of 
                        health of Native American and Alaska Native 
                        tribal youth to work in health professions, 
                        that is approved by the Corporation, in 
                        consultation with the Director of the Indian 
                        Health Service.''.
    (c) Educational Awards and Additional Funds.--The National and 
Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12603) is amended--
            (1) in section 147(a) (42 U.S.C. 12603(a))--
                    (A) by striking ``Except as provided'' and 
                inserting the following:
            ``(1) In general.--Except as provided'';
                    (B) by striking ``shall receive'' and all that 
                follows through the period at the end and inserting the 
                following: ``shall be entitled to receive a national 
                service educational award equal to the amount described 
                in paragraph (2).''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(2) Award amount.--A national service educational award 
        under paragraph (1) payable to an individual described in such 
        paragraph shall be equal to the lesser of--
                    ``(A) $21,970.46; or
                    ``(B) an amount equal to the in-State tuition to 
                complete a program at a public institution of higher 
                education in the State in which the individual is 
                enrolled or accepted to be enrolled.
            ``(3) Mandatory appropriations.--There shall be available 
        to the Corporation, from funds in the Treasury not otherwise 
        appropriated, such funds as may be necessary to carry out this 
        subsection for fiscal year 2018 and each succeeding fiscal 
        year.''; and
            (2) in section 501 (42 U.S.C. 12681), by adding at the end 
        the following:
    ``(c) Additional Authorization of Appropriations.--
            ``(1) Authorization.--There are authorized to be 
        appropriated such additional sums as are necessary for the 
        administration of this Act and the Domestic Volunteer Service 
        Act of 1973 (42 U.S.C. 4950 et seq.), including the programs 
        and activities, and functions of such Acts, and the goals 
        described in paragraph (2).
            ``(2) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of Congress that 
        amounts appropriated under paragraph (1) should be sufficient 
        to provide or facilitate volunteer service opportunities and 
        programs for not fewer than 250,000 volunteers in full-time 
        national service per year before the end of the 5-year period 
        beginning on the date of enactment of the 21st Century 
        Community Service Expansion Act.''.
    (d) Noncompetitive Eligibility.--Section 177 of the National and 
Community Service Act of 1990 (20 U.S.C. 12637) is amended by adding at 
the end the following:
    ``(g) Noncompetitive Eligibility.--Under such regulations as the 
Office of Personnel Management may prescribe, an individual who has 
completed a satisfactory full term of service of not less 1,700 hours 
under any program under this Act shall be eligible for appointment in 
the Federal competitive service in the same manner as Peace Corps 
Volunteers as prescribed in Executive Order No. 11103.''.
    (e) Exclusion From Gross Income.--
            (1) In general.--Section 117 of the Internal Revenue Code 
        of 1986 (relating to qualified scholarships) is amended by 
        adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(e) AmeriCorps Educational Awards.--Gross income shall not 
include any national service educational award described in subtitle D 
of title I of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 
12601 et seq.).''.
            (2) Effective date.--The amendment made by this subsection 
        shall apply to taxable years ending after the date of the 
        enactment of this Act.

SEC. 4. PEACE CORPS.

    (a) Authorization of Appropriations.--Title I of the Peace Corps 
Act is amended by adding at the end the following new section:

                   ``authorization of appropriations

    ``Sec. 29.  (a) There are authorized to be appropriated to carry 
out this Act--
    ``(1) $432,777,778 for fiscal year 2018;
    ``(2) $455,555,556 for fiscal year 2019;
    ``(3) $501,111,112 for fiscal year 2020;
    ``(4) $523,888,890 for fiscal year 2021;
    ``(5) $546,666,000 for fiscal year 2022;
    ``(6) $569,444,446 for fiscal year 2023;
    ``(7) $592,222,224 for fiscal year 2024; and
    ``(8) such sums as may be necessary each subsequent fiscal year.
    ``(b) Amounts authorized to be appropriated pursuant to this 
section for a fiscal year are authorized to remain available for 
obligation through the end of the subsequent fiscal year.''.
    (b) Education Benefit and Tax Exemption.--Section 5 of the Peace 
Corps Act (22 U.S.C. 2504) is amended--
            (1) by inserting after subsection (c), the following:
    ``(d) Educational Benefits.--
            ``(1) Educational award.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Upon completion of a 
                satisfactory full term of service as a volunteer under 
                this Act, as determined under Executive Order No. 
                11103, an individual shall receive an educational award 
                in an amount equal to the lesser of--
                            ``(i) $21,970.46; or
                            ``(ii) an amount equal to the in-State 
                        tuition to complete a program at a public 
                        institution of higher education in the State in 
                        which the individual is enrolled or accepted to 
                        be enrolled.
                    ``(B) Use of award.--An educational award received 
                under this subsection shall be used to repay Federal 
                student loans or to pay for the cost of attendance at 
                an institution of higher education.
                    ``(C) Definitions.--In this subsection:
            ``(2) Payment of interest.--The President shall provide, on 
        behalf of an individual, for the payment of interest that 
        accrues during a period for which such individual has obtained 
        forbearance in the repayment of a Federal student loan, if the 
        individual has completed a satisfactory full term of service as 
        a volunteer under this Act, as determined under Executive Order 
        No. 11103.
            ``(3) Definitions.--In this section--
                    ``(A) The term `institution of higher education' 
                has the meaning given the term in (section 102 of the 
                Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002)).
                    ``(B) The `Federal student loan' has the meaning 
                given the term `qualified student loan' under section 
                148(b)(7) of the National and Community Service Act of 
                1990 (42 U.S.C. 12604(b)(7)).''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(o) Under such regulations as the Office of Personnel Management 
may prescribe, an individual who has completed a satisfactory full term 
of service as a Peace Corps volunteer, as determined under Executive 
Order No. 11103, shall be eligible for appointment in the Federal 
competitive service as described under such order.''.
    (c) Internal Revenue Code of 1986.--
            (1) In general.--Section 117 of the Internal Revenue Code 
        of 1986, as amended by the preceding provisions of this Act, is 
        amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(f) Peace Corps Loan Repayments.--Gross income shall not include 
any loan repayment described in section 5(d) of the Peace Corps Act.''.
            (2) Effective date.--The amendment made by this subsection 
        shall apply to taxable years ending after the date of the 
        enactment of this Act.

SEC. 5. PUBLIC SERVICE PROGRAMS.

    (a) Stafford Loan Forgiveness.--Title IV of the Higher Education 
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070 et seq.) is amended--
            (1) in section 428J(c) (20 U.S.C. 1078-10(c))--
                    (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``$5,000'' and 
                inserting ``$21,970.46''; and
                    (B) by striking paragraph (3); and
            (2) in section 460(c) (20 U.S.C. 1087j(c))--
                    (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``$5,000'' and 
                inserting ``$21,970.46''; and
                    (B) by striking paragraph (3).
    (b) National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program.--
            (1) Period of obligated service.--Section 338B(f)(1)(B)(iv) 
        of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254l-
        1(f)(1)(B)(iv)) is amended by striking ``2 years'' and 
        inserting ``5 years''.
            (2) Payments for each year of obligated service.--Section 
        338B(g)(2)(A) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254l-
        1(g)(2)(A)) is amended by striking ``up to $50,000, plus, 
        beginning with fiscal year 2012, an amount determined by the 
        Secretary on an annual basis to reflect inflation'' and 
        inserting ``up to $100,000, plus, beginning with fiscal year 
        2020, an amount determined by the Secretary on an annual basis 
        to reflect inflation''.
    (c) Nursing Education Loan Repayment Program.--
            (1) Period of obligated service.--
                    (A) In general.--Section 846(a)(3) of the Public 
                Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 297n(a)(3)) is amended by 
                striking ``not less than two years'' and inserting 
                ``not less than four years''.
                    (B) Technical correction.--Section 846(a)(2) of the 
                Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 297n(a)(2)) is 
                amended by striking ``subpart II'' and inserting ``this 
                part''.
            (2) Payments of all principal and interest.--Section 846(b) 
        of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 297n(b)) is 
        amended--
                    (A) in paragraphs (1), (2), and (3), by striking 
                ``30 percent'' each place it appears and inserting ``25 
                percent''; and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(4) Upon completion by that individual of a fourth year 
        of such service, the Secretary shall pay another 25 percent of 
        the principal of, and the interest on each such loan.''.
            (3) Tax exclusion for nursing education loan repayments.--
                    (A) In general.--Part III of subchapter B of 
                chapter 1 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is 
                amended by inserting after section 139F the following 
                new section:

``SEC. 139G. NURSING EDUCATION LOAN REPAYMENTS.

    ``(a) In General.--Gross income shall not include the value of any 
loan repayment (of principal or interest) made by the Secretary of 
Health and Human Services under section 846 of the Public Health 
Service Act.
    ``(b) Denial of Double Benefit.--Notwithstanding any other 
provision of this subtitle, no deduction or credit shall be allowed 
for, or by reason of, any expenditure to the extent of the amount 
excluded under subsection (a) for any subsidy, rebate or other amount 
which was provided with respect to such expenditure. The adjusted basis 
of any property shall be reduced by the amount excluded under 
subsection (a) which was provided with respect to such property.''.
                    (B) Conforming amendment.--Section 1016(a) of such 
                Code is amended by striking ``and'' at the end of 
                paragraph (36), by striking the period at the end of 
                paragraph (37) and inserting ``, and'', and by adding 
                at the end the following new paragraph:
            ``(38) to the extent provided in section 139G(b).''.
                    (C) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections for 
                part III of subchapter B of chapter 1 of such Code is 
                amended by inserting after the item relating to section 
                139F the following new item:

``Sec. 139G. Nursing education loan repayments.''.
                    (D) Effective date.--The amendments made by this 
                paragraph shall apply to payments made after the date 
                of the enactment of this Act, in taxable years ending 
                after such date.
    (d) Public Health Workforce Loan Repayment Program.--Section 776(g) 
of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 295f-1(g)) is amended to 
read as follows:
    ``(g) Appropriations.--To carry out this section, there are 
authorized to be appropriated, and are appropriated, out of any monies 
in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, $195,000,000 for fiscal 
year 2018 and $100,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 
2022.''.

SEC. 6. INCREASE OF CERTAIN EDUCATION DEBT REPAYMENTS BY DEPARTMENT OF 
              VETERANS AFFAIRS.

    (a) Education Debt Reduction Program.--Section 7683(d)(1) of title 
38, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by striking ``$120,000'' and inserting ``$250,000''; 
        and
            (2) by striking ``$24,000'' and inserting ``$50,000''.
    (b) Exclusion From Gross Income.--
            (1) In general.--Section 117 of the Internal Revenue Code 
        of 1986, as amended by the preceding provisions of this Act, is 
        amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(g) VA Education Debt Reduction Program.--Gross income shall not 
include any loan repayments under subchapter VII of chapter 76 of title 
38, United States Code.''.
            (2) Effective date.--The amendment made by paragraph (1) 
        shall apply to payments made after the date of the enactment of 
        this Act, in taxable years ending after such date.

SEC. 7. EXEMPTION OF HEALTH PROFESSIONAL SHORTAGE AREAS FROM MEDICARE 
              GRADUATE MEDICAL EDUCATION CAPS.

    (a) Direct Graduate Medical Education.--Section 1886(h)(4)(F) of 
the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395ww(h)(4)(F)) is amended--
            (1) in clause (i), by inserting ``clause (iii) and'' after 
        ``subject to''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new clause:
                            ``(iii) Increase allowed for health 
                        professional shortage areas.--For cost 
                        reporting periods beginning on or after January 
                        1, 2018, clause (i) shall not apply in the case 
                        of a hospital or nonprovider setting located in 
                        a health professional shortage area (as defined 
                        in section 332 of the Public Health Service 
                        Act).''.
    (b) Indirect Medical Education.--Section 1886(d)(5)(B) of the 
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395ww(d)(5)(B)) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating the second clause (x), as added by 
        section 5505(b) of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care 
        Act (Public Law 111-148), as clause (xi) and moving such clause 
        4 ems to the left, and realigning the left margins of 
        subclauses (II) and (III) of such clause and items (aa), (bb), 
        (cc), and (dd) of subclause (II) of such clause appropriately; 
        and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new clause:
                            ``(xii) For discharges occurring on or 
                        after January 1, 2018, in determining the 
                        hospital's number of full-time equivalent 
                        residents for purposes of this subparagraph, 
                        clause (iii) of subsection (h)(4)(F) shall 
                        apply to clause (v) in the same manner and for 
                        the same period as such clause (iii) applies to 
                        clause (i) of such subsection.''.
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