Title: The National Service GI Bill Act
Policy area: Education

Summary:
The National Service GI Bill Act
This bill requires in-state tuition for certain volunteers, revises the requirements to receive certain national service grants, and revises AmeriCorps educational awards. It also requires certain grant programs to educate students about the U.S. Constitution.
Specifically, states must charge in-state tuition rates for institutions of higher education to volunteers who have served in a national service position (i.e., AmeriCorps) for one year, as well as for their spouses and children.
Additionally, states and subdivisions must submit a plan to the Corporation for National and Community Service to receive certain grants. Such a plan must (1) ensure that students are notified of and encouraged to commit to a term of service in the military, a national service program, or a public service job; (2) ensure that students are provided information about these options; and (3) include assurances that it will request each high school student to indicate a preference for a program and to register their intent to serve in the program.
It revises AmeriCorps educational awards by (1) increasing the amount of such awards, and (2) modifying the requirements for calculating taxable income to exclude from gross income such awards. Further, AmeriCorps volunteers are eligible for appointment in the competitive service. (Currently, Peace Corps volunteers are eligible for such an appointment.)
Finally, national activities supported by American History and Civics Education grants must include programs that educate students about the history and principles of the U.S. Constitution, including the Bill of Rights.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5829 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5829

To require in-State tuition for certain Americorps volunteers, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 10, 2020

   Mr. Waltz (for himself, Ms. Houlahan, Mr. Panetta, and Mr. Bacon) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
   Education and Labor, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and 
 Means, 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 require in-State tuition for certain 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 ``The National Service GI Bill Act''.

SEC. 2. IN-STATE TUITION FOR CERTAIN AMERICORPS VOLUNTEERS.

    Part C of title I of the Higher Education Act of 1965 is amended by 
adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 138. IN-STATE TUITION FOR AMERICORPS VOLUNTEERS.

    ``(a) Requirement.--For a period of 7 years beginning on the date 
of enactment of the National Service GI Bill Act, in the case of an 
individual who has served in an approved national service position (as 
defined in section 101 of the National and Community Service Act of 
1990 (42 U.S.C. 12511)) for not less than 1,700 hours during a period 
of not more than 1 year, who meets the requirements of subsection (b), 
and whose domicile is in a State that receives assistance under this 
Act, such State shall not charge such individual (or the spouse or 
dependent child of such member) tuition for attendance at a public 
institution of higher education in the State at a rate that is greater 
than the rate charged for residents of the State.
    ``(b) State Law and Regulations.--Notwithstanding State laws with 
respect to residency, to benefit from the provisions of this section, 
an individual shall meet the enrollment and financial-aid requirements 
under applicable State law and regulations.
    ``(c) Effective Date.--This section shall take effect at each 
public institution of higher education in a State that receives 
assistance under this Act for the first period of enrollment at such 
institution that begins on or after July 1, 2021.''.

SEC. 3. AMENDMENTS TO THE NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE ACT OF 1990.

    (a) Additional Requirements for States and Subdivisions of 
States.--Section 121(a) of the National and Community Service Act of 
1990 (42 U.S.C. 12571(a)) is amended by adding at the end the 
following:
            ``(6) Additional requirements for states and subdivisions 
        of states.--A State or subdivision of a State desiring to 
        receive assistance under this subsection shall submit a plan to 
        the Corporation--
                    ``(A) to ensure that beginning not later than 
                middle school, students in such State or subdivision--
                            ``(i) are notified of and encouraged to 
                        commit to a term of service in the military, a 
                        national service program, or a public service 
                        job as an employee of a local, State, or 
                        Federal Government, or faith-based alternative 
                        program; and
                            ``(ii) provided information relating to the 
                        various terms and benefits of such options; and
                    ``(B) that includes assurances that in high school, 
                each student would be requested to--
                            ``(i) indicate the preference of the 
                        student for military, a national service 
                        program, or public service, or a faith-based 
                        alternative program; and
                            ``(ii) register the intent of the student 
                        to serve in such a program upon graduation from 
                        high school, or defer until completion of a 
                        program of study at an institution of higher 
                        education.''.
    (b) Educational Award Amount for Full-Time National Service.--
Section 147(a) of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 
U.S.C. 12603) is amended by inserting ``2 times the amount of the 
national average of the annual tuition and fees (as described in 
section 472(1) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1087ll(1))) at 2-year institutions of higher education, except that 
such value shall be not less than'' after ``value equal to''.
    (c) Noncompetitive Hiring Authority.--Part III of subtitle C of 
title I of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 is amended by 
adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 142. NONCOMPETITIVE HIRING AUTHORITY.

    ``Upon completion of a term of service in a national service 
position, an individual shall be eligible for appointment in the 
competitive service in the same manner as a Peace Corps volunteer as 
prescribed in Executive Order 11103 (22 U.S.C. 2504 note, relating to 
Providing for the Appointment of Former Peace Corps Volunteers to the 
Civilian Career Services).''.

SEC. 4. EXCLUSION FROM GROSS INCOME OF AMERICORPS EDUCATIONAL AWARDS.

    (a) In General.--Paragraph (2) of section 117(c) of the Internal 
Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by striking ``or'' at the end of 
subparagraph (B), by striking the period at the end of subparagraph (C) 
and inserting ``, or'', and by adding at the end the following new 
subparagraph:
                    ``(D) a national service educational award under 
                subtitle D of title I of the National and Community 
                Service Act of 1990.''.
    (b) Exclusion of Discharge of Student Loan Debt.--Subsection (f) of 
section 108 of such Code is amended by adding at the end the following 
new paragraph:
            ``(6) Payments under national service educational award 
        programs.--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.).''.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply to taxable years ending after the date of the enactment of this 
Act.

SEC. 5. NATIONAL ACTIVITIES.

    Section 2233(b) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 6663(b)) is amended by striking paragraphs (1) and (2) 
and inserting the following:
            ``(1) shall--
                    ``(A) show potential to improve the quality of 
                student achievement in, and teaching of, American 
                history, civics and government, or geography, in 
                elementary schools and secondary schools;
                    ``(B) demonstrate innovation, scalability, 
                accountability, and a focus on underserved populations; 
                and
                    ``(C) include programs that educate students about 
                the history and principles of the Constitution of the 
                United States, including the Bill of Rights; and
            ``(2) may include hands-on civic engagement activities for 
        teachers and students.''.
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