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Serve America Act Goes Back to House of Representatives for Final Vote

News update from Amy Potthast who also blogs at The New Service.


Late Thursday in the United States Senate, the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act passed, 79-19. The legislation expands domestic and international service opportunities for all Americans. This afternoon, the House of Representatives will consider the version amended and passed by the Senate.
If the House passes the bill, the legislation will be sent to President Obama to be signed into law, as early as tonight.

An enormous coalition of 131 nonprofit organizations—including Idealist—pulled together to back the legislation in the name of Service Nation under the leadership of Alan Khazei, head of Be The Change, Inc. The coalition worked tirelessly to educate their constituents about the legislation, and with lawmakers to help shape updates and innovations in policy.

Some of the greatest changes that will result from the legislation include service opportunities for people of all ages, support for social innovation, an educational award that is tied to the maximum amount of the Pell Grant, strengthening the ability of U.S. citizens to serve abroad for shorter-term assignments (fewer than two years), and expansion of national service participation to include 250,000 corps members serving on specific challenges facing local communities. National service will remain completely optional – rumors that it will become mandatory are false.

To read more about national service programs, career and grad school advice for corps members, new policy implications for program staff, and service corps news, check out The New Service blog and podcast from Idealist.