21st Century American Service Act

21st Century American Service Act

This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from gross income any AmeriCorps educational awards provided under the National and Community Service Act of 1990.

The bill establishes within the Corporation for National and Community Service the 21st Century National Service Program Implementing Taskforce, which shall develop a 21st Century National Service Program to notify 18-year olds of opportunities to serve in a voluntary national service program.

The Taskforce shall develop a 10-year strategic implementation plan for the 21st Century National Service Program and publish it on the Corporation website.

The Corporation shall establish, with a certain number of participating states, a national service college compact pilot program under which eligible individuals may use an educational award to attend a public institution of higher education for a two- or four-year program of instruction, or a career or technical education program, at no additional charge.

An eligible individual shall be one who completes successfully or agrees to complete:

• two required terms of full-time national service in an approved national service position for purposes of eligibility for two educational awards; and
• at least one calendar year of employment with a federal, state, or local government entity or a nonprofit organization.

The Corporation and a state participating in the national service compact shall jointly select the individual eligible to receive an educational award for attending a public institution of higher education in the state.