Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “A Chance To Serve Act”.
A Chance To Serve Act
A BILL
To expand the financial, healthcare, and educational benefits received by Peace Corps and AmeriCorps volunteers, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Expanded benefits for current and former Peace Corps volunteers
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.
Extended healthcare—
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:
“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.”
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
in the second sentence, by inserting “(other than health care provided in accordance with such section 1789A)” after “such health care”.
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:
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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”.
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
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:
“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)).”
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:
Effective date— The amendments made by this section shall apply to taxable years ending after the date of the enactment of this Act.