Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act

Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act

Long title	An act entitled The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, an Act to reauthorize and reform the national service laws.
Enacted by	the 111th United States Congress
Effective	April 21, 2009
Codification
Acts amended	National and Community Service Act of 1990, Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973, Inspector General Act of 1978
Titles amended	5, 42
Legislative history
Introduced in the House of Representatives as H.R. 1388 by Carolyn McCarthy (D–NY) on March 9, 2009 Committee consideration by Education and Labor Passed the House on March 18, 2009 (321–105) Passed the Senate on March 26, 2009 (79–19) with amendment House agreed to Senate amendment on March 31, 2009 (279–149) Signed into law by President Barack Obama on April 21, 2009

The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act or Serve America Act (H.R. 1388, Public Law 111-13) was introduced in the United States House of Representatives on March 9, 2009, by Representative Carolyn McCarthy of New York. Originally titled the Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education Act (GIVE Act), the bill reauthorizes and expands the AmeriCorps program that was first established in 1993. It passed in the House of Representatives on March 18, 2009. The U.S. Senate debated and approved an amended version of the bill on March 26, 2009, renaming it the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, after Senator Ted Kennedy. The House of Representatives voted on the bill a second time, approving the amended version on March 31, 2009. It was signed by President Barack Obama on April 21, 2009.

Included in this bill are some major provisions related to improving volunteerism. First, five new service corps are created which address the needs of low income communities. These include a Clean Energy Corps to encourage energy efficiency and conservation; an Education Corps to help increase student engagement, achievement and graduation; a Healthy Futures Corps to improve health care access; a Veterans Service Corps to enhance services for veterans; and an Opportunity Corps.

The bill expanded the number of volunteers nationwide from 75,000 to 250,000. Under the Serve America Act, AmeriCorps's list of programs was expanded. The list now includes giving access to technology, disaster services, mentoring, giving services to disadvantaged youth, higher education service-learning, re-engaging court-involved youth and adults, providing financial literacy education, building affordable housing, providing access to health care and other State and Federal programs, establishing e-Corps, giving job-training and helping with job placement, helping to reduce crime, creating a musician and artist corps program, and providing foster care and mentoring. Much of the Serve America Act discusses funding and how grants can be provided to non-profit organizations through AmeriCorps.

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