Learn and Serve America Reinvestment Act
Learn and Serve America Reinvestment Act would (1) provide a direct annual appropriation for the Learn and Serve America program within the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), starting with fiscal year 2026, and (2) broaden who can participate in the program. The funding plan allocates a total of $40 million per year (from non-appropriated Treasury funds) with a specified 20% of that for Part I and 80% for Part II of Learn and Serve America’s subtitle B activities, plus funding to hire at least 10 additional CNCS staff to support planning, design, and technology enhancements. The bill also expands eligibility to include local educational agencies (LEAs) and consortia of LEAs, and creates new governance rules allowing designated statewide entities and competitive grants to SEAs, territories, and Indian tribes. It also aligns terminology from “allotments” to “awards” and makes clarifying amendments to implement these changes. In short, the bill locks in dedicated funding for Learn and Serve America, expands who can receive and administer the funds (beyond traditional recipients to LEAs and consortia), and adds competitive grant pathways and reporting requirements aimed at strengthening service-learning and school/community partnerships.
Key Points
- 1Direct appropriation for Learn and Serve America: Beginning in FY2026 and annually thereafter, CNCS would receive $40,000,000 (from Treasury not otherwise appropriated) with a 20%/80% split between Part I and Part II of subtitle B, plus funds to hire at least 10 new full-time CNCS staff to support program design and technology improvements.
- 2Expanded eligibility: The bill adds local educational agencies (LEAs) and consortia of two or more LEAs within a state as eligible recipients for Learn and Serve America, aligning eligibility with definitions used in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
- 3Special rule for statewide administration: States may designate a statewide entity (meeting criteria such as experience in service-learning and being a community-based or non-profit organization, or the State Commission on National and Community Service) to receive an allotment/grant and carry out the program’s functions, expanding potential administrative partners beyond traditional state education agencies.
- 4Shift to awards and new grant structure: The bill revises program language from “allotments” to “awards” and adds new rules for fiscal year 2026 and beyond, including a requirement to award competitive grants to SEAs, territories, and Indian tribes, with a portion reserved for payments to the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
- 5Oversight and transparency: An annual congressional report would be required to show the percentage of funds awarded to each type of grantee and how those funds were used, enhancing accountability.
- 6Conforming and clerical amendments: Terminology and table of contents related to Section 112A and related provisions would be updated to reflect the shift from allotments to awards.