Events in Review

ASC 25th Anniversary Celebration

We culminated a year of celebrations in honor of our 25th anniversary last month at a special reception in Washington, DC. In addition to networking and entertainment, we also presented five commissions with awards recognizing their innovative work. We had a blast and loved seeing so many friends of national service in one place! You can view photos from the event on Flickr.

Public Policy Updates

FY24 Appropriations

Both the House and Senate took preliminary action in July related to FY24 appropriations for the AmeriCorps agency. The House Labor-HHS appropriations subcommittee proposal would cut the AmeriCorps agency budget to $660.94 million. This is 50% below the current level and represents the lowest level of funding for the agency since FY1997 — 26 years ago. Among its many proposed cuts, the House subcommittee proposal zeroes out funding for Commission Support Grants as well as funding to support the Volunteer Generation Fund.

In contrast, the Senate appropriations committee proposed essentially flat funding for the agency with a $50 million cut to the agency’s budget in comparison to current FY23 levels. In November, Congress passed a “laddered” continuing resolution (CR) that extends federal government funding into the new calendar year (specifically, February 2 for the AmeriCorps agency).

Based on the proposed Senate mark, the AmeriCorps agency anticipates a reduction in the number of AmeriCorps member positions awarded for FY24 from 66,900 in FY23 to 44,800 positions in FY24. The reduction in the number of positions will be due to $70 million of American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds that were rescinded at the agency level that were to be used for FY24 as well as the increase of the living allowance from the FY23 equivalent of $10.35 per hour to $11 per hour in the FY24 NOFO. 

Appropriations activity will likely pick up again after the holiday season. If you are interested in supporting efforts to educate members of Congress regarding the impacts of the current proposals, please join our States for Service coalition.

Education Award Tax Relief

Earlier this month, U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.) alongside U.S. Representatives John Larson (D-Conn.) and Don Bacon (R-Neb.) reintroduced the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award Tax Relief Act. This legislation would provide federal tax relief for AmeriCorps members who earn Segal Education Awards through their service to help pay for higher education costs. The press release announcing the legislation includes additional details. Currently, five states — Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oregon, and Wisconsin — exempt the Segal Education Award from state income tax.

American Climate Corps

Yesterday, the White House announced several updates about the American Climate Corps, including virtual listening sessions and a partnership between seven federal agencies to advance the initiative. The Biden-Harris Administration aims to have the inaugural class of American Climate Corps members begin serving in Summer 2024. ASC and States for Service applaud these next steps and strongly encourage the White House to collaborate with commissions as they build out program and project standards for the new national climate corps.

In This Issue

• Events in Review
• S4S Public Policy Updates
• Upcoming Events
• Announcements & Reminders
• Commissioner Highlights

Upcoming Events

Leadership Convening

We'll be hosting our annual Leadership Convening in Washington, DC from February 26-29, 2024. Registration is now open, and details have been emailed to executive directors.

National Service Training

We'll be hosting 2024 National Service Training in-person in Minneapolis from April 24-26 and virtually from May 14-16. We'll open registration, announce our keynote speakers, and share sponsorship opportunities in early January.

Announcements & Reminders

Website Refresh Coming Soon!

We have been working behind the scenes for several months to give our website an updated look and feel. We are excited to launch our website refresh in early January!

ASC Closed for Winter Break

ASC offices will be closed from December 23 through January 1. We look forward to reconnecting with you on January 2. Happy New Year!

Commissioner Highlights

Julie Strandlie, VA

Julie Strandlie has been serving as a commissioner with Serve Virginia for eight years. Read why Julie serves.

Corina Sadler, TX

Corina Sadler has been serving as a commissioner with OneStar for two years. Read why Corina serves.