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ASC Statement on the Passage of FY22 Appropriations

Washington, DC (March 11, 2022) — Following House passage late Wednesday, the Senate passed HR 2471, the FY22 Consolidated Appropriations Act, and sent it to the President for his signature on Thursday night (March 10). America’s Service Commissions is pleased that HR 2471 provides full year funding for the federal government and includes a $30 million funding increase for the AmeriCorps agency (also known as the Corporation for National and Community Service) over FY21. This is the first full appropriations bill passed in coordination with the Biden Administration.

The bill includes funding increases for all agency accounts, including AmeriCorps State and National — $466.7 million ($11.65 million increase over FY21), Volunteer Generation Fund — $6.56 million ($160 thousand increase over FY21), and State Commission Support Grants — $19.1 million ($556 thousand increase over FY21). In addition, the bill requires a report from the AmeriCorps agency on restarting service learning and that the AmeriCorps agency work with other national and military service partners to develop a public awareness campaign promoting national service opportunities. The bill also carries forward the 1,200-hour AmeriCorps member slot.

“America’s Service Commissions (ASC) is pleased to see full-year appropriations pass Congress with increased bipartisan investments across the board for national and community service,” said Kaira Esgate, ASC CEO. “We thank President Biden for supporting increased resources for national service in his first budget request and thank the bipartisan National Service Caucus co-chairs Sens. Coons and Cassidy and Reps. Price and Matsui for their efforts in supporting these increases.

Combined with the American Rescue Plan Act, this funding will help commissions support additional investments in our communities and continue to make progress on improved member benefits so more individuals can have the opportunity to serve our country, while also supporting ongoing administrative improvements at the AmeriCorps agency. We look forward to working with Congress to next move forward a budget reconciliation package that includes critical investments in our thousands of members and local organizations across the country working to address our most pressing community needs.”

 


About America’s Service Commissions (ASC)

America’s Service Commissions is a nonprofit, nonpartisan association representing and promoting the 52 state service commissions across the United States and territories with the mission to lead and elevate the state service network. State service commissions are governor-appointed public agencies or nonprofit organizations made up of more than 1,000 commissioners, private citizens leading the nation’s service movement and administering more than 75 percent of the federal AmeriCorps funds to address pressing community needs.