A SMART Act

Bill Number

S. 4232

Origin Chamber

Senate

Congress

119th Congress, Session 2

Policy Area

Labor and Employment

Status

Introduced

Latest Action

2026-03-26: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Last Updated

2026-04-13T17:56:54Z

AI-Generated Summary

S. 4232: AmeriCorps Service Modernization and Accountability Reform for Trust Act (A SMART Act)

Purpose

This bill reauthorizes and modernizes U.S. national service programs under the National and Community Service Act of 1990 and the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973, including AmeriCorps. It aims to increase program flexibility, improve accountability, enhance participant benefits, and streamline operations to boost participation and effectiveness in community service.

Key Provisions

Title I: Program Modernization

• Subtitle A: Program Flexibilities
• Expands short-term service options (e.g., "Season of Service" reduced to 8 weeks; allows shorter full-time hours with prorated benefits).
• Extends National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) terms up to 180 days for certain programs; raises NCCC age limit from 24 to 26.
• Mandates accurate timekeeping and recordkeeping for service hours, living allowances, and benefits to prevent misuse.
• Creates an "Unobligated and Expiring Amounts Fund" for reusing unspent funds (after Inspector General certification) and allows expenditure of National Service Trust investment income without new appropriations.
• Increases Volunteer Generation Fund matching requirement to 75%; gives State Commissions flexibility for seniors programs and disaster response (up to 25% of funds).
• Subtitle B: Organizational Modernization
• Requires Board of Directors to include a financial expert; standardizes 5-year terms.
• Mandates a public online database of service sites (updated annually).
• Requires public disclosure of evaluation criteria in funding notices.

Title II: Member Experience

• Improves educational awards: Eases transfers (uniform rules for all programs), verifies eligibility/documentation, shortens use period to 5 years, allows use for career pathway programs (e.g., workforce training aligned with job skills).
• Increases maximum full-time service terms to 4 (with waiver option), earning up to 4 awards.
• Adds stipend option (cash payment equivalent to Domestic Volunteer Service Act stipends) in lieu of educational awards for full- or partial-term completers.
• Grants non-competitive eligibility for federal competitive-service jobs (up to 1-3 years post-service, depending on circumstances like military or education).

Title III: Miscellaneous

• Makes clerical updates to tables of contents.
• Authorizes appropriations "as necessary" for fiscal years 2027-2031.
• Effective 1 year after enactment; applies to new participants and grants.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Service Terms: Lowers minimum hours for full-time status; expands short-term and extension options; raises term/award limit from 2 to 4.
• Financial Management: Introduces reinvestment fund and unrestricted use of Trust investment income; strict timekeeping rules with 5-year record retention.
• Benefits: Adds stipend alternative; aligns with volunteer programs; enables awards for non-college workforce training.
• Governance: Mandates financial expertise on Board; public transparency for sites and evaluations.
• Hiring: New direct path to federal jobs for service completers (previously limited).
• Reauthorizes funding through 2031 (previously expired).

Potential Impacts

• Government Agencies: Corporation for National and Community Service gains spending flexibility and tech modernization funds, but faces stricter audits/timekeeping. Federal agencies get easier access to qualified hires.
• Citizens: More accessible service (shorter terms, older participants, stipends); better post-service rewards (cash, training, jobs). Could increase volunteer numbers and community projects (e.g., disaster response).
• International Relations: None directly addressed.

Main Stakeholders Affected

• Participants/Volunteers: AmeriCorps, NCCC, and volunteer program members (expanded options, benefits).
• Corporation for National and Community Service: Oversees implementation, Board changes, funds.
• State Commissions and Grantees: More flexibility but added reporting.
• Service Organizations/Sites: Must report locations; public database increases visibility.
• Federal Agencies: Benefit from hiring pipeline.
• Educational Institutions/Loan Holders: Handle award verification with recordkeeping.
• Taxpayers: Potential cost savings via fund reuse; expanded service output.

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications

• Legal: Strengthens accountability (e.g., IG certification for funds, verification processes) to reduce fraud; no new liabilities but enforces existing grant rules.
• Constitutional: Routine administrative updates; no First Amendment, due process, or federalism issues (state flexibility preserved).
• Political: Bipartisan sponsors (Cassidy, Tuberville); promotes national service expansion amid workforce/education debates; effective date delays allow preparation.

This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.

Sponsor

Sen. Cassidy, Bill [R-LA]

Cosponsors (1)

Sen. Tuberville, Tommy [R-AL]

Recent Actions

• 2026-03-26: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
• 2026-03-26: Introduced in Senate

Bill Versions

• AmeriCorps Service Modernization and Accountability Reform for Trust Act — issued 2026-03-26 — PDF (40 pages)