To build on America’s spirit of service to nurture, promote, and expand a culture of service to secure the Nation’s future, address critical needs of the Nation, and strengthen the civic fabric of American society.
Sponsors
Jimmy Panetta
D-CA | Primary Sponsor
Legislative Progress
IntroducedMr. Panetta (for himself and Mr. Bacon) introduced the following …
Summary
What This Bill Does
This bill establishes a comprehensive national framework to promote and expand opportunities for military, national, and public service across America. It aims to cultivate a "culture of service" by investing in civic education for K-12 students, creating a White House coordinating council for service policy, streamlining federal hiring pathways for service participants, and modernizing the Selective Service System.
Who Benefits and How
Students and young people benefit from expanded civic education programs and service-learning opportunities in K-12 schools, funded by at least $450 million annually in new grants. National service program participants (including AmeriCorps, Peace Corps, and VISTA volunteers) gain enhanced pathways to federal employment through new hiring preferences and streamlined processes. Veterans and military members receive strengthened hiring preferences and pension credits for their service. Federal agencies benefit from improved access to qualified workers through new scholarship, internship, and fellowship programs targeting critical skill areas like cybersecurity. Educational institutions can apply for grants to establish "public service academies" and civic education programs.
Who Bears the Burden and How
Federal agencies must implement new hiring systems, reporting requirements, and coordination mechanisms across multiple departments. The Office of Personnel Management takes on significant new responsibilities for establishing scholarship programs, fellowship frameworks, and hiring pathways. The Selective Service System is required to modernize its operations, register women (in addition to men), and conduct mobilization exercises to test readiness. Taxpayers fund substantial new appropriations, including at least $450 million annually for education programs alone, plus additional costs for federal hiring programs and Selective Service modernization.
Key Provisions
- Civic Education Grants: Authorizes $400 million annually for K-12 civic education grants and $50 million for service-learning teacher training
- White House Council on Service: Creates a new presidential council to coordinate policy across military, national, and public service programs
- Federal Hiring Pathways: Establishes new scholarship-for-service programs, paid internships, and fellowships with direct conversion to federal employment
- National Service Enhancements: Expands AmeriCorps and creates new "Cyber Service" programs for cybersecurity training
- Selective Service Modernization: Requires registration of all Americans (not just men), updates mobilization procedures, and mandates regular readiness exercises
Evidence Chain:
This summary is derived from the structured analysis below. See "Detailed Analysis" for per-title beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
Primary Purpose
Expands and strengthens military, national, and public service opportunities for all Americans by creating new fellowship programs, reforming federal hiring, modernizing the Selective Service System, and establishing coordinating bodies to promote a culture of service.
Policy Domains
Legislative Strategy
"Create a comprehensive framework for expanding all forms of service (military, national, and public) through new programs, financial incentives, hiring reforms, and coordinating bodies to promote a culture of service among Americans."
Likely Beneficiaries
- Young Americans (ages 18-25) seeking national service opportunities
- Students in K-12 receiving civic education and service-learning
- Nonprofit organizations serving as service sponsor organizations
- Federal agencies seeking hiring flexibility and talent acquisition tools
- Federal employees receiving modernized benefits packages
- Student loan borrowers in public service (enhanced PSLF programs)
- AmeriCorps and Peace Corps participants (increased awards and positions)
- Teachers receiving civic education training and resources
- Veterans Health Administration employees (simplified personnel system)
- Schools in low-income communities (50% funding reservation)
Likely Burden Bearers
- Federal taxpayers (significant new appropriations for service programs)
- Selective Service System (modernization and exercise requirements)
- Office of Personnel Management (new demonstration projects and hiring reforms)
- Federal agencies (new reporting requirements on blended workforce)
- State Commissions (registration and oversight of service sponsor organizations)
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "the_director"
- → Director of Institute of Museum and Library Services
- "the_librarian"
- → Librarian of Congress
- "the_secretary"
- → Secretary of Education
- "the_director"
- → Director of the Council on Military, National, and Public Service (Assistant to the President)
- "the_corporation"
- → Corporation for National and Community Service (AmeriCorps)
- "chief_executive_officer"
- → Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation
- "the_director"
- → Director of the Office of Personnel Management
- "the_secretary"
- → Varies by section (Education, Defense, VA, etc.)
- "the_director"
- → Director of the Selective Service System
- "the_president"
- → President of the United States
- "the_secretary"
- → Secretary of Defense
Note: 'The Secretary' refers to Secretary of Education in Title I but varies in Title III (Education, Defense, VA depending on section).
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
An educational program that provides participants with knowledge of law, government, and the rights and responsibilities of citizens and skills that enable participants to participate responsibly in democracy.
An eligible fellowship applicant who is awarded a national service fellowship and is designated a fellow.
An educational program applying service-learning methods to provide students with practical and experiential opportunities to apply their civic knowledge and skills.
Civilian employment in the Federal Government or a State, Tribal, or local government.
Active service or active status in one of the uniformed services as defined in title 10, United States Code.
Participation, other than military service or public service, in a program designed to enhance the common good and meet the needs of communities, the States, or the United States, funded by nonprofits, higher education, or government.
An appointment in the competitive service for a period of more than 1 year and not more than 5 years.
As defined in section 101(13) of the National and Community Service Act of 1990.
An appointment in the competitive service for a period of not more than 1 year.
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology