[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 434 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 434

 Recognizing the contributions of AmeriCorps members and alumni to the 
               lives of the people of the United States.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 14, 2018

  Mr. Coons (for himself, Mr. Cochran, Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. Wicker, Ms. 
Duckworth, Mr. Cassidy, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Blunt, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. 
 Boozman, Mr. Carper, Mr. McCain, Mr. Reed, Mr. Hatch, Ms. Warren, Ms. 
 Collins, Mr. Brown, Mr. Bennet, Mr. Manchin, Mr. Cardin, Ms. Hassan, 
   Mr. Donnelly, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Markey, Mr. Tester, Ms. Smith, Ms. 
Baldwin, Mr. Heinrich, Mr. Booker, Ms. Hirono, Mrs. Murray, Ms. Harris, 
and Mr. King) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
        the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Recognizing the contributions of AmeriCorps members and alumni to the 
               lives of the people of the United States.

Whereas, since its inception in 1994, the AmeriCorps national service program 
        has proven to be a highly effective way to engage the people of the 
        United States in meeting a wide range of local and national needs and 
        promote the ethics of service and volunteerism;
Whereas, since 1994, more than 1,000,000 individuals have taken the AmeriCorps 
        pledge to ``get things done for America'' by becoming AmeriCorps 
        members;
Whereas, each year, AmeriCorps, in coordination with State service commissions, 
        provides opportunities for approximately 75,000 individuals across the 
        United States to give back in an intensive way to communities, States, 
        Tribal nations, and the United States;
Whereas AmeriCorps members have served more than 1,480,000,000 hours nationwide, 
        helping--

    (1) to improve the lives of the most vulnerable people of the United 
States;

    (2) to protect the environment;

    (3) to contribute to public safety;

    (4) to respond to disasters;

    (5) to strengthen the educational system of the United States; and

    (6) to expand economic opportunity;

Whereas, since 1994, more than $9,200,000,000 in AmeriCorps funds have been 
        invested in nonprofit, community, educational, and faith-based groups, 
        and those funds leverage hundreds of millions of dollars in outside 
        funding and in-kind donations each year;
Whereas AmeriCorps members recruit and supervise millions of community 
        volunteers, demonstrating the value of AmeriCorps as a powerful force 
        for encouraging people to become involved in volunteering and community 
        service;
Whereas AmeriCorps members serve at more than 20,000 locations across the United 
        States, including at nonprofit organizations, schools, and faith-based 
        and community organizations;
Whereas AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps campuses in the States of 
        Mississippi, Maryland, Iowa, California, and Colorado strengthen 
        communities and develop future leaders through team-based service;
Whereas AmeriCorps members nationwide, in return for the service of those 
        members, have earned more than $3,500,000,000 to use to further their 
        own educational advancement at colleges and universities across the 
        United States;
Whereas AmeriCorps members, after their terms of service with AmeriCorps end, 
        have been more likely to remain engaged in their communities as 
        volunteers, teachers, and nonprofit professionals than the average 
        individual;
Whereas AmeriCorps is a proven pathway to employment, providing members with 
        valuable career skills, experience, and contacts to prepare them for the 
        21st century workforce and to help close the skills gap in the United 
        States;
Whereas, in 2009, Congress passed the bipartisan Serve America Act (Public Law 
        111-13; 123 Stat. 1460), which authorized the expansion of national 
        service, expanded opportunities to serve, increased efficiency and 
        accountability, and strengthened the capacity of organizations and 
        communities to solve problems;
Whereas national service programs have engaged millions of people in the United 
        States in results-driven service in the most vulnerable communities of 
        the United States, providing hope and help to individuals with economic 
        and social needs;
Whereas national service and volunteerism demonstrate the best of the spirit of 
        the United States, with people turning toward problems and working 
        together to find community solutions; and
Whereas AmeriCorps Week, observed in 2018 from March 11 through March 17, is an 
        appropriate time for the people of the United States to salute current 
        and former AmeriCorps members for their positive impact on the lives of 
        people in the United States, to thank the community partners of 
        AmeriCorps for making the program possible, and to encourage more people 
        in the United States to become involved in service and volunteering: 
        Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) encourages the people of the United States to join in a 
        national effort--
                    (A) to salute AmeriCorps members and alumni; and
                    (B) to raise awareness about the importance of 
                national and community service;
            (2) acknowledges the significant accomplishments of the 
        members, alumni, and community partners of AmeriCorps;
            (3) recognizes the important contributions made by 
        AmeriCorps members and alumni to the lives of the people of the 
        United States; and
            (4) encourages individuals of all ages to consider 
        opportunities to serve in AmeriCorps.
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