[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 5031 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 5031

   To amend the National and Community Service Act of 1990 to expand 
participation by underrepresented populations in service programs, and 
                          for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 16, 2026

 Mr. Kelly (for himself and Mr. Curtis) introduced the following bill; 
     which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, 
                     Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To amend the National and Community Service Act of 1990 to expand 
participation by underrepresented populations in service programs, and 
                          for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Building Community in America Act''.

SEC. 2. EXPANSIONS OF PARTICIPATION IN SERVICE PROGRAMS.

    (a) Purpose.--Section 2(b) of the National and Community Service 
Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12501(b)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (18), by striking ``; and'' and inserting 
        a semicolon;
            (2) in paragraph (19), by striking the period at the end 
        and inserting ``; and''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(20) expand participation in national and community 
        service among populations underrepresented in service programs, 
        including young adults underrepresented in mentoring, coaching, 
        youth development, and other community-building activities.''.
    (b) Priority.--
            (1) National and community service act of 1990.--The 
        National and Community Service Act of 1990 is amended--
                    (A) in section 122(f) (42 U.S.C. 12572(f)), by 
                adding at the end the following:
            ``(5) Required priority.--The national service priorities 
        under paragraph (1) shall include a priority for programs that 
        prioritize the recruitment and training of underrepresented 
        participants, including men, for activities including--
                    ``(A) youth coaching or mentoring activities;
                    ``(B) school attendance or after-school support 
                activities;
                    ``(C) activities in a national service position as 
                part of a conservation corps;
                    ``(D) disaster response activities;
                    ``(E) public safety, violence interruption, or 
                reentry support activities; or
                    ``(F) skilled-trades, apprenticeships, or 
                workforce-linked services.''; and
                    (B) in section 157 (42 U.S.C. 12617), by adding at 
                the end the following:
    ``(d) Priority.--In developing project proposals under subsection 
(b)(1) and selecting projects to be performed under subsection (c)(1), 
there shall be a priority for projects that prioritize the recruitment 
and training of underrepresented participants, including men, for any 
of the activities described in section 122(f)(5).''.
            (2) Domestic volunteer service act of 1973.--Section 103 of 
        the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 (42 U.S.C. 4953) is 
        amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(j) In the assignment of volunteers under this section, the 
Director shall give priority to projects or programs that prioritize 
the recruitment and training of underrepresented participants, 
including men, for any of the activities described in section 122(f)(5) 
of the National and Community Service Act of 1990.''.
                                 <all>