S. 2782: Service Starts At Home Act

The Service Starts At Home Act is designed to promote student engagement in local government and community service through a series of grant and scholarship programs. Here’s a breakdown of what the bill proposes:

Grants for Local Government Internships

- The bill establishes a program that the Secretary of Education will implement within one year of its enactment.- It will provide competitive grants to eligible entities, such as local governments or schools, to support paid internships.- The internships will be available for secondary school students and qualified undergraduate students at local institutions.- Eligible entities that receive these grants must identify suitable internship opportunities, select students for these roles, determine pay rates, and cover related costs.- The program also requires the entities to ensure that the internships provide educational value and to accommodate students who may face challenges, such as childcare or transportation issues.- For financial support, the bill authorizes $50 million annually from fiscal years 2026 to 2030.

Scholarships for Volunteer Service

- The legislation introduces a scholarship program to encourage volunteer service work among students.- The Secretary will allocate funds to states for this purpose, with allocations based on the number of students enrolled in public schools in each state.- States must submit applications to receive these funds.- The scholarships are awarded on a competitive basis to students who demonstrate a commitment to volunteer work.- Eligibility for scholarships requires students to have completed at least 100 hours of volunteer service in the previous year. It establishes separate criteria for first-time applicants and renewal applicants (students continuing to seek funding).- Scholarships range from $1,000 to $3,000 based on the amount of volunteer service completed.- The program also allows for supplemental scholarships awarded directly to eligible students, focusing on those who have not previously received funding.- An additional $100 million is authorized yearly for the scholarship initiatives through fiscal years 2026 to 2030.

Recognition Programs

- The bill includes provisions for recognizing schools and educational agencies based on their volunteer service achievements.- This section aims to encourage more institutions to participate in community service initiatives.

Definitions

- Various terms used in the bill, such as "eligible entity," "unit of local government," and "volunteer service work," are defined to clarify the scope and application of the programs.

Relevant Companies

None found.