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In 1993, the Corporation for National and Community Service was established. The Corporation was created to connect Americans of all ages and backgrounds with opportunities to give back to their communities and their nation. It merged the work and staffs of two predecessor agencies, ACTION and the Commission on National and Community Service.
At its inception, the Corporation was directed to manage three main programs:
- The newly created Senior Corps, which incorporated the longstanding Foster Grandparents, Retired and Senior Volunteer, and Senior Companion Programs;
- The newly created AmeriCorps, which incorporated the longstanding VISTA, the new National Civilian Community Corps programs, and the full-time demonstration program that had been established under the 1990 Act; and
- Learn and Serve America, formerly known as Serve America.
The Corporation is part of our nation's history of commitment to building a culture of citizenship, service, and responsibility. View a more detailed history of the federal government efforts to support volunteering and community service.
 On April 21, 2009, President Barack Obama signed the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act at an elementary school in Washington DC (read more). The Serve America Act reauthorizes and expands national service programs administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service.
111th Congress: Reauthorization of the Corporation for National and Community Service and Expansion of National Service Programs
The Serve America Act, S. 277, legislation to reauthorize and strengthen the national service laws, was introduced by Senators Kennedy and Hatch on January 16, 2009. On March 26, 2009, the Senate voted 79-19 to pass national service reauthorization legislation, naming the bill the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act.
- Statement by the President on the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act (The White House - 3/26/2009)
- Press Release: Senate Passes Historic Bipartisan Expansion of National Service (3/26/2009)
- Text of S. 277 as reported by Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee (Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions - 3/18/2009)
- Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee meeting on "The Next Generation of National Service" (Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions - 3/10/2009)
- Bill Text (PDF - Government Printing Office)
- Bill Summary (Congressional Research Service)
- Statement of Alan Solomont Before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions on the Next Generation of National Service (3/9/2009)
- Statement of Stephen Goldsmith Before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions on the Next Generation of National Service (3/9/2009)
The Generations Invigorating Volunteering and Education (GIVE) Act, H.R. 1388, a bipartisan reauthorization bill, was introduced on March 10, 2009. On March 11, 2009, the House Committee on Education and Labor approved the GIVE Act by a vote of 34-3.
Click here for an archive of national service legislative activity from the 110th Congress.
Building on a long tradition of service, the Corporation merged the work and staff of two predecessor agencies, ACTION and the Commission on National and Community Service. For the two decades, ACTION administered VISTA and the three programs which make up the Senior Corps—RSVP (Retired and Senior Volunteer Program), Senior Companions, and Foster Grandparents—which engage nearly a half million older Americans in service to their communities. ACTION was authorized by the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 as amended.
1990: National and Community Service Act of 1990: A renewed focus on encouraging volunteering in America led to the passage of the National and Community Service Act of 1990. This legislation, signed into law by President George H.W. Bush, created a new independent federal agency, the Commission on National and Community Service.
The Commission was charged with supporting four streams of service:
- Service-learning programs for school-aged youth;
- Higher education service programs;
- Youth corps; and
- National service demonstration models.
1992: National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC): A bipartisan group of Senators, working with the Bush Administration, drafted legislation to create NCCC as a demonstration program to explore the possibility of using post-Cold War military resources to help solve problems here at home. The NCCC, enacted as part of the 1993 Defense Authorization Act, is a residential service program modeled on the Depression-era Civilian Conservation Corps and the United States military.
1993: The National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993: Both the NCCC and the Commission on National and Community Service would later be incorporated into the Clinton Administration’s National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993. Introduced by a bipartisan coalition of Members of Congress, President Bill Clinton signed it into law on September 21, 1993. The legislation created the Corporation for National and Community Service, and three Corporation administered programs: Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America with the responsibility of mobilizing Americans into service.
2002: USA Freedom Corps: In his 2002 State of the Union address, President George W. Bush announced the creation of the USA Freedom Corps. Chaired by the President, USA Freedom Corps was a coordinating council that worked to strengthen our culture of service and helped find opportunities for every American to serve.
2005-2006 AmeriCorps Provisions
2004 Learn and Serve America Provisions
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