Young, Reed Reintroduce Bipartisan Bill to Boost Civic Engagement and Promote Service
WASHINGTON – In an effort to bring Americans together through service to the nation and their fellow citizens, U.S. Senators Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Jack Reed (D-R.I.) reintroduced the Unity through Service Act, legislation that would create a whole of government approach to addressing military, national, and public service needs.
This legislation is based on recommendations published by the bipartisan National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service to review the military selective service process and consider methods to increase participation in military, national, and other public service to address the needs of the nation.
The Commission published its final report and recommendations five years ago, just as the pandemic began to grip the nation, setting off a decline in the rates of volunteerism from 30 percent to 23.2 percent according to data from AmeriCorps. The Commission called for a ten-year goal for five million Americans to begin participating in military, national, or public service each year.
Additionally, the Commission set targets for ensuring there are more than enough qualified individuals seeking to serve in the Armed Forces and for modernizing government personnel systems to attract and enable Americans with critical skills to enter public service. The Unity through Service Act would provide the architecture and focus to mobilize a collaborative approach across government to achieving these goals.
“Civic engagement and giving back to the community are woven into the fabric of the American spirit. Our bill would increase Americans’ awareness of service opportunities that target community-specific needs, while also appropriately stewarding taxpayer dollars,” said Senator Young.
“I believe that Americans are ready and willing to answer the call to serve, to come together and meet the challenges we are facing. We just need to create the conditions to mobilize them,” said Senator Reed. “That is why I am proud to join Senator Young in introducing the Unity through Service Act, reaffirming our national culture of service and elevating all forms of service by leveraging the strengths of our existing programs.”
In addition to Senators Young and Reed, the legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) and was introduced in the House of Representatives by U.S. Representatives Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA-6), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-19), Jack Bergman (R-MI-1), and Don Bacon (R-NE-2).
The Unity through Service Act would elevate all forms of service, making it easier for Americans to identify service opportunities that align with their skills and goals.
This bill would establish an Interagency Council on Service to coordinate and lead initiatives that extend across military, national, and public service. The Council will be tasked with preparing and submitting to the President a national strategy on service, including a review of current programs, initiatives and online content.
Furthermore, the Unity through Service Act would authorize a joint advertising, market research, and recruiting program with the Department of Defense (DOD), the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), and the Peace Corps to identify successful strategies and efficiently share this information across agencies. The bill would require a quadrennial report to Congress on initiatives to integrate military, national, and public service programs.
This legislation is endorsed by the Service Year Alliance and America’s Service Commissions.
“Service Year Alliance was proud to support the Unity Through Service Act when it was introduced, and we remain champions for the passage of this legislation today,” said Kristen Bennett, Chief Executive Officer of Service Year Alliance. “Americans want to serve, and it’s paramount that we bridge our efforts on military, national, and public service, as the Unity Through Service Actcalls for, to best harness this goodwill for our shared future. As advocates for national service, we know that service years develop leaders, build skills for success in a changing economy, and offer solutions for creating more resilient communities — and we should be doing everything in our power to make it an opportunity for all. The Unity Through Service Act is a vital next step that brings us closer to achieving this vision.”
“On behalf of our nation’s State and Territorial Service Commissions, we thank Sen. Reed (D-RI) and Sen. Young (R-IN) for their support of the bipartisan Unity Through National Service Act. National service enables Americans to address critical issues in our communities and instills a sense of mission and purpose in those that serve. We look forward to engaging with the Interagency Council on Service to advise the President on ways that national, military, and public service partners – and importantly our states – can work together to promote and expand opportunities to serve our country and improve those experiences,” said Kaira Esgate, CEO of America’s Service Commissions. “Critically, the Council would also develop new interagency partnerships to address national challenges and support the transition between branches of service and into careers. We urge Congress to advance this bipartisan legislation as soon as possible.”